The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Hotel - Page 1

I had a hard time assigning a number. This is the hotel we judge others by, and we like it better than the Four Seasons and Ritz experiences we have had. I gave it an ‘8’ solely because I am reserving 'amazing' and 'perfect' for as yet uncharted adventures.

Tips: Rent bicycles and go exploring the miles of bike trails. If you ride on the beach, pay attention to the wind and do your 'into the wind' riding inland.

Take the plunge and eat at the Ocean Room. Reserve early enough that you can get a table next to a window and watch the colors on the course change as the sun sets behind you. The tasting menu is worth it.

Take advantage of one of their 'special' weekends. We did a mystery weekend last fall that was an absolute blast and a tremendous value.

We stayed here for 4 days and 3 nights and had an absolutely incredible time at the pool, the restaurants, walking on the beach and playing golf. I hope to return here again, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious resort experience in the Southeast.

There were many wonderful things about the resort, but the one that stood out was the level of service. I’ve never meet a group of more genuinely friendly and helpful people – from checkin to the wait staff to the valets, everyone wanted to make our stay as pleasurable as possible.

In terms of the accommodations, we were graciously upgraded to a suite room which was really over the top. It had a formal entryway with a separate bathroom, three balconies overlooking the beach, and an enormous bathroom with dual vanities. Though a minor detail, the towels stood out as being some of the best towels I’ve every used (I heard they cost $500 a piece!)

The resort had wonderful amenities. We spent a lot of time at the pool. There are 2 pools – one main pool near the pool bar that has a kiddie pool, and another one nearer the beach that is for adults only and includes cabanas that you can rent and a hot tub. We didn’t sit at the beach but there were chairs and staff down there.

We utilized the gym each day, which had 2 full time staff, great equipment with no waiting, and even held yoga classes (for an extra charge.)

The food at the restaurant was great. The Jasmine Porch served a wonderful dinner and we ate a tasty and reasonable lunch each day at the pool. Most memorable was the high-end restaurant. A tip is that while it requires a jacket, you can sit in the bar area outside the main restaurant without a jacket, but get the same food and service. My kobe-style beef was amazing.

There are a number of public golf courses on Kiawah Island, including the Ocean Course, which I played. It’s apparently the hardest course in the US as voted by Golf Digest, and with the stiff wind, I can understand why, though I had a fun time.

Overall, I can’t think of a single negative thing to say, and recommend the Sanctuary wholeheartedly.

It was a superb hotel and the facilities were excellent. All the individuals that worked at the facility were very good.

This hotel made me feel hip: They took care of my personal wishes and more.

It is a luxurious and expensive hotel, but a nice place to stay. It is definitely for the rich class of people. But I would go there for pleasure because it is beyond my budget.

This hotel made me feel excited: It was great to stay in a place for that class of people where I would have never have stayed in normal circumstances.