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By Tom Crosby
(November 2007) The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, located on a centuries-old, 20,000-acre sea island that was once a wildlife and nature preserve near the quaint historical town of Bluffton, South Carolina, isn’t the easiest destination resort to find.
But it is a hard one to leave.
Relaxing on the screened-in porch in one of 50 cream-white Southern-style cottages, overlooking a manicured lawn with trees dripping Spanish moss, tranquility quickly envelops guests.
Odd numbered cottages enjoy tidal frontage, with Lowcountry views of the slow-moving May River, even numbers view a marsh dotted with grey herons, ibis, wood storks and snowy white egrets standing sentinel-like awaiting hapless fish.
Not a single, stand-alone building, The Inn at Palmetto Bluff includes a Plantation-style lodge with meeting rooms, a sit-down wine cellar and ground- level restaurant; the 50 cottages, (which include eight cottage suites with living rooms), and five nearby villas with two, three or four bedrooms.
Guests at the AAA-rated Four Diamond inn, and residents, enjoy modern amenities such as a 9,500 square foot spa designed as an antebellum mansion with verandahs overlooking a lagoon; a three-lane Olympic-length horizon lap pool next to the May River; eight Har-Tru tennis courts, bocce and croquet areas; a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course; and a modern 24-hour fitness center. *The Equestrian Center will not be an amenity for resort guests – no riding or trails, etc.. For nature lovers, Wilson Landing is a launching site for kayaks, canoes, fishing expeditions or leisurely sight-seeing picnic boat rides or dolphin watches among barrier islands, such as Bull and Daufuskie, on the May River or to the east on Cooper River down to the New River.
 All three rivers border Palmetto Bluff, so named for “bluffs” that at their highest sit 40 feet above the water and teem with wildlife. In the early 20th century, “The Bluff” was an exclusive, private hunting preserve owned by Richard T. Wilson, a wealthy New York banker, who built a four-story mansion on the property that burned down in 1926, although the mansion’s broken marble columns like Roman ruins remain visible today in the village square.
Crescent Resources, a land management and real estate development company headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and a joint venture between Duke Energy, Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund (MSREF) and the company's management purchased Palmetto Bluff in year 2000 and have been developing it since with the Inn, the village and residential clusters snuggled about the property.
The million-dollar plus homes embody typical Southern architecture and features. The Village homes, for example, boast vaulted ceilings, hardwood pine floors, full kitchens outfitted with Viking appliances, fireplaces, ceiling fans, customer bath and body products, stocked wet bar, luxury bed lines and flat-screen TV with DVD/CD player.
 At least 6,000 acres of the river forest full of 300-year old oaks festooned with dripping grey moss, swaying palms and sea island vegetation will remain a wild, natural, undisturbed habitat.
The Inn, with prices ranging from $475 a night for a cottage to $2,200 for a four-bedroom villa during the summer off-season, is reached via one of two entrances from SC Highway 46, north of Bluffton, and is approximately 35 minutes from Savannah, 90 minutes for Charleston and 35 minutes from Hilton Head.
About three miles inland from SC 46, motorists reach the village square and the Inn after driving past the moss-draped oak trees, glimpses of the golf course and emerging neighborhoods.
Walking bridges and pedestrian paths criss-cross the community, offering venues of walking, hiking or bike riding. There are tree houses, playgrounds and picnic areas scattered along the meandering pathways. The Village has a Waterside Chapel, Art Gallery, Post Office, museum, real estate sales office, quaint boutiques shops, a restaurant (Buffalo’s), memorable homes and gas lit walkways.
While cottages can offer different variations on a theme, here is what is typically found.
COTTAGE
Entering from a small walk-on porch, a small foyer features a coat and umbrella rack on the right and a wet bar to the left above a refrigerator stocked with half a dozen complimentary juices and four bottles of water.
 The gray marble-topped sink above and to the left of the refrigerator, sits under a huge wall mirror. On the counter rests a container of cream for coffee, a shelf for water and wine glasses, a silver tray with an ice bucket and a unique coffee maker (Keurig) that makes single cups with pre-packaged containers of Green Mountain fresh roast and Vermont County blend decaf plus green and English black tea.
Beyond the foyer, on the right a recessed window seat full of embroidered cushions is behind a small table topped with tools to combat and enjoy - the natural elements sunscreen (PBF15),Bushnell binoculars for nature watching, a lantern, an elongated lighter for citronella candles on the screened porch and an Audubon Society Field Guide and Book on South Carolina birds.
On the left a large 41” flat screen television rests on a cupboard with a DVD and CD player below and three movie DVD¹s filmed in the Lowcountry The Big Chill, The Prince of Tides and The Legend of Bagger Vance.
There are four music CD¹s Faith Hill, Josh Groban, Norah Jones and Marlena Smalls with South Carolina¹s Hallelujah Singers.
