Grande Ocean Building with Kids

[StevenTing]

Which building is preferential since I have young children? I booked ocean view. Probably a lot of time will be spent at the pool and beach. Youngest is 3.5 years.

I also included the resort map they sent as well.

Ocean Side- Courtyard view – (THIS IS THE ROOM TYPE YOU HAVE CHOSEN FOR YOUR CURRENT BOOKING)- your villa will have a view of the Courtyard from your balcony. We have two courtyard views: our quiet lagoon view which is available on the lagoon side of Dolphin, Pelican, Sand Piper, or Royal Tern Buildings; or our large outdoor pool view which is available in the Kingfisher, Sand Dollar, Laughing Gull, and the pool side of the Starfish buildings.

 

[Fasttr]

I would choose the south side with small kids. The Dolphin pool is where you will likely spend most of your pool time.

 

[StevenTing]

Is the lagoon side an actual pool area? Is it like a lazy river? Or is it a lagoon that is not for swimming?

We’re contemplating Dolphin building because of the lagoon.

 

[Fasttr]

Lagoon is a non swimming area, a lazy river for carp and turtles if you will. There is a pool on that side, The North Pool, which is the area nearer the ocean.

 

[jme]

North side has a lagoon area in the U-shaped interior of the buildings, with a large North Pool just outside
that interior lagoon area, nearer the ocean. The South side has an extra huge pool instead of a lagoon.
(One large pool on N side, 2 large pools on S.)

https://goo.gl/maps/xXwZeUoZMMMJ8yFZ8
(To see whole photo, move the BOX on left out of the way by using small arrow at top, minimizing the box.)
North side is on right, and lagoon area is where you see the grove of trees within the buildings' interior. Boardwalk on the right (in photo) leads into the North side, boardwalk on left leads into the South side, on left in aerial view above.
There are 2 large pools on S side, one in interior (Dolphin Pool), one out near ocean (South Pool) near the bar.

Photos of North side lagoon area.

 

[Big Matt]

I would go for the North side. You have more grassy space and corn hole games. The South side is good because you have a little putting green and bocce, but you also have the ocean front bar which kids cant wander into. Either are close to the indoor pool and activities center. It really doesn't matter where you stay. You can use any of the pools and there are two beach entrances close to the respective pools. When you get there you will quickly realize that location for isn't that big of a deal. Request the Dolphin or Starfish building if you want to be close to the sand. Don't worry if you get a low floor.....it's actually easier to just take the stairs to the second or third floor.

 

[Dean]

We prefer the north pool because it's less crowded, esp during busier times. In a slower time the dolphin pool (south) would likely be better. They are putting in a splash pad but not sure where it's going.

 

[Quilter]

Personally I like corner units for the extra window. However, depending on which side of the unit the window is on it is either in the dining area (nice) or over the bathtub (meh).

We generally stay in oceanfront units but when I'm in oceanside I like the Kingfisher Bldg. I don't even mind the first floor. It's so easy not messing with the elevator to get down one flight of stairs and be able to roam the grounds. Close to the checkin building with the indoor pool. I'm not sure if the construction changed this but we use to be able to hear the splash pods in the kiddie pool which was a nice sound while eating on the balcony.

Some of the balconies are larger than others. You may take that into consideration.

What time of year are you going? The Dolphin pool isn't heated but the one next to the pool bar is. Therefore, at Easter it can be crowded with the families who would otherwise be in the Dolphin pool. The pool in the Northwest corner (lagoon) is also heated and quieter most of the time.

 

[StevenTing]

I'm going there in about 3 weeks. Excited to be there.

 

[GraceR]

I don't think anyone mentioned that the lagoon water is very dark. The trees there are tall and hide the view from the windows. Hilton Head does not allow cutting down the trees. Sometimes you can see the fish in the pools, but usually not. On a sunny day you might find several turtles sunning themselves on the outer ledges and small children like that. I think that was one of the Marriott resorts with bocce and shuffleboard where I saw a small child playing with his dad. Riding bikes is big on Hilton Head, including on the beach, and you can get a bike with a seat for your child. You can take the kids to see the boats near the lighthouse in Sea Pines Plantation and walk on the docks. Grand Ocean is not IN Sea Pines like Monarch, but they still give you a pass to go daily for free. Of course there are mini-golf places not far away. The Discovery Center has a boat that goes out in the water to see local wildlife. In the morning you might see pods of dolphins not far from the beach at the resort.

 

[Quilter]

I'm going there in about 3 weeks. Excited to be there.

Any pool will feel great in 3 weeks. Hot tubs...not so much.

Don’t tell anyone but I’m not crazy about the rooms on the lagoon side.

 

[jme]

Any pool will feel great in 3 weeks. Hot tubs...not so much.
Don’t tell anyone but I’m not crazy about the rooms on the lagoon side.

Thanks, your secret is safe with me.
We've gone thru stages as to which side we like the most. No matter, tho, we're there so much that annually
we've stayed on each side about 6 times (we get extra time there by using points). We move around per the season, but we've grown
very fond of the North lagoon side, too, because of the peacefulness and quiet.
It all depends on the floor, though.
A 4th or 5th floor view can be totally blocked by the treetops, so we don't do that.
But the second or third floors, even the first, are wonderful.

