# Ocean Oak stay



## GTLINZ (Jul 7, 2017)

We managed to book 3 days midweek at Ocean Oak on Hilton Head island last week.

The rooms themselves were first class. The building itself is a 6 story "L shape", with rooms 1-7 perpendicular to the beach and facing south - and rooms 8-11 are facing the ocean. We were in room 2 with a partial view up high even though it was a "standard" room. The master had a large bathroom and a large shower with a good sized tub and double sink vanity - and it had a slider window with access to the lanai (as does the living room). The second bedroom had 2 twins with a decent sized shared bathroom with the living room.  The units were really upscale and comfortable.

Parking was under the building and some spaces were reserved for a building that is literally surrounded by the "L" (all rooms of it face north). I suspect that HGVC gave parking and/or pool/beach access rights to neighboring buildings to fit in the tight footprint. There is room on the south of the building and towards the back of the property to build another building - it appears they have cleared room but who knows if they will wait until sales reach a point in the main building to start a new one.  

The bar/restaurant was open and had shaded seating. It is smaller but a nice feature and next to the pool and convenient. You then have a short walk to the beach, which is very nice too with a steady breeze. Having been in FL a lot, the water is not as clear but the beach setup was great and there were no issues with having your own chairs and umbrella. The beach was very busy but that makes sense in the summer.

The staff was very friendly too. The only drawbacks are that if you leave something outside your front door (which we only did for a few minutes as we were prepping to go TO the beach) the staff may pick it up (thankfully that is what happened). Also, they close down the pool and hot tub access at dusk.

Overall a very nice place to be if you can get in.


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## GT75 (Jul 7, 2017)

Thanks for the post.     We stayed there also for eight days in early June.   I will also add, we really liked the area itself and the bike riding.    There are many places to rent bikes.    The neat thing about the Ocean Oaks suggested bike rental company (I suspect others also) is that they deliver and pickup the bikes at the resort (they will leave the bikes locked and give receipt and code to front desk).    Also, I was surprised that you can ride the bikes on the sand because it was so hard.

Obviously, this was our first time to HHI but I am certain that it won't be our last (in fact, we have another trip scheduled for this September).

I am sure that @TUGBrian would like you to complete a review of Ocean Oaks on TUG resort section (https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Top+TUG+Resorts&top=TUG)


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## Helios (Jul 8, 2017)

GT75 said:


> Thanks for the post.     We stayed there also for eight days in early June.   I will also add, we really liked the area itself and the bike riding.    There are many places the rent bikes.    The neat thing about the Ocean Oaks suggested bike rental company (I suspect others also) is that they deliver and pickup the bikes to the resort (they will leave the bikes locked and give receipt and code to front desk).    Also, I was surprised that you can ride the bikes on the sand because it was so hard.
> 
> Obviously, this was our first time to HHI but I am certain that it won't be our last (in fact, we have another trip scheduled for this September).
> 
> I am sure that @TUGBrian would like you to complete a review of Ocean Oaks on TUG resort section (https://tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Top+TUG+Resorts&top=TUG)


I'll be there at the of the month.  Do you know how much were the bike rentals for the week?


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## GT75 (Jul 8, 2017)

Helios said:


> Do you know how much were the bike rentals for the week?


   Ocean Oaks recommended bike rental company is Riding Tigers (http://www.aaaridingtigers.com/hilton-head-island-bike-rentals).     Typical price is $33/week for a standard adult bike.


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## Helios (Jul 8, 2017)

Thanks.


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## bdj604 (Jul 10, 2017)

Seems strange to close the pool/hot tub at dusk. Some of our favorite times at other resorts include evening trips to the pool and hot tub. Anyone know why they close so early?


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## GM600 (Jul 11, 2017)

bdj604 said:


> Seems strange to close the pool/hot tub at dusk. Some of our favorite times at other resorts include evening trips to the pool and hot tub. Anyone know why they close so early?


It's due to the sea turtle ordinance


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## Helios (Jul 15, 2017)

GM600 said:


> It's due to the sea turtle ordinance


I love turtles.  Bad for guests but good for the turtles.


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## toontoy (Jul 20, 2017)

We stayed for a week right around Memorial Day. I thought the beach was nice and very gentle waves. We had a toddler with us and she loved the pool and the beach. The rooms were nice and large with a laminate wood floor. It was a bit noisy with her running around on it at time but nice with not having to deal with sand in carpet. We had a regular room and had a nice ocean view which was a plus. The 2nd bedroom was large, I was surprised to see it didn't have a window and the bathroom was almost the size of the bedroom. Only the master had a tub, it was a deeper soaking tub but not really over-sized. The showers were nicely appointed and pretty roomy. 

We are already planning a return in a couple of years, it was a nice resort near the center of town.


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## Panina (Jul 20, 2017)

Very nice place, enjoyed my stay.  I only wish they had smaller units then 2 bedrooms.  A waste of space I don't need and of course points.


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## GT75 (Jul 20, 2017)

Panina said:


> I only wish they had smaller units then 2 bedrooms.