Next to the TV, a white wooden mantle tops black marble rimming a natural gas fireplace with Lowcountry painting hanging above. Facing the fireplace are two stuffed armchairs flanking a wicker table and a coffee table with Savannah and Auberge magazines (Auberge is a professional hotel management firm specializing in high-quality, upscale resorts. The Inn’s manager is Jim Beley, a veteran of management at several AAA Five Diamond rated Ritz-Carlton Hotels).
A wicker tray holds laundry bags and schedule of the day¹s activities. A desk in the left corner holds a phone, wireless connection, Inn at Palmetto Bluff stationery, a lamp and a Tideland Treasures paperback full of local information. There are wedding, spa and activity booklets, plus a book of hotel amenities.
 Side tables astride the elevated king bed covered by a fine cotton weave comforter, contain lamps, one with the phone and phonebook plus wicker basket, the other a digital clock radio, a silver tray with a pair of water glasses and two bottles of water.
Patterned area rugs dot the polished hardwood floor. All cottage light switches have mood-altering dimmers.
A central fan hangs from the vaulted ceiling; the windows use white wooden, louvers. Entering through full-length French doors, a spacious screened porch overlooks the front yard and river with wooden back cushioned chairs and couch, potted plants and a ceiling fan creating a quiet, peaceful ambiance.
In the morning, the Savannah Morning News is left outside your door or at the River House Dining Room, guests can choose between the (Hilton Head) Island Packet, New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.
In the afternoon pecan cookies and lemonade is a daily respite.
A daily Discovery sheet placed in your room provides a list of that day’s activities.
For example, during a recent stay there were half a dozen activities to choose from each day, such as a poolside Yahtzee tournament or Bingo, introduction to kayaking, kite flying, lagoon fishing, bicycle tours, badminton, yoga, a wildlife research tour or Catch and Release fishing tips.
DRESSING AREA
The dressing room is huge, 13’ by 8’, with a make-up table and wall mirror, on which sit a wicker basket with cotton balls, Q-tips and tissues.
Two clothes closets hold full-length mirrors on the doors and include an ironing board, iron, small safe and a “Harmony” mat to practice yoga or work out on. Three drawers are below the closets, a small safe sits on the floor next to clothes and shoe brushes and a shoehorn. Closet lights come on when the doors are opened.
BATHROOM
Luxurious appointments include a claw foot soaking tub with a French hand held shower head is next to a silver and glass stand for hand towels and a silver canister of bath beads with a clam shell to scoop beads out.
A pair of sinks contains Italian marble counters, silver and porcelain fixtures, an oversize makeup mirror, two toothbrush cups and more Q-tips, tissues and cotton balls. The Inn uses its own branded fragrance amenities such as Southern Jasmine Body Lotion, Coastal Pine shower gel and bath soap.
 The walk-in, black-tile shower is 5’ by 3.5’ and has three showerheads – one above, one mid-level and a French movable showerhead. Inside are a loofla scrub and The Inn at Palmetto Bluff shampoo and shower gel (Coastal Pine) and hair conditioner (Southern Jasmine). A marble bench allows patrons to sit while activating the steam bath.
LODGE
Entering the lobby from the valet parking area outside, a screened -in porch is to the left that overlooks outside brick fire pits that become evening centers of activity with marshmallow toasting, cocktails. The perennial evening event is making s’mores, that graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate combination best served hot after toasting the marshmallows over one of three round brick fire pits outside the Inns. Sticks, marshmallows, Hershey bars and graham crackers are complimentary.
The porch leading outside houses wicker chairs, wood and marble tables, half a dozen potted plants several feet tall and is the site for afternoon tea and cookies.
 On the right of the lobby entrance is a small clothes and gift shop, then stairs to the second floor, and next the concierge desk, followed by the front desk.
On the second floor, there is a ballroom, board meeting rooms, a wraparound porch, and an open area around the banister rimming the stairwell with fresh flowers on a center table, potted plants and a seascape wall sculpture above the stairs.
Back on the first floor, further along is a hallway that leads to the wine cellar and bypassing it is the entrance to the bar and restaurant.
A nook around the corner from the check-in desk serves as a private area for phone calls.
WINE CELLER
The wine cellar is downstairs and contains a foyer sitting area outfitted with colorful wall paintings. Inside the wine cellar, a private room on the left contains tables for private wine tastings. The cellar itself contains one wall with wines behind glass in a temperature controlled room, a seven foot tall, walk-in humidor and a stone fireplace with shelves on each side full of historic artifacts such as books, wooden cigar boxes. The floor is polished marble and in front of the fireplace are a leather couch, two leather chairs and a coffee table.
There are half a dozen polished wood tables served by leather and wooden armchairs.
RIVER HOUSE DINING ROOM
Down the hall on the right from the check-in desk, the dining is approached through the bar, with its pinewood polished floor, mahogany walls and high backed leather chairs around four tables and a leather couch.
