Marriott's Monarch at Sea Pines

The units are lovely, and the beach access is nice. There’s a large hot tub, pools, fire pits, an outdoor pool table, and ping pong. Coast restaurant is conveniently next door, while Fraser's Tavern and other restaurants are not too far away in Seapines. You can ride for miles on the beautiful bike trails or take your bikes to the beach.

We booked two nights, and the stay turned into a terrible customer service experience. The location was beautiful and the two-bedroom room was nice, but then Kyona Hall, the Marriott front desk manager, called and was extremely rude and dismissive. She said we hadn’t paid for the second night, even though we had, and then our room keys were turned off. The back-and-forth with the front desk and this kyona became convoluted and unnecessary. She threatened to lock us out and have security remove our things, then forced us to pay for another night at a jacked-up rate. Kyona kept calling my father in law over and over during dinner, acting like some kind of weird stalker. It ruined our dinner and half our trip. Thanks, Marriott, for an awful experience. I’ll come back to Hilton head, but definitely NOT at Marriott!! 💩 💩 💩

The beach access was super easy, and the BBQ grills were centrally located. The room and facility felt cozy, with an acceptable layout, though the pool was being refurbished, so I can’t review that amenity. This is an oldie but goodie Marriott Vacation Club. Factoid: it was the first Marriott Vacation Club that was a purchased facility. Marriott didn’t plan or build it.

We always enjoy staying at Monarch. Being right on the beach is great, and there are a couple of pools too, including one they keep heated through winter. The Sea Pines location makes it easy to reach the shops and restaurants by the Lighthouse, while the gates are close enough for quick trips to the grocery store, restaurants, and shops off Pope Ave.