We've stayed in every building and probably on most of the floors in our 80+ stays at GO, and we've never
really had a bad one.
All the villas are alike and up-to-date per the refurbishment plan. Of course we do love our Oceanfront villas too....
of our 6 weeks, 3 are OF & 3 are OS, and we enjoy all of them.

 

[Quilter]

Marty your pictures make it look so inviting.

What about air flow on the lagoon side? Any breeze?

Bugs? Are there more spiders on the balconies?

The closeness of the air and more bugs because of the “woodsy” feeling are my hesitations for lagoon rooms. I’ve thought the shade would be nice in the summer but I’d want breeze to go with it.

 

[jme]

Marty your pictures make it look so inviting.
What about air flow on the lagoon side? Any breeze?
Bugs? Are there more spiders on the balconies?
The closeness of the air and more bugs because of the “woodsy” feeling are my hesitations for lagoon rooms. I’ve thought the shade would be nice in the summer but I’d want breeze to go with it.

The trees have been thinned out a LOT in the past 2 years, opening up to more light and definitely to more
ventilation and air flow, breezes if you will. It's quite pleasant over there, and we request it a lot.
The Live Oak trees are gorgeous, and it does not feel woodsy to me at all.
The lagoons have been cleaned out as well----it's a different feel altogether.

There are zero spiders on any balcony that I've ever seen in 20 years.
I wouldn't be surprised to see any kind of bug, however, in any resort in the southeast----or up north either.
Bugs are everywhere----some of the worst I've ever experienced were in New Hampshire!
The south has "Palmetto bugs"...aka cockroaches that live in pine straw and in ground-cover, but that's not something I notice at all.....might see one or two in a week's time, but not in villas or on balconies, maybe in a parking garage or something,
but honestly it's been a long time. They are the same if you were at the finest hotel on the island, too,
or anywhere in any southern city or residence....really at HH it's there but not an issue.

Barony is far more woodsy, and Surfwatch is even more, regarding smaller insects and other large bugs.
SW is in the middle of a swampy marsh (mosquitoes & "no-see-ums", and Barony's interior is nothing but
thick trees and lots of shrubs, bushes, and ivy.

Grande Ocean is really more open. They have also pruned down the overgrown Dune underbrush and scrub trees,
making the view to the beach and ocean directly visible as you walk along the frontage of the resort,
even visible from the pools, also making it quite breezy coming off the ocean!!!! I lobbied for that for years, and
it finally got done. It was one of the final projects undertaken by the former resort manager Bob Spears (the greatest!) and followed up in like manner by the new resort manager Massimo Santangelo (to his credit).
I hope one reason is because I mention it to him every time I see him, and how much of a difference it's made in both visual esthetics and VENTILATION across the resort. I think that ventilation remark always gets his attention, and frankly may be the impetus to keep it going.

 

[Dean]

Marty your pictures make it look so inviting.

What about air flow on the lagoon side? Any breeze?

Bugs? Are there more spiders on the balconies?

The closeness of the air and more bugs because of the “woodsy” feeling are my hesitations for lagoon rooms. I’ve thought the shade would be nice in the summer but I’d want breeze to go with it.

We were there last week and I saw no spiders and limited bugs. The only bugs I recall seeing were mosquitos & gnats. With the fish and turtles I doubt there are any more of those on that side than the other. I think the airflow is about the same and we had plenty of breezes when sitting in the swings, by the pool or grilling. We think it's more tranquil and the reality is it seems you have a better chance of getting your other requests on that side than the south side.

 

[JIMinNC]

Which building is preferential since I have young children? I booked ocean view. Probably a lot of time will be spent at the pool and beach. Youngest is 3.5 years.

Do you mean Ocean Side? Grande Ocean doesn't have Ocean View, only Ocean Front and Ocean Side. Ocean side will likely not have a view of the water - more the pool or landscape views like Marty posted.

 

[Quilter]

There are zero spiders on any balcony that I've ever seen in 20 years....

Bugs are everywhere----some of the worst I've ever experienced were in New Hampshire! .

Thanks for the report. I’m a gardener so I live amongst the spiders. My Michigan spiders are within my comfort zone.

I’m not a novice with the South. I grew up in Florida next to a wooded lot. High in a live oak are some of my favorite memories. It was those pesky friends who fell out and broke their arms who caused the most trouble.

Was your NH experience by a waterfront? Chicago’s waterfront is notorious for spiders. Walking or riding bike under the Navy Pier bridge big ones will drop down on a filament and land by or on you. I had to do regular spider removal from our condo balcony. They are sneaky and hide all day in the rails and under everything only to come out at night. I would check under tables when dining on the outside patios of restaurants. Guests to our building would run to the rails to watch the weekly Navy Pier fireworks. I’d show them the spiders. In the fall they are all over the windows of high rises. Big ones! You watch the window washers, suspended on their rope chairs, flinging them off like it was nothing (as though suspended high over the streets of Chicago wasn’t already a suspenseful experience).

What’s the first thing I do when walking onto a balcony at most resorts???? Check for spiders.

 

[Dean]

Do you mean Ocean Side? Grande Ocean doesn't have Ocean View, only Ocean Front and Ocean Side. Ocean side will likely not have a view of the water - more the pool or landscape views like Marty posted.

I don't think it matters since at the resorts that have both, OV is actually lower than OS. On the hotel side they list them as OF & courtyard.