# Spinnaker Waterside vs. Marriott Monarch - Please help with my decision



## jonmaiman (May 9, 2016)

We are a family of 3 (2 adults and a 10 year old daughter).   We have stayed at Surfwatch and Monarch on HHI in the past and liked both of them a lot.   This year we're trying to save some money on our vacation.   I have found a very low rental price for unit 5543 at Waterside.  We have also stayed at Marriott and Wyndham timeshares elsewhere (Seawatch, Sequel in Williamsburg, Maui Ocean Club, and Kauai Lagoons).

I  know Waterside is a few blocks from the beach and we're okay with that (we walked to the beach at Surfwatch rather than take the shuttle).  So onto my questions:

1) So other than the location not being directly on the beach, how does the quality of waterside compare to Monarch (furnishings and facilities)?   I consider Surfwatch a step up from Monarch and don't expect that quality level from Waterside.  Is it also a step down from Monarch?

2) Are there any issues with noise and/or congestion from the Coligny Plaza area?

3) I believe most of the units at Waterside were recently refurbished.  Does anyone know if the 5500 building units have been refurbished recently?

Thanks in advance for helping me make a decision.

--Jon


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## jme (May 11, 2016)

Monarch-----don't own, but stayed there multiple times on rental.

Waterside----own two floating (week 1-52) 3-BR units, stayed a few times.

My nod for you would go to *Monarch* because of the beachfront location. 

Monarch is also in Sea Pines, which has the best bike trails. It's a quieter resort in general, altho WS isn't bad at all.  In busy seasons the pool at Waterside can get crowded, however.  

I think you'll like everything at Monarch better. Two twin beds in second BR won't affect you. Monarch in general has more open space, and feels larger than it is, mostly due to beach being right there within steps.  The only real plus for Waterside is that the units are larger. 

Waterside buildings # 5200 and 5300 (back right, closest to Coligny Plaza) have been completely renovated----new granite countertops, all furniture, carpet, floors, HDTVs, and appliances if needed (for now), etc. 
Other buildings will follow, but starting in off-season, and that trend will continue, two buildings at a time (I think) until all buildings are done. No noise from Coligny--not an issue.

Layout of resort buildings:
http://tug2.com/ResortImages/USASoutheast/SouthCarolina/sc-waterside.jpg


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## elaine (May 11, 2016)

I own at W, but at other places, we usually stay at either DVC, HGVC or Marriotts. W is perfectly fine. You are in bldg 5, which is right across from the big pool and main activities bldg. The big pool is very nice with a large shade umbrella extending over part of the shallow water. Good, hot jacuuzi, as well. Also a waterworks play are with shallow pool between bldgs 2 and 3. Probably a 10 yr old has outrgrown this.

The furnishing would look like a M that had not been updated in 10 yrs, IMHO, Nonrenovated bldgs have green corian countertop bar, and green formica kitchen, with white cabinets. Although that sounds like a disaster, the units looks quite nice and are in good shape. Beds are not the great M beds, but more than adequate--just don't expect pillowtop, etc. Beach is 10 minute walk down a back road to the residential beach (no facilities) or longer to Coligny or via beach shuttle in summer months. We strongly prefer residential beach. There are daily activities for your 10 yr old, but not as many as at M. Pedals is right at the front to rent bikes. We enjoy biking around the Forest drive area. 

No real issues with congestion and only noise might be from pool (but I never heard any and we were in bldg 5 with a window facing the pool). You are quite a ways off of Coligny. You can bike/walk to putt-putt and all the Coligny shops (walk via back road is 5 minutes). If the cost savings is worth it, and you are OK with green corian and non-plush beds, then W will be fine for you. There is no bar/food service, although they do have lunch/dinner activities during the summer on many days.

We traded in a few times and liked it enough to buy there. I consider it a step down from a M, but still a good choice for HHI.


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## tschwa2 (May 11, 2016)

jme said:


> Monarch-----don't own, but stayed there multiple times on rental.
> 
> Waterside----own two floating (week 1-52) 3-BR units, stayed a few times.
> 
> ...



I don't think the question is which he would like better.  If the costs were $500+ less to stay at waterside for the same week would that make up for the location.  

The beach area and facilities at Coligny are very nice probably one of the nicest public beach facility areas I have been too but the beach gets very crowded. When its hot it is a long 3-4 block walk.  That being said if you go early morning or later afternoon it isn't so bad.   

I would think an ocean front at Monarch would be worth it.  It also depends on how much of a beach person you are.  My husband isn't one at all.  He would much prefer to spend 1-2 afternoons at the beach or less and the rest of the time doing other activities.  Last time we crabbed on the May river and really enjoyed that.  Another time we chartered the boat that took us to the sand bar for shelling from Broad creek.  

