Spotlight

Hilton Head Marriott a Beachfront Paradise The beach, miles of marsh canals and decks with live entertainment beckon visitors to have fun.

(August 2008) Towering over Hilton Head Island’s sinuous oaks is the newly renovated 10-story Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa located directly on the Atlantic Ocean. Motoring along Queen’s Folly Road in the Palmetto Dunes area, guests drive 3/4 of a mile from the main road past three championship and beautifully manicured golf courses.

While many vacationers come to Hilton Head for golf, that’s not the only thing this resort has to offer. The property boasts a number of conference rooms, including one of the largest ballrooms on the East Coast, for seminars and business.

But the beach, miles of marsh canals and decks with live entertainment beckon visitors to have more fun than business.

Upon arriving, guests are greeted by valets who don golfing knickerbockers and argyle socks. Valet parking is $18 a night, or guests can self-park for a fee of $10 per day.

Entering at ground level, through a revolving door or through two flanking doors, guests find themselves on the second floor in a fully renovated lobby with four separate sitting arrangements. New furniture ranges from a tropical look to upscale contemporary in reds and soft greens.

In the lobby, a new marble floor shines throughout. The lobby’s open atrium style area comes with 3-foot wide iron light fixtures with frosted glass upside-down domes hanging two stories up from the third floor ceiling.

Third floor guests look down upon stores and Conroy’s Restaurant lining the second-floor walkways.

Giant windows in the lobby lure guests to contemplate a swim in the pool outside or to head straight for the ocean beyond.

Walking down carpeted stairs to the lower level, guests can exit to the newly renovated pool and sundeck or head right to the beach. Outside are jacuzzis, pools and plenty of space to lounge around in the sun. During peak season (late spring to early fall), live music is played on the bigger deck, called Basshead Deck. Palm trees sway in the breeze and the new “Hammock Point” is a great place to relax with the ocean breeze.

Once outside, its easy to notice the South Tower, built in 1986, which sits perpendicular to the main tower. This five story building holds 150 of the resort’s 513 rooms and offers an even closer view of the ocean than the main tower.
Just in front of the South Tower is a patch of lawn large enough for about 150 people. This is where Marriott conducts the 30-40 weddings it does each year.

The Rooms
Aside from the sound of breaking waves drifting in from the private balcony, each room also has the new Marriott Revive bedding package. It’s easy for guests getting in from a long drive to exclaim “Ooh” or “Ahh” as soon as they sit on these beds. Pacific Coast feather pillows are the cherry-on-top for the ensemble, donned with plush, floral comforters.

At the head of the bed is a Honduran wood-blend headboard standing almost 6 feet tall. The dark wood offers a contrast to the yellow-tinted walls.

Inside the armoire is a television (usable for video games), coffeemaker with coffee or tea and ceramic coffee mugs - not flimsy disposable cups. Safe deposit boxes also are installed into the armoire.

For those visiting on business, ample electric outlets near the desk and a high speed connection allow worker bees to stay in touch with those back in the business world.

All of Marriott’s rooms have private balconies, including 36 suites such as Presidential Suites, Grand Hospitality Suites and Island King Suites.

The Presidential Suite is the largest in the hotel and is one the corner spots of the fifth (top) floor of the South Wing. About the size of three regular guestrooms, the suite includes a Jacuzzi and private sauna. The balcony parlor offers a full-sized refrigerator, wet bar, microwave and table for eight.

A step down from the Presidential Suite is the Vice Presidential Suite, on the corners of the lower floors of the South Tower.

Other suites include the Island King, with all island views, Executive Suites with a Murphy bed and a parlor the size of a regular guest room, and then the Grand Hospitality Suite with a parlor the size of two bedrooms.

Bathrooms
Bathrooms vary with either a shower/tub combination or a 5-foot-by-3 1/2 foot standing shower. In the standing shower, the shower head is conveniently situated on a separate wall from the knobs, which are just inside the stall, allowing guests to wait until warm water is flowing before stepping in.

Coconut-scented, seashell-shaped bath soaps complete the island experience after a day of relaxing on the beach. Guests can turn on a heater lamp to warm the room while drying off with Brentwood towels and then wrapping themselves into a light-weight robe.

Silver frosted-glass vase style fixtures hang on both sides of the large black-framed mirror. Separate lighting is installed in the shower.

Conference Facilities
Hilton Head Marriott recently added another ballroom to complement its 17,600 square feet Leamington Grand Ballroom. The new Sable Palm Ballroom has 5,080 square feet.

For conventions and meetings, Hilton Head Marriott also has six additional meeting rooms complete with options such as conference screens, projectors, camcorders, cameras, microphones and high speed Internet.

A Business Center is accessible 24 hours a day with room key and contains a computer, printer, fax machine and even mailing materials.

Recreation
Palmetto Dunes’ three golf championship course are the highlight of the property. The Robert Trent Jones course signature hole is the par-5, 10th hole that plays into the ocean breezes. The George Fazio Course is demanding, requiring both length and precision play. Green fees range from $90 to $125 per round.

But aside from golf, Marriott rents bikes, jogging strollers, umbrellas and chairs for the beach and kayaks, good for paddling through island marsh canals. The resort also can make arrangements for guests to go horseback riding, sailing, deep sea fishing or nature tours.

On the property are 25 tennis courts, and guests can sign up for private lessons.

On the first floor is the Health Club, which includes an indoor pool, two whirlpools, sauna and exercise equipment. Headsets to listen to the three mounted televisions are available for those doing cardio work on the treadmills, stationary bikes and other machines. Weights and mats are also available.

But for those who really want to relax, they can choose a day at the new Spa Soleil.

Restaurants
The resort boasts three restaurants and two lounges.

Conroy’s, named after the South Carolina novelist Pat Conroy, is on the main floor and is well known for its crab cakes (named Best of the Best on Hilton Head). The restaurant, which serves classic lowcountry cuisine, hosts two events that bring in crowds: its champagne Sunday brunch and its Southern authors luncheon.

The Cafe, on the lower floor, is more of a buffet style menu with a sufficient breakfast spread of its own. Waffles, fresh fruit, grits, eggs, and cereal are just a few things on the buffet.

If guests are more into getting a cuppa joe for breakfast, a small convenience store on the first level sells Starbuck's coffee.

Poolside are Ocean Blu and Liquid which offer light food and drinks ideal for a day by the pool. (Updated August 2008)