We stayed at a Sweetgrass property on Kiawah (Windswept 4411, July 11-18, 2026). Great location and…read morea nicely furnished unit -- but our experience with the company itself is why I'm writing this review. The home wasn't ready at check-in: dust-caked ceiling fans, a large food stain on the back porch, non-working lights in the master closet and laundry room, a broken blind, and AC that wasn't cooling (74° against a 68° setting). Some of it was handled quickly -- the fans and porch were cleaned that day, and to their credit a tech came out that first evening for the AC. But the blind and the closet light were never fixed all week; we were handed a portable light instead. The AC is the real story. The tech diagnosed the system as 7 lbs low on refrigerant with a dirty coil, told me directly the proper fix was repairing the leak and cleaning the coil, and said he couldn't clean the coil because the property's outdoor spigots were turned off. Instead, the system was just recharged -- he said it "should hold for the week." It didn't. Five days later it was failing to hold setpoint again. I reported it that evening and asked for escalation to management; that request was never acknowledged. When I sent a photo the next night showing 71° against 69° and climbing at 9:47pm, the response the following morning was that 71° is "comfortable" -- measured at the hallway thermostat next to the air handler, the coolest spot in the house, with no thermostats in the bedrooms, which ran warmer. The bedrooms were uncomfortable for sleeping multiple nights. After checkout I sent a dated, factual summary and requested a partial refund. The denial defended their process but never addressed the disruption to our week -- and it said their review relied on the HVAC technician's reports, so I asked to see those reports. That request was ignored, and the follow-up reply arrived four minutes after my email, declaring the matter "closed." Notably, across every written response, no one at Sweetgrass ever disputed the leak diagnosis or the technician's recommendations. Things break -- that's not the complaint. The complaint is a home that wasn't ready, a known and diagnosed problem patched instead of repaired, a week of our vacation spent managing it, and a company that cited records to deny a refund and declined to produce them when asked. Plan accordingly.

Be warned! This company does not care about your experience. They asked to send landscapers to the…read moreproperty early morning while we were trying to pack and leave. I said sure if they would give us a late they said no, so I said no. They sent them anyway, and after I was seen through a deck window while dressing because I didn't know they were there and they were blowing debris and leaves in our direction while we're trying to pack up the house to leave without regard. I asked the landscapers to leave a couple times and they refused. I called the property management and they said it was not their problem. Too bad. It was a frustrating experience. They are very unprofessional.

We stayed at a beautiful little house on Kiawah. No complaints about the house. I will warn you…read morethat Sweetgrass properties does NOT care about you or your requests! I inquired about a late check out. They said it would be $200 extra for 2 hours! Then they asked me if the landscapers could come work on the house early am on day of check out. I said sure if you give us a late check out. They said no, so I said no, but they sent the landscapers anyway. I was seen naked through a deck window, then they were blowing leaves and crap all in our faces as we were trying to pack. I called and they said too bad it's not their problem. They do not care about the clients.

This is a great outfit to do business with. Katy is the best. They can be counted on to provide…read morenice properties at reasonable prices.

