QUOTE="lmkucala, post: 2866492, member: 41029"
My husband and I are going to be in Hilton Head the 1st 2 weeks of February. We already have Marriott Grande Ocean booked through II for the 1st week, and due to our inability to take planned trip to California in December, we are looking at an additional week in February at Hilton Head to use our other week. If you could choose another resort from these, which would you pick (and why)? We plan to spend time golfing, biking, walking/hiking, relaxing. We are in our mid-50's. Have been to Hilton Head once but it was about 15 years ago. We could also book another week at Grande Ocean but looking for some variety I guess. We're also spending the week prior at a Hilton in Myrtle Beach.
It looks like there is availability for us to exchange at:
Marriott Surfwatch
Marriott Harbor Point at Shelter Cove
Marriott Sunset Point at Shelter Cove
Marriott Monarch at Sea Pines
Marriott Harbor Club at Harbor Town
Waterside
Bluewater Resort & Marina
Marriott Barony Beach Club
Which would you pick and why?
/QUOTE
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As much as we love Grande Ocean, I agree with your desire for variety....I think you'd enjoy that.
Perhaps Barony because of the golf privileges (not as familiar with that lately, but have heard the courses in there are in mediocre shape, but at least there's free golf
at their community courses, except carts)....It is also located in Port Royal gated community, which has beautiful forested roads and sidewalks for walks and biking.
You may be assigned the Garden units as a trader-in, so you need to request an Oceanside unit and hope to get it....it's closer to the beach. Nice indoor pool.
If not for the walking/biking/golf, I would say Surfwatch is an excellent choice because it's definitely different (in a good way),
and the natural setting is quite nice, and preferred by many. The marsh area is unique. Walking is good in there but not so much for biking...there's a biking area,
but compared to the trails in Sea Pines, to which you'd not have access unless you rent them in there (what's the point? it's a pain), there's no comparison!
You might even get a 3BR------not exactly needed perhaps but you'd have a shot at it since it's during the lower owner occupancy time.
SW has THE best indoor pool there if that's important.
Monarch would be a NICE choice because it's an oceanfront resort, and it's an interesting garden setting which is beautiful,
and it's inside Sea Pines gated community, which is THE best place for enjoying superb biking trails. Smaller units, but not a real negative.
(Grande Ocean bike passes are given free because it's very near Sea Pines, but Barony and Surfwatch don't get those.)
Monarch of course automatically gets them because you're already inside Sea Pines. To get into Sea Pines as an outsider it's $10 per day for vehicles,
but no outside bikes can be ridden in or brought in, so you can make it doable by renting bikes in Sea Pines if staying outside.
That's why staying inside SP at Monarch is advantageous if you want to bike.
I think you'd enjoy Monarch---it was recently renovated.
If biking is your #1 activity, Monarch......then a distant second, Barony. If golf, maybe Barony is superior....?????
(call and ask about golf for each resort......Monarch might have privileges because of the course across the street).
Harbour Club, Harbour Point, and Sunset Pointe are all interesting and comfortable, with the latter two having nice inland waterway views,
BUT for an overall great resort experience, I would not advise staying at those, and frankly, in comparing them to GO and the others, they fall well short.
And forget Bluewater & Waterside.....very nice resorts in Summer, but you'll be underwhelmed and bored there in February.
Bluewater is very isolated and not amenable to enjoying the island, and Waterside is a few blocks from the beach and requires a walk or cart shuttle,
so basically you'll be slightly isolated, and the bike path access there is not good. Not the best for the activities you're wanting.
Harbour Club, Harbour Point, and Sunset Pointe are all interesting and comfortable, with the latter two having nice inland waterway views,
BUT for an overall great resort experience, I would not advise staying at those, and frankly, in comparing them to GO and the others, they fall well short.
And forget Bluewater & Waterside.....very nice resorts in Summer, but you'll be underwhelmed and bored there in February.
Bluewater is very isolated and not amenable to enjoying the island, and Waterside is a few blocks from the beach and requires a walk or cart shuttle,
so basically you'll be slightly isolated, and the bike path access there is not good. Not the best for the activities you're wanting.
. So now we are not at Monarch or Grande Ocean. We will be at Barony the first week and then Surfwatch the 2nd week. Still very excited for our trip and perfectly happy with these choices since we have never been to either one, and we won't be in Minnesota for these cold and snowy winter weeks!