I would try it at Waterside one time and see what you think.  When I stay ocean front at Hilton Head I have a tendency to not want to leave the resort most days and there is a lot of fun things to do for a family.


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## jonmaiman (May 11, 2016)

All,

   Thank you for the replies.   The unit at Waterside is literally half the price of the unit at Monarch.   I got verification from the owner the unit is one of the ones that was renovated last December.  Last year we rented a big house in Duck, NC that was about 3 to 4 blocks from the beach.   It wasn't a big deal to walk to the beach.   So I don't expect it to be an issue at HHI.  Money is tighter this year otherwise I would have jumped on the Monarch unit.   We liked Monarch a lot when we stayed there.    

Two years ago we stayed at Surfwatch, which we liked even better than Monarch, and drove to Sea Pines a couple of days.   That worked out fine for us.  

 I was mainly looking to determine how good the physical facilities at Waterside are as compared to Monarch and make sure we would have some isolation from the Coligny Plaza hub bub.   From the replies, I have my answer and I think it will be okay for us.   We're going to try it this year.  If we don't like it, we will go back to Marriott only for HHI.  Thanks again.

--Jon


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## jme (May 12, 2016)

jonmaiman said:


> All,
> 
> Thank you for the replies.   The unit at Waterside is literally half the price of the unit at Monarch.   I got verification from the owner the unit is one of the ones that was renovated last December.  Last year we rented a big house in Duck, NC that was about 3 to 4 blocks from the beach.   It wasn't a big deal to walk to the beach.   So I don't expect it to be an issue at HHI.  Money is tighter this year otherwise I would have jumped on the Monarch unit.   We liked Monarch a lot when we stayed there.
> 
> ...



Prices similar, take Monarch, but for the price difference you describe, take Waterside. Didn't realize the cost was half-----you didn't say initially. 

Like I mentioned earlier, Waterside's villas are larger than Monarch's, which will be a plus for you. I like Monarch's location best, besides a few other things, but Waterside is a nice place too, otherwise we would never have bought two floating weeks. You will have no regrets. Marriotts are the best resorts on the island (Disney is in the mix), and Waterside is in the second tier, and better than most of the others (Royal Dunes is another really nice second-tier resort). 

Sounds like you'll have a 4th floor unit in the 5500 building---not renovated, but that doesn't matter as it'll still be in good shape and quite comfortable---you'll have a lagoon view, and it's lovely---it's our favorite building-------close to the big pool and adjacent to the clubhouse. The walk to the beach is a pain, but it's not too bad. The beach closest to you is the most crowded on the island---literally crazy during holidays--- but some people like it there---I don't.


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## gnipgnop (Jun 2, 2016)

elaine said:


> "The furnishing would look like a M that had not been updated in 10 yrs, IMHO, Nonrenovated bldgs have green corian countertop bar, and green formica kitchen, with white cabinets. "
> 
> Boy oh boy!!!  I really don't get this ~ who cares what color the kitchen cabinets and countertops are???  If you are on a vacation in a beautiful spot like HHI and with a family you love and the place is clean and well cared for and has plenty of space ~ what's the problem???  And how much time do you spend in a kitchen while on vacation??
> 
> Also, Waterside has a shuttle that takes you to the beach and back.


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## pedro47 (Jun 2, 2016)

Ask yourself this question?  Will you & the wife enjoy a resort that is not as nice as the Monarch? The Monarch is on the beach and less crowded than a public beach.

Personally, I like to keep my wife "Happy."


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## dougp26364 (Jun 2, 2016)

I believe Waterside is managed by Spinnaker Resorts. Assuming that's the case, there's a pretty decent difference between quality. Spinnaker is nice enough. We own a resort in Branson that is now managed by them (French Quarter Resort). But their focus is providing a quality vacation while keeping a responsible budget. As such the MF's I pay are much more reasonable compared to our Marriott ownerships but, the experience is considerably lower.

My expectations of Waterside would be a comfortable unit minus the more upscale amenities of Marriott. Probably no granite counter tops, lower quality appliances. Sandpaper quality toilet paper (sad to say but we buy our own when staying at our home resort in Branson), not as plush beds/bedding and cheaper quality furniture which may not be as comfortable to sit on. 

Personally if I were trying to save money I'd consider it a reasonable vacation resort assuming it is managed by Spinnaker. It's a decent product but definitely a few steps lower than Marriott quality. Of course that's just my opinion between two different management companies. I have no actual experience with Monarch on HHI, just the differences in the two management styles at other resorts with those companies.


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## elaine (Jun 2, 2016)

gnipgnop said:


> elaine said:
> 
> 
> > "The furnishing would look like a M that had not been updated in 10 yrs, IMHO, Nonrenovated bldgs have green corian countertop bar, and green formica kitchen, with white cabinets. "
> ...