We knew our Pam Harrington Exclusives rental was an older home with outdated décor, but we figured…read morewe could overlook the tacky wallpaper and threadbare carpets given the prime beachfront location. Wrong. There is nothing Exclusive about a home where the first thing you see when you walk up the front stairs is duct tape. And that wasn't the only place. There were at least 4 places where duct tape was the maintenance approach of choice. Maintenance issues abound...a better word for the home than Exclusive: NEGLECT. Torn screens. Locks so covered in rust you couldn't turn them. Everything covered in rust on the screened in porch - and please spare me the "beachfront homes are exposed to salt, sea air and sun and of course they are going to rust." When Zillow lists the value of the home at several million dollars and you charge the same nightly rate as the luxury resort a mile down the road you can afford to replace ceiling fans, hinges, locks and anything else as often as necessary so that guests don't feel like they are sitting in a junkyard. Almost all of the lights in the garage were rusted with broken glass - and pine straw had accumulated in at least two of them creating a fire hazard. Also in the garage: a grill that hasn't been cleaned in a decade, a utility sink that had someone else's debris in it, and a random pall mall cigarette resting on one of the outlets. In the house, two broken lamps where the bulb was literally hanging out of the base at a 90-degree angle. A large kitchen with two of everything...from the 1970s. Even the dishes were old. You know you can buy plain white ceramic plates at Target for $40 - right? The shower curtain in the master bath was the cheapest you can find (I've seen nicer shower curtains at efficiency hotels)- and it was covered in mildew. Pam Harrington has moved check-in all the way to 5pm and check-out is now at 8am so they can have ample time to clean in between guests. I am not sure what happened in those 9 hours the day we arrived, but the house wasn't clean. There was sand on the dining room table. The previous tenant's beer can was sitting on the table on the porch. There were two freezers - one was covered in rust and one was covered in freezer burn. Housekeeping came the next day to clean them and told us that they were also full of sand and hair. She also said that whoever cleaned the house had failed to do basic tasks such as wiping down switches. Traveling in the age of COVID you expect top notch cleaning protocols to ensure safety, but at Pam Harrington it is empty words on the page. We checked in on a Saturday and we emailed management Sunday morning. They replied right away (hence why housekeeping came) but no real effort was made to come up with an alternative for us. We checked out the next day and checked into the luxury resort down the road. We submitted an honest, 1-star review of our experience through Escapia. It was not posted. I have seen other people say their less than 5-star reviews have not been posted either. We also saw pages torn out of the guest book in the home - I can only imagine what they wrote. My husband's family has been renting from Pam for nearly 40 years. And in less than 48 hours that reputation was destroyed. We will never rent from her again. And she's not that exclusive - there are other rental agencies on the island who do a much better job of managing the homes they rent to vacationers.

We rented through Pam Harrington Real Estate last month and while we didn't have problems with…read moretheir management company before or during our stay, we rented a below average property which I reviewed with details on their website with three stars. Their website states that they will post "acceptable" reviews within two days... it has been a week and my review has not been posted. Be aware: It appears Pam Harrington only posts favorable reviews of their managed properties and you may end up being duped into renting a home that will disappoint.

This company has been completely responsive to our every need, no matter what. I highly recommend…read morethem to anyone who has need of Kiawah Island property management. They are worth every penny and never lack for a kind word or a smile. Their website is extremely informative and helpful. http://espmcharleston.com. My wife and I will never go with another property management company.

Our stay at the Penthouse at Windswept was lovely. Our accommodations were just as you see in the…read morephotos on the Kiawah Island Getaway website. It was a sisters trip and one much needed . We were welcomed by soft music and beautiful flowers welcoming us. There was everything we needed in the unit for our weekend. The accommodations were updated and very tasteful. If we could say one thing about the Villa it was the upstairs beds were too soft. If you need a firm mattress sleep downstairs in the room with the twins . Our overall stay was wonderful. It was when I went to book again that we had an unpleasant surprise. Jeanette (the owner) told me we did not follow the check out instructions to take out garbage . She stated the head of her her cleaning crew said garbage was left in the Villa and then check out instructions were not followed. I was shocked! There had to be a mix up with which Villa the cleaning crew was talking about, because I personally took all the garbage out to the parking lot garbage bin located in the center of the parking lot in an enclosure. There were 6 of us ladies ranged in the ages of 49-58. We left that place as we found it and the list was followed. Well, due to this accusation I was very insulted. Jeanette insisted she was right. I canceled my current reservation as I was so taken aback and a bit shaken. I have never had this happen to me in all the years I have rented homes and villas. Then after a week or so I decided it was too petty and the other set of women I was planning a trip with wanted to stay at Ocean Blue. So I put in the reservation and deposit. I very quickly received an email from Jeanette telling me they would not be honoring my reservation and no longer would be allowing me to rent from them. I couldn't believe what happened... This was the most unbelievable experience. After all the years of sending people to Kiawah Island Getaways and referring them they treat me as if I am some dirty rat. Sad experience... and probably due to a mix up with which Villa the cleaners were really talking about. However, that is far from how you handle yourself in business and customer service.