I agree, I wished they had different sized units also, but I would like 3-4 Bedroom units.


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## Helios (Jul 20, 2017)

GT75 said:


> I agree, I wished they had different sized units also, but I would like 3-4 Bedroom units.


I agree, they should have 3 Bds like some of the Marriott properties in HHI.  I had to reserve 2-two bedroom units (check in 9 days away) because of this.  I could have used a 3 BR.


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## Helios (Jul 31, 2017)

I am at Ocean Oak in a 4th floor Ocean Front corner unit and I am loving it.  Something I want to share is that there is a GE charging unit for electrical cars.  However, the parking space is not restricted to electric vehicles (like an ADA space designation).  Parking is an issue and spaces are hard to find.

Elevators are pretty slow.  I like that they require a key to get in.


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## Helios (Aug 6, 2017)

Couple more observation from my stay.  There is a DVD Now kiosk (second floor above the check in desk) where you can get two dvds at the time.  The selection is decent and somewhat current.

Staff is very friendly.

Overflow parking is located across the street.

Resale owners are not allowed to seat for presentations.  Concierge will book resale owners but they will be rejected during presentation check in.


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## Panina (Aug 6, 2017)

Helios said:


> Resale owners are not allowed to seat for presentations.  Concierge will book resale owners but they will be rejected during presentation check in.



Seems they finally got smart, their target is the uneducated timeshare consumer, realizing resale customer will not buy. Wonder if it's only at this location or will be at all locations.


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## Helios (Aug 6, 2017)

Not sure if this applies to all locations.  I believe someone mentioned this happened at this resort because it is small and new (with active sales);6 Floors with 11 units per floor.  However, the 4 First Floor Ocean Front units are the preview center.   

But I have read here of this happening at other locations.


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## Helios (Aug 6, 2017)

BTW, the unit numbers work as follows:

1XXX

Where 

First X is the floor number (1-6)
Remaining Xs are the unit number (01-11)

Units 01-07 are oriented perpendicular to the ocean looking south (through buildings).  01 is the farthest from the ocean 07 is almost adjacent to the OF Units.  

Unit 08 and 11 are corner OF units.  08 and 11 are the south and north corners respectively. 09 and 10 are center OF units.


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## GT75 (Aug 6, 2017)

Helios said:


> Couple more observation from my stay.



Do you notice the TV within the mirror in the master bedroom?


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## GM600 (Aug 6, 2017)

GT75 said:


> Do you notice the TV within the mirror in the master bedroom?


I didn't notice that on my stay. It did have a light that went around the border.


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## GT75 (Aug 6, 2017)

GM600 said:


> I didn't notice that on my stay. It did have a light that went around the border.



Use the remote in the Master Bathroom to turn on the TV within the mirror.    Personally, I didn't find it very useful because we really don't watch TV much while on vacation.


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## GM600 (Aug 6, 2017)

I guess I'll have to check that out next time I stay there


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## Helios (Aug 7, 2017)

GT75 said:


> Do you notice the TV within the mirror in the master bedroom?


I did.  An interesting item but we only turned it on when we are arrived and one time while I was showering.  If you are showering it is not ideally positioned because the shower head is close to the front wall and the viewing angle does not work.  

I suppose it could be used while using the toilet , the bath tub , or the sink area ...personally, i preferred the 65" tv in the living room  or the bedroom tvs which were decent size also.


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## Helios (Aug 7, 2017)

On a different note, I found the grills disappointing.  I am used to gas grills at Westin and Marriott properties.  Having to buy charcoals is too much work while vacationing.


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## PigsDad (Aug 7, 2017)

Helios said:


> On a different note, I found the grills disappointing.  I am used to gas grills at Westin and Marriott properties.  Having to buy charcoals is too much work while vacationing.


I agree with you.  I've never noticed a TS where we have stayed that only has charcoal grills.  Disappointing that a premium brand such as HGVC wouldn't have gas grills at one of their newest resorts. 

Kurt


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## Talent312 (Aug 7, 2017)

Maybe they thought that charcoal grills would help save on MF's.


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## 1Kflyerguy (Aug 8, 2017)

Charcoal does seem an odd choice.  I happily use charcoal in my smoker at home, but i have gas grill for everyday grilling.  On vacation i am usually more interested in interested is something i can cook reasonably quick and easy.

Wonder if there was some code or regulation that required charcoal?


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## onenotesamba (Aug 8, 2017)

As a die-hard charcoal Weber grill guy, I have to say...if a gas/propane option was the only thing available, it'd frustrate me.

But that's just me and my personal preferences. We make our Thanksgiving turkeys on a charcoal gril, so I'll own it that I'm more of a purist than others would be on vacation.


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## Helios (Aug 9, 2017)

Talent312 said:


> Maybe they thought that charcoal grills would help save on MF's.


I can see that.  But, if you are paying $60k (or whatever they are charging for the VOI), would you care about a couple more dollars in your MF bill.  I wouldn't.

