Driving to Florida over Xmas - Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head

[sloane0626]

THought we would take a couple of night to check out the Marriott Property in Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head on route to Florida over winter break. Traveling with 2 teenage boys... any recommendation on which property would be the best during this time period. Nice to have options to stay anywhere since it isn't high season. TIA

 

[Panina]

Myrtle Beach Ocean Watch is the nicest but weather will be warmer in Hilton Head.

 

[l0410z]

Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head offers very different vacation expierences that are signifcantly more different than the differences between the properties. I would also factor in distance off your route to get there into the equation. If I was one of your teanage boys I would say "Dad/Mom you are asking the wrong question".

I would go to Hilton Head. If you go to Hilton Head in the winter, I would stay at the Grand Ocean.

 

[jme]

We own both locations and are familiar with both experiences in all seasons.
Myrtle Beach will be totally dead during this time, imho, as it's primarily a summer mecca.
Hilton Head, however, will be pretty busy, as it's become a very popular destination for the supposed "off-season" weeks.....not necessarily busy with "teen action", but just overall with general resort guests out and about.

For two days it doesn't make a huge difference, frankly, as your activities will be somewhat limited anyway. Since Marriott Oceanwatch is in North MB, a few miles away from MB proper, all you'll have is the immediate area, exclusive to the Marriott resort and not much else, but there is a nice indoor pool. Driving into MB proper there's really no destination to be searched out or found---you'd simply be driving around-----just a lot of high-rise hotels and restaurants.
Broadway at the Beach is not as much fun during the cold times, and a few of the shops & restaurants there may be closed and activities unavailable.

Hilton Head is much more compact, and does have the Sea Pines area with the lighthouse and shops, South Beach shops and restaurants, Shelter Cove with same, and two nice outlet malls, as well as the great bike trails. The "big 3" Marriott resorts all have wonderful indoor pools, so I would say go to Hilton Head.

 

[hangloose]

If you just want to check out the MVC properties themselves to get a feel for them, Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach and the "Big 3" within Hilton Head are all nice. If you stayed on HHI, you could always drop by several MVC resorts to walk through them to get a feel. There are so many MVC resorts on HHI. Within MB, there is only one MVC.

On HHI, if you are open to a non "Big 3" on HHI....this might be a good time period to stay within Sea Pines, visit Harbor Town, Lighthouse, etc.....at say Monarch, Harbour Club, Harbour Pointe, Heritage Club, etc. While I personally have not stayed at these, they are in a nice location for a couple day stay outside of prime beach season. And, likely cheaper to boot.

 

[jme]

If you just want to check out the MVC properties themselves to get a feel for them, Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach and the "Big 3" within Hilton Head are all nice. If you stayed on HHI, you could always drop by several MVC resorts to walk through them to get a feel. There are so many MVC resorts on HHI. Within MB, there is only one MVC.

On HHI, if you are open to a non "Big 3" on HHI....this might be a good time period to stay within Sea Pines, visit Harbor Town, Lighthouse, etc.....at say Monarch, Harbour Club, Harbour Pointe, Heritage Club, etc. While I personally have not stayed at these, they are in a nice location for a couple day stay outside of prime beach season. And, likely cheaper to boot.

Good points, and of those "non-big 3" I like Harbour Club the best (layout and views), followed closely by Harbour Point (views), then Monarch (with caveat). Altho Monarch is oceanfront, the units (total space and all individual rooms) are extremely small, with two twin beds in 2nd BR (unless you are only a couple, which makes it doable). Personally I don't care for Monarch because we feel very claustrophobic, and the units are very dated and tired, some of the chairs are falling apart, but I list it only because others seem to be wowed by the oceanfront location.

Harbour Club has a very nice layout, is spacious, and has gorgeous inland waterway views, which I happen to like just as much as ocean views. From HC, you can walk to Harbour Town shops and restaurants too. If possible, get a high floor for best views....most are somewhat obstructed, but some high floor views are great.

Harbour Point in Shelter Cove also has wonderful waterway views, the best actually, if you're lucky enough to get one of them!!!! (They do have more waterway views than the other resorts, Harbour Club & Sunset Pointe.) Request high floor and best waterway view available.
(Sunset Pointe units are set back behind Harbour Point units and don't have the best views, but the units are equally nice.)

Destination Points requirements at HP are very minimal, best deal around.
(Harbour Point lowest, Sunset Pointe next, Monarch highest of "non-big 3",
BUT all are still well below the "big 3" of Grande Ocean, Barony, and SurfWatch.)

 

[jont]

You might want to consider a night in Myrtle beach and a night or two at Hilton Head with an afternoon in Charleston between the two. I would also recommend checking out Savannah for a day. Another option would be to stay at one on the way down and the other on the way back. Either way, IMHO I think it is worth seeing both locations

 

[JIMinNC]

I would also vote for Hilton Head. Neither location is going to have a lot of teen activities for your boys at that time of year, but while Myrtle Beach is a sprawling, commercial, automobile-dependent area, bike riding could be a great activity on the myriad of bike paths on Hilton Head Island. Also, while the restaurants in Myrtle Beach skew towards the national chains and are more mass market-oriented, Hilton Head is full of unique local restaurants in a wide variety of price ranges from casual, low cost to fine dining. For a winter trip, I would think Hilton Head would have more to offer than Myrtle Beach, and since its a couple of hours farther south, it will likely be a few degrees warmer most of the time. Also, Hilton Head is a short thirty minute or less drive off of Interstate 95, whereas Myrtle Beach is about 90 minutes off of the main north-south corridor.

 

[bsheets326]

Having been to both locations in the winter, I agree that HH is the better option, and I would probably choose Harbour Club. There are so many good, local restaurants available.

Savannah is a quick day trip and well worth the visit.

 

[l0410z]

Facts are what they are and when available add context around opinion. One can feel the Surfwatch is signifcantly bigger at 6 percent and to him/her is a valid opinion. To others 6 percent is a rounding error.

Monarch - 1200sf
Surfwatch - 1275sf (6.3% bigger)
Baroney - 1300sf (8.3 % bigger)
Grand Ocean -1380sf (15% bigger).

My opinion given to the OP has not changed.