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

Towering over Hilton Head Island’s sinuous oaks is the 10-story Hilton Head Marriott, just feet from 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 $15 a night, or guests can self-park for free.

Entering at ground level, through a revolving door or through two flanking doors, guests find themselves on the second floor in a lobby with four separate sitting arrangements. Furniture ranges from a wicker couch and chair set to wing-back upholstered chairs in reds and soft greens.

In the lobby, marble floors shine and inlaid green and tan pieces crisscross the floor. 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 back of the building, toward the shore. Outside are jacuzzis, pools and massive decks - two of each. During peak season (late spring to early fall), a live band plays Caribbean music at night on the bigger deck, called Basshead Deck. Palm trees sway in the breeze and potted flowers spot color around the brown decks.

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 514 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.

“We like to say it is as close as you can get to having a beach wedding without worrying about the sand,” said Judy Patterson, events coordinator for Marriott.

Wedding parties use the ocean as backdrop for photos but enjoy lush grass under their feet instead of sand. The smaller Bullhead Deck is conveniently adjacent to the lawn for wedding receptions.

The Rooms
Aside from the sound of breaking waves drifting in from the private balcony, each room also has a plush bed. The 7-inch thick mattresses (one inch thicker than standard hotel mattresses) are covered with a cushy mattress topper.

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 workerbees to stay in touch with those back in the business world.

With an average square footage at 700 feet for each room, guests find plenty of room to spread out. And for those who have a visitor, the sofa contains a fold-out mattress 3 1/2 inches thick.

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 Arthur Hills Course is host to an NCAA tournament each year with the island’s oldest lighthouse looming above the fifth green. 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.

Adventure Club is offered Wednesday-Saturday for children 3-12 years old and includes nature tours, fun on the beach and other activities. If given 24 hours notice, the resort can also make referrals for a babysitter so parents can have an elegant dinner alone.

But for those who really want to relax, they can choose a day at the Rachel Joseph Salon or with the masseuse from the Health Club. The Rachel Joseph Salon uses Aveda products and offers pedicures, manicures and hair cuts, among other services. Through the Health Club, four types of massages are available in either 30-minute or 60-minute slots: Swedish Massage, Shiatsu, Reflexology or deep tissue. Prices range from $55 for a 30-minute Swedish massage to $90 for a 60-minute Shiatsu massage. Half-hour for one hour Belavi Facials also can be booked for $65 and $90, respectively.

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.

Champagne Sunday brunch ($23.95 for adults, $13.95 for children) includes those tasty crab cakes, oysters, shrimp, french toast, eggs benedict, omelets, fruit, bagels and loads of desserts.

Southern authors’ luncheons are held every other month with a well-known author as the guest. Authors speak, hold a question and answer session and then a book signing. Of course, Conroy is a guest about once a year. Adjacent to Conroy’s is Conroy’s lounge, which offers live piano tunes each night.

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. The Cafe is open during the main season serving a seafood buffet.

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

Poolside are Quinn’s II and Point Comfort. Quinn’s II is named after the original Quinn’s in Tahiti and offers light foods ideal for a day by the pool. It also served peel-and-eat shrimp. Point Comfort, the outdoor lounge, is named after the Hilton Head landmark.

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