It is definitely better for HGVC, and in turn for the owners, and I bet lowers the insurance premiums.

Now, if HGVC is so wise, they should probably sell charcoal bags at the Marketplace.  Personally, I rather pay a premium at the marketplace than going to the piggly wiggly (I think that is the closest place that sells charcoal).  They sell small bags with lighter infused charcoals.


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## Helios (Aug 9, 2017)

1Kflyerguy said:


> Charcoal does seem an odd choice.  I happily use charcoal in my smoker at home, but i have gas grill for everyday grilling.  On vacation i am usually more interested in interested is something i can cook reasonably quick and easy.
> 
> Wonder if there was some code or regulation that required charcoal?


I am the same way.


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## Helios (Aug 9, 2017)

onenotesamba said:


> As a die-hard charcoal Weber grill guy, I have to say...if a gas/propane option was the only thing available, it'd frustrate me.
> 
> But that's just me and my personal preferences. We make our Thanksgiving turkeys on a charcoal gril, so I'll own it that I'm more of a purist than others would be on vacation.


I can see your point.  But, to be fair they should provide both options.


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## Helios (Aug 9, 2017)

BTW - Unless I missed something, there are only two grills.


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## 1Kflyerguy (Aug 10, 2017)

Talent312 said:


> Maybe they thought that charcoal grills would help save on MF's.



I wonder if these would actually save on the MF.    Yes the charcoal grills are probably cheaper than gas, but now the staff needs to clean out the used coal and ash everyday..


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## GT75 (Sep 23, 2017)

GT75 said:


> Do you notice the TV within the mirror in the master bedroom?



We are back for another week at Ocean Oaks.     We just love this place.     Anyway, this time we are in a regular 2-bd unit.     These units don't have the TV within the mirror in the master bath.   Of well, we actually didn't use it anyway.   So it looks that they are only in the OV and POV rooms.


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## Panina (Sep 23, 2017)

GT75 said:


> We are back for another week at Ocean Oaks.     We just love this place.     Anyway, this time we are in a regular 2-bd unit.     These units don't have the TV within the mirror in the master bath.   Of well, we actually didn't use it anyway.   So it looks that they are only in the OV and POV rooms.


And I thought how did I miss the tv within the mirror when I was there...at least now I know it wasn't there.  Enjoy!


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## Helios (Sep 23, 2017)

GT75 said:


> We are back for another week at Ocean Oaks.     We just love this place.     Anyway, this time we are in a regular 2-bd unit.     These units don't have the TV within the mirror in the master bath.   Of well, we actually didn't use it anyway.   So it looks that they are only in the OV and POV rooms.


Interesting, I thought the units were 100% the same other than the location.


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## GT75 (Sep 23, 2017)

I was under the same impression except for view. That is the only difference that I have found so far.


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## GT75 (Sep 27, 2017)

All units on the first floor have extended balconies.  It looks they extend an additional 4 feet.  That is the only additional difference which I see.


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## Helios (Sep 27, 2017)

GT75 said:


> All units on the first floor have extended balconies.  It looks they extend an additional 4 feet.  That is the only additional difference which I see.


I noted that in the OF units, but this units are dedicated to the sales department now.  Did not look at the rest of the resort.


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## Southdown13 (Sep 27, 2017)

We are enjoying this resort as well. Reserved a 2 bedroom premium using club points for five nights and received a third floor unit with an ocean front view. We like the modern interior decor and of course the view. Our unit does have the tv in the mirror although we haven't used it.

We had originally signed up for an owner's update for a $175 Visa gift card, and thanks to this thread, we found out resale owners were not eligible. I called to confirm and they cancelled our appointment. No problem because we were hesitant about doing it anyway.

We loved biking on the beach and riding around the Sea Pines area and enjoyed our visit to Beaufort. This is our first time on HHI, and we are glad we finally made it out here!

View from the balcony




Pano
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## Helios (Sep 27, 2017)

Southdown13 said:


> We loved biking on the beach and riding around the Sea Pines area and enjoyed our visit to Beaufort. This is our first time on HHI, and we are glad we finally made it out here!



Were you to able to ride the bikes through the Sea Pines gate?  They did not allow us in August.

We turned back, took the first path to the beach, rode on the beach, and then went in through one of the paths.


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## Southdown13 (Sep 27, 2017)

Helios said:


> Were you to able to ride the bikes through the Sea Pines gate?  They did not allow us in August.
> 
> We turned back, took the first path to the beach, rode on the beach, and then went in through one of the paths.



The concierge told us that they wouldn't allow us through the gate, so we rode further down the beach from where you entered and accessed through Sea Pines Beach Club. We did exit out through the gate.


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## Helios (Sep 27, 2017)

Southdown13 said:


> The concierge told us that they wouldn't allow us through the gate, so we rode further down the beach from where you entered and accessed through Sea Pines Beach Club. We did exit out through the gate.


OK, we were not warned by the concierge.  But did the same two days.  One day we went to Harbortown and one day we went to the Salty Dog.


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