The Inn & Club at Harbour Town

The rooms and public spaces were beautiful and very clean, the housekeeping was excellent, the food was good, and the staff were polite and attentive. They’re well trained, the way Ritz-Carlton staff used to be, though that seems less common now, perhaps because qualified people are hard to find. After 40 years of staying at luxury hotels around the world, I’d put this place closer to five stars than four. It feels like a small Ritz-Carlton with better management and service almost at an Asian level. To me, it’s the best hotel on Hiltonhead Island. The Marriott properties on HH are pretty mediocre, which is unfortunate since I’m a loyal Bonvoy member.

After my stay, I spoke with Cristen, the manager. She sincerely apologized and addressed my concerns. She sees customers as people she wants to build relationships with, not as one-off visits, and I appreciate her response. The resort, room, and Inn were in good, clean shape. My problem was with a third party booking and the lack of clear communication. I booked through hotels.com to use gift cards. A few days after booking, about a month before arrival, I called to ask if I should apply the cards then or at checkout. After a brief hold, an employee said she’d checked with her manager and that checkout would be fine. On the second-to-last day, I was told I couldn’t use them. Nobody seemed willing to help, and I don’t know how hard it would have been to apply them. Since I was paying cash, I also asked for the fourth day free offer shown on their website. I was told to call reservations, but they had no idea why I’d called and gave me the Inn manager’s number. I left her a voicemail explaining everything and never heard back. It felt like nobody cared about my issue, everyone sent me to someone else, and as long as they had my card to charge, that was all that mattered. The welcome was hit or miss, and we felt brushed off several times, maybe because we’re young. The restaurants and other amenities were much better. At American Links, the food, service, and almost all the staff were fantastic. An older gentleman did leave us waiting 20 minutes in the sun for the breakfast check, but the manager warmly greeted us on both visits, chatted with us, and seemed glad we were there. Breakfast and dinner were wonderful. The beach side club had a wonderful area and service, and Atlantic dunes course was great and worth the premium price. Quarterdeck restaurant was much better than expected. Most waterside restaurants we’ve been to struggled with food quality, but this may have been our best dinner, and by far the cheapest. It was such a good experience, and it felt ruined by nobody caring about a problem I’d tried to prevent ahead of time. There was no communication, and it seemed like they’d get their money one way or another.

My husband booked a last-minute night at the Inn, and it was fabulous. Nancy and Alberto greeted us and treated us like we were special. The staff were so kind and amazing, with the kind of exemplary service you rarely see these days. We’ll be back for another staycation.

The beach chair and umbrella setup guys were awesome, but the food and drink service on the beach was disappointing. On several days we got there around 1 pm, and the attendant either never came by or was sitting and chatting with other employees. If you weren’t there when service started, they didn’t come around. Still, that doesn’t affect my rating of this fantastic hotel. We had an incredible stay this past week, with outstanding service overall. When a family member had a health crisis, the staff were incredibly helpful and supportive. Everything else was top notch.