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## jme (Jun 2, 2016)

pedro47 said:


> Ask yourself this question?  Will you & the wife enjoy a resort that is not as nice as the Monarch? The Monarch is on the beach and less crowded than a public beach.
> Personally, I like to keep my wife "Happy."




Monarch's beach isn't so private in summer and during big holiday weekends due to the adjacent Sea Pines Beach Club (true for both old and new).  Beautiful structure with great activities (like restaurant Coast, entertainment, event venue, bar/grill) but extremely crowded on beach. 

The crowds of Monarch and Beach Club mingle and are essentially one and the same. It's one of only two Sea Pines locations for public parking and beach access. See link below. The beach experience at Monarch is vastly different in summer and off-season......awful vs idyllic.  

You can see the crowd when walking the beach from Grande Ocean, and we avoid going down that far. Great Beach Club though, just not yet formed an opinion as to whether it will ultimately be a good thing or a detriment to Monarch guests. It gets crazy there.

aerial view of Monarch and Beach Club
(minimize boxes for best view)
https://goo.gl/maps/2DHTPPEGpFv



.


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## pedro47 (Jun 3, 2016)

jme said:


> Monarch's beach isn't so private in summer and during big holiday weekends due to the adjacent Sea Pines Beach Club.  Beautiful but very crowded. It's one of two Sea Pines locations for public parking and beach access. The beach experience is vastly different in summer and off-season.
> 
> You can see the crowd when walking the beach from Grande Ocean, and we avoid it. Great Beach Club though, just not yet formed an opinion as to whether it will ultimately be a good thing or detriment to Monarch guests. It gets crazy there.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your clarification about the beach at The Monarch not being private. We have never been and do not travel to any beach like resorts from May 31 to September 30. There are just too many people on the beach. We live near Virginia Beach, VA and OBX, NC and there are just to many tourist on the beach for us. Anyway, I really feel the OP would enjoy either resort base upon the comments here on this thread..


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## jme (Jun 3, 2016)

pedro47 said:


> Thanks for your clarification about the beach at The Monarch not being private. We have never been and do not travel to any beach like resorts from May 31 to September 30. There are just too many people on the beach. We live near Virginia Beach, VA and OBX, NC and there are just to many tourist on the beach for us. Anyway, I really feel the OP would enjoy either resort base upon the comments here on this thread..



Actually the beach experience in summer and on holidays for Waterside is worse. We own there, nice resort, like it a lot, but never use that beach location. It's another public beach access site---the largest on Hilton Head---- and the closest and most popular for the following: Coligny Plaza crowd, island employees and residents, off-island residents, area guests of surrounding resorts and Holiday Inn (now called the Holiday Inn Beach House and Resort.....right, LOL)----- and it's even crazier. Since there's no "gated entrance" like Sea Pines, there are no restrictions as to who can hang out, which becomes very evident.

The Holiday Inn Tiki Bar is a large draw.... an intellectual paradise and perfect for stimulating conversation. Huge parking lot across the street at traffic circle, very congested area. The cheap bikinis for sale in Coligny Plaza are all on "living display" at the beach site, for good or bad.  

No way we enter that beach scene.

Not dangerous in the least, just wall-to-wall people---frisbees flying, music blaring, bodies sprawled on towels or in lounge chairs as if there were a concert, teens skim-boarding, footballs and baseballs flying, sunbathers of all shapes spread-eagle, moms yelling while toddlers frantically try to escape the short distance to Miami, and last but not least, it's the venue of choice for boasting your newest tattoo.  No thanks. 

A lot of Waterside guests endure or walk a short distance up/down the beach. 

Note: Beach areas at Grande Ocean, Barony, Surfwatch, Westin Hotel, Marriott Hotel, etc, are also crowded, but it's different----everyone's an exclusive guest of that particular resort, and no non-guests are there.  

Just observations from visiting HH for 40 years.


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## jont (Jun 3, 2016)

jme said:


> Not dangerous in the least, just wall-to-wall people---frisbees flying, music blaring, bodies sprawled on towels or in lounge chairs as if there were a concert, teens skim-boarding, footballs and baseballs flying, sunbathers of all shapes spread-eagle, moms yelling while toddlers frantically try to escape the short distance to Miami, and last but not least, it's the venue of choice for boasting your newest tattoo.



Sound just like many places on the jersey shore


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## elaine (Jun 3, 2016)

we own 4th of July week @ Waterside. We never go to Coligny beach, except maybe 9-10 am and leave by noon. We walk (7 minutes) or drive down and drop our stuff and then 1 person walks down to residential beach down the back road. Downside, no facilities--OK now, but would not have worked when kids were younger. In 10+ years, I have never thought the residential beach was super crowded--maybe crowded on actual weekend, but otherwise, just fine. Plus, nice shade all the way to/from.