Behind the bar’s marble counter a 54’’ flat plasma television is framed by shelves stocked with liquor bottles. Bar stools sit in front of the counter. On the walls hang original photos of oyster fishing by photographer Jack Leigh that depict the life of an oysterman in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Inside the restaurant, on the right sits a marble fireplace topped by paintings of marshland and bracketed by French doors on each side. Three of the walls contain tall French doors leading to a wrap-around verandah with outside tables for al fresco dining under overhead fans aiding natural river breezes. Inside dining room wooden chairs are softened with leather cushions. A patterned carpet adds to the ambiance, along with wall sconces and overhead ironwork light fixtures. The menu is stocked with the finest in Lowcountry cusine. A few signature dishes from our selections are Grilled Shenandoah Dry Aged Beef Ribeye Steak at $39.00, Line Caught Grouper with Sweet Potato Gnocchi at $31.00 and Ashley Farms Free Range Chicken with creamed lentils and roasted apples at $28.00 Silver Flatware is from Italy, and Villeroy and Boch china from Luxembourg. Bathrooms use cloth hand towels and walls contain paintings of the Low County’s unique architecture and nature.
VILLAGE
The still developing Village at Palmetto Bluff includes a Chapel, a delicatessen/restaurant called “Buffalos” with a screened in porch for diners, a history center that describes the development of Palmetto Bluff, and a bustling real estate office. In the village square rest the ruins of Wilson Mansion that burned to the ground in 1926 (the stone steps and partial columns remain – looking much like remains of the Roman forum in Athens Greece). Paralleling the river, bronze statutes of boys playing with hoses come alive periodically as the hoses spurt real water.
A brick road encircles the village square with the Inn on the right, the river along the center and village shops on the left. Beyond the square are residences. Golf cart paths along the golf course and throughout the village encourage bicycling and walking. Tennis courts are a five-minute walk or two-minute bike ride from the square.
The sporting areas for tennis have covered viewing areas with cushioned sofas and chairs made of teak wood being cooled by overhead fans.
The Yemmassee Indians inhabited the area in 1564. The area became a retreat and the Palmetto Lodge was a hunting lodge and retreat from 1937-1999.
SPA AND TREATMENTS
Nearly four-dozen treatments are available ranging from 30 minutes for $75 (a hand and foot revival) to 4 hours at $500 (the blushing bride). The Rain Room experience includes warm showers while steam cleanses and purifies in preparation various massages or body therapies. Lovers
can choose a private couples’ suite for spa boggin’, where following a pine and cypress steam, and exfoliation treatment, the couple applies Palmetto “Bluff” Mud to each other and relaxes on the couples day bed wrapped in linens side by side ad later, while soaking in a Spanish Moss and Citrus bath, are served champagne with chocolate or oysters.
Robes and sandals are provided in the locker rooms and the spa emits a scent of sandalwood. Secluded bathtubs on the verandas offer views of a lakeside lagoon.
A resting room contains a fireplace with cookies and fresh fruit to snack on, heated neck wrap with fragrance to a soft music background.
FITNESS CENTER
The center is in a stand-alone building overlooking the swimming pool, lagoon lake, river and marsh beyond. Half a dozen weight machines, free weights; treadmills, elliptical machines and exercise bikes with televisions, and numerous exercise balls are available.
POOL
Nearly two dozen chairs and cushioned lounges surround a 5-foot deep and 90,000-gallon rectangular pool. Cabanas offer shade. A poolside bar offers a full range of soft drinks and cocktails and a menu including salads and sandwiches.
EXCURSIONS
Nearly two dozen tours are available such as beach excursions to nearby islands; boating and kayaking with a naturalist guide; various fishing trips that seek sea trout, redfish, bream, bass, shrimp, tarpon or bluefish depending upon the tour and time of year; history tours; waterskiing and tubing; customized kids camps or different cruises on Grace, the 63-foot motor yacht named after Grace Wilson Vanderbilt once used for gracious entertaining and now used for sightseeing, wine tastings or watching fireworks.
GOLF
Nicklaus Signature designed the course with several holes on the banks of the river and it has received high ratings from Travel + Leisure Golf and Golfweek magazines. The May River Club House, with a cedar-shingled roof tucked into a natural setting, oversees the 9th and 18th greens and has 20-foot vaulted ceilings in the May River Grill, which serves lunch indoors or outdoors.
RECOGNITION AWARDS
In addition to AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond rating, the Inn has been consistently mentioned and praised in Conde Nast Traveler magazine, Robb Report Luxury Resorts 100 Best Resorts (2007) and Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report as aGrand Award Winner (2006).
SPECIAL AMENITIES: Groceries can be ordered and delivered to your accommodation, (room service is 24/7); water shuttle to Hilton Head’s Harbour Town; room ceiling fans, steam shower, soaking tubs, high-speed internet access, outdoor survival/enjoyment items; golf carts or bicycles for on-site exploring; dogs are welcome as a tribute to its former use as a hunting site; nightly s’mores at the brick fire pits. (Updated November 2007)
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