Our stay itself at The Shade in 2021 was wonderful. We appreciated the fresh flowers & warm music…read moreupon arrival, property cleanliness, tasteful decor, well-stocked kitchen & attention to detail. The 3 minute walk to the beach was shaded and pretty. We read through the helpful robust welcome binder thoroughly. Specifically, check out instructions were detailed, and we felt encouraged knowing this is part of what keeps the property a great place to stay. It was when my husband went to book the following year and to our surprise, the female co-owner advised that they cancelled our reservation. Disappointed, we called for an explanation, and she told us it was noted by housekeepers that the property was "difficult to clean with a lot of garbage left behind" after our stay. We responded asking for specifics, could this be a mistake, perhaps a mix up with another unit - as we took such diligent care to honor the property throughout, follow instructions, and to leave The Shade better than we found it. We swept, vacuumed, wiped down every surface and are 100% confident there was zero garbage left behind. Jeanette was curt, rude and would give no further explanation. She then deferred by offering to "allow" us to stay in one of their lower-end properties which she thought would be a better fit. This was insulting and we opted to take our business elsewhere. Interacting with her felt unsettling. A red flag and poor business acumen. There was another poster on this string who described a very similar experience arguing with the same property manager who told her that check out instructions for garbage were not followed. Reading that provided some solidarity after the bizarre interaction my husband and I had. Perhaps it is a pattern with this property manager. Posting here in case anyone else views this and experiences the same. There is not much competition on the island, but I would recommend booking with one of the other agents on beautiful Kiawah Island.

My daughter and I have used Reliable for many years to oversee two houses on Kiawah. They have not…read moreonly done a great job of the cleaning, but have also advised us of problems that come up from time to time. They have arranged for major bathroom work, new and remodel, in both houses. The reps assigned to us have always informed us of visits to the house. Very happy. Grace M

Reliable manages our development, and unfortunately the upper management lacks professionalism in…read moremany of its dealings with residents. Transparency is an issue, as well as inept communication. Management is often non-responsive, and there is little collaborative effort when issues arise. Management exhibits a lack of concern for residents. Would not recommend this company as property managers.

Great location so close to the beach. Beautiful biking. Amazing wildlife. We saw alligators deer…read moredolphins lots of birds. Place was stocked with everything we needed to travel or relax at home. Traveling with 2 small kids made simple. They loved going from place to on bikes. A real true getawa!

Akers Ellis was outstanding to work with. Helped me identify the perfect house, quickly responded…read moreto any questions I had and made sure we had a great stay. We have already booked thru them did next summer. I highly recommend them.

ESPM Vacation Rentals is my #1 "go to" company that I will call when I want to rent a vacation…read moreproperty on Kiawah Island. The owner/staff /maintenance departments are very responsive and reliable. As I have used them quite regularly over the years, I have never come across an inferior vacation rental. The housekeeping staff make sure that the home is sparkling clean for the stay and "check in" ready upon arrival. As their website states they believe in keeping a low Property to staff ratio, ensuring that you are stay is superior to other vacation rental companies. The value paid for ESPM's vacationRENTALS is competitive and I find them to be not overpriced. If you plan on using ESPM continually they offer a 15% discount off the rate. ESPM partners with VayKLife Beach Gear and a Credit is awarded upon booking for BEACH gear, such as paddle boards, bikes, kayaks, surfboards, loungers, umbrellas, etc. Will continue to use!

Management and employees without knowledge nor experience of the resort communities expectations of…read morehigh end service on every level, need not pretend to know what they're doing. (transplants from Ohio, Michigan, among others) Only for clients to learn the hard way in disappointment.