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## disneymom1 (Jun 4, 2016)

jont said:


> Sound just like many places on the jersey shore



I was thinking the same exact thing!!


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## senorak (Jun 4, 2016)

As a former "Jersey shore" vacationer, (who has been making the drive to Hilton Head for over 10 years).....I can honestly say that the "crowds" at the HHI beaches are nowhere near the crowds at the Jersey shore beaches.  We've stayed at various TS resorts throughout the island:  Waterside, Coral Sand, Royal Dunes, Sea Crest, Owner's Club, Shipyard, Disney, (no Marriot resorts...yet), and I would highly recommend all of them.  As long as I have a nice, comfortable unit, (furnishings need not be "super fancy" or "state of the art"), close proximity--(walk or bike)-- to beach, I am satisfied.  In all honesty, my family loves SeaCrest bc of the location, (beach & across the street from Coligny), but that resort probably has the "least fancy" accomodations.  We've stayed at Waterside several times.  The walk to the beach isn't far, plus, have of it is in the shade, and you may see a gator, turtles, etc. in the water as you near the tennis courts.  Love that location around Coligny because of the variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, etc.  My kids, (now young adults), always enjoyed heading over for ice cream, donuts, cupcakes, (and now for drinks & snacks).  I'll take the HHI beaches over Jersey beaches anyday.  Can't go wrong with any location on the island, including the Coligny area.  :whoopie:


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## disneymom1 (Jun 4, 2016)

senorak said:


> As a former "Jersey shore" vacationer, (who has been making the drive to Hilton Head for over 10 years).....I can honestly say that the "crowds" at the HHI beaches are nowhere near the crowds at the Jersey shore beaches.  ......  I'll take the HHI beaches over Jersey beaches anyday.




We live 45 minutes from the Jersey shore and have been there once in 10 years.  The stop and go bumper-to-bumper parkway traffic, the greedy parking fees and the exorbitant beach pass prices make going to the beach on a summer weekend an unbearable hassle!.  We have discovered HHI and think the 12 hour drive is so worth it for us!


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## RLS50 (Jun 6, 2016)

Ahhh...summer at the Jersey shore.   Where in some places people are packed on the beach like meat stacked in a deli case.

Good times.


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## Steve A (Jun 10, 2016)

I live in Port Royal Plantation and have been to the beach every day this week. Today was the most crowded. They was a father with his two children and another adult sunning herself.  Looking down the beach towards the Westin and the Barony it was pretty crowded. There were couples and families walking up and down the shoreline, which was fine with me since many stop and talk to me.  

The only time I have been on the beach at Coligny was when they had a greyhound dog walk a few months ago. It's a very nice beach.  We usually don't go to that end of the island although we recently have found a couple of restaurants right off the Circle that we enjoyed. 

Note that some of the parking at the public beaches may be closed this summer because of beach replenishment.


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## jonmaiman (Aug 27, 2016)

We're back from our stay at Waterside.  Overall we're happy with our choice this year.   The initial unit we were assigned had not been refurbised and  smelled like someone had smoked in the bedrooms.    We didn't care about the older furniture and that was expected.  On the other hand the smoke smell was not acceptable.   So we complained to the front desk immediately after check in and Daniel, the manager, swapped us into a top floor unit in the 5200 building.  Once we stated the original unit smelled like smoke they didn't push back at all on swapping us to a different unit.   The new unit was one of the refurbished ones and smelled fresh.

As others noted in their advice to me, the quality of the furnishings and appliances is lower than at Marriott.    This was still true for the refurbished unit which also looked liked some of the old furniture (master bedroom) was not replaced.  Also there was a lot of accumulated dust in the main cold air return for the AC unit.   That said the unit was comfortable and spacious and everything worked.   It was quiet all week and we never even noticed our neighbors.   Parking underneath the unit was easy and always available.    We appreciated not having to get into a broiling hot car.

We didn't find the walk to the beach along Avocet Road to be too bad and went almost daily (sometimes twice a day).   We also liked being close to the services at Coligny Plaza.

There were sufficient grills but they weren't in the best operating condition (built-in started didn't work [not a big deal], tended to flare up a lot, and the temperature gauges were broken).   Let's just say I didn't do my best grill work here 

The main pool area was probably the biggest let down for us.   It was large enough and the water clarity was good but it wasn't as clean and pristine as we would have liked.   Strange mix of brand new (umbrella awnings) and older rusted components.   

As my wife put it overall the place didn't have the resort feel to it like the MVC properties do but it was still very nice.   Not sure what we will do next time.   For this year, the Waterside unit was $1000 rental for a two bedroom and Monarch would have been $1900 for the same week.   So we felt like we got good value for a lower cost vacation.   

--Jon


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