In regards to the Villas: dirty, stained, moldy, outdated. We were 0 for 2 in our villa attempts:…read morefirst one had stained, dirty carpets and smelled of mildew, with a view of the parking lot. Plus it was not ready at check in. Moved to a different villa. Appeared clean with a nice golf course view; however, our eyes burned all night from an allergen of some sort--possibly from the one inch layer of dust under the furniture or dusty old bedding. Beds felt of metal springs in your back and flat pillows. Bottom line, the villas are all very old (and gross). Attempted to have a lovely breakfast after a terrible night of sleep, and the Jasmine Porch closed 45 min. early and was unable to seat us. For us, Kiawah is out. Stayed at the Sanctuary previously and it was not a memorable experience. After walking 18 holes at the Ocean Course, the pub was closed for a wedding. This place is hit and miss. There are a ton of other oceanfront golf resorts that are far better than this one. If you want a reliably amazing experience, don't waste your time or money. Sea Island or Sea Pines or even a trek to Pebble Beach would surpass expectations. So very much disappointed in our Kiawah experience.

We had a fun family vacation at Kiawah Island. The resort is beautiful and our villa was very nice…read more My only reason for the low stars has to do with the unresponsive staff. We accidentally left clothes behind. I called the resort as soon as we got home. They took my name and number and promised to call. I never received the call back. I called and emailed several more times- same promise, no follow up. Either the housekeeping staff or the guests that followed our stay kept our clothes or they are still hanging in the closet! We will never know!!! The no response was disappointing from such a nice resort.

The Sanctuary is easily one of the best hotel experiences in Charleston County. The beach alone is…read morestunning! One of the top ranked in the country. The property itself is luxurious. The rooms are beautiful, the beds are plush and comfortable, and every detail is elegant and classy. The pool area is lovely as well, though the furniture could use a bit of an upgrade. Still, that is a small note in what is otherwise an absolutely gorgeous setting. It is a stunning place! I would love to get married here someday!

Golf is the big draw here which didn't disappoint. A challenging ocean course but well worth the…read moreexperience even if you can't use a golf cart (caddies help w/bags) The Sanctuary hotel service and food is fantastic! The grounds are clean/manicured and pool/beach staff are great but the rooms need some updating. Bottom of shower had sludge and carpets are worn and not attached to the floor along edges. 1st floor room with screaming kids everywhere, all day. Ask for room away from the pools. The restaurants and spa are short staffed and couldn't accommodate a massage (must go off site) but could do facials. Jo was amazing! It's not a large spa and not much space but what a great experience I had there! Restaurants were tough to get into for dinner but the food is worth waiting for.

If you or a family member golfs, this resort is for you. Beautifully maintained grounds, several…read morerestaurants, and lots of amenities. We stayed in a one of the villas, which over all was very nice. The living room furniture could be updated, but it was otherwise clean and spacious for our group of 4. We enjoyed trying different dining establishments and just driving around the property. My son played two of the courses, and really enjoyed it. The beach was a short walk from our villa and had soft sand and was great for shelling.

Got the opportunity too play the ocean course today! Course is amazing! Got the caddie option…read moredouble bag. Caddie on the other hand was not so much a caddie. Sitting down on the tee box, on his telephone, rushing us when we were waiting on the group in front of us. Also rushed off the green on 18 didn't wait for the group to finish, or taking all of our clubs. Upon meeting him at the club house he said do you mind takbig your own bags from here. Proceeded to tip what we felt like was a very generous tip for the services $200. Which he then told us that the minimum was $240, which would be totally fine had the services been up too par.

We stayed at the Pelican Watch villas. Pros: The general area is nice and the pool area was good…read more Food is available at a cafe until 3 and there's an adjoining restaurant as well but it is closed a few days during the week. The beach is nice and has a lot of shells, although the water is brown and not aesthetically pleasing. Cons: The unit we had smelled musty as soon as we walked in. I have asthma and I began to struggle so we opened the glass doors to air it out. I had to stay outside for a while. The refrigerators were warm bc they had been turned off (a sign on the fridge said they had been cleaned and to be patient while they cool back down. Hm. I've cleaned my fridge without having to turn it off so that wasn't jiving). This was an issue bc we had groceries delivered before we arrived. It would've been so easy to turn them on a day or two before our arrival. They were also so old and the water dispenser didn't work. Update the appliances for goodness sake! There are very few amenities; very small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, one roll of paper towels etc. You are expected to buy all you need, including any spices for cooking. The beds were a bit hard and very flat pillows. We had a first floor unit and could hear the people above us walking around. The unit next to us had a patio full of dead plants (took up the whole area), a bucket w green standing water and an empty wine bottle. We didn't see anyone there the whole week. They should really clean that up. The QR system (which you need at the pool, restaurants and golf) was confusing to set up for the 6 of us that were there. I felt like I had to do homework just to go on vaca. All in all, it was okay but we will not return. Seabrook needs to pay attention to what makes a vacation worthwhile. To me, they do the bare minimum for their guests but the prices don't reflect that. We stayed at an Inn in Ohio of all places, and we had warm muffins at our door each morning, a bottle of wine and cheese plate each evening. Seabrook left a small empty bag that you could bring to the beach. I left it there.

I held back on a review waiting for my emotions to calm down. First of all I am advancing them one…read morestar as they really should be a two-star location based upon my experience. They have a good, delicious cheese topped appetizer which was almost too much to eat for my wife and i. I had not had a ribeye steak in a while and even though theirs was $45 I decided to go for it, figuring that it would be a really good one, after all this is ritzy Seabrook Island Club. When the alternate server came out with the steak which was supposed to be medium rare, he asked me to cut into it in his presence. I was flustered and amazed that he would ask that but I did so and looked at it and said this is not medium rare (which is what I ordered but it was medium at best). Without a word he turned around and walked off. That in and of itself should make this a one-star review. Then eating the steak it was chewy to say the least and worse than I could stomach. Amazingly enough I did not finish my steak which I don't recall ever having done. For an expensive place like this I was shocked at the lack of service. Certainly the quality of the steak was way below average. Be careful if you go here, order an appetizer and nothing more--certainly no steak. I do not plan on ever going back.

From the moment we walked in, everyone made us feel welcome. The ladies and gentlemen at the front…read moredesk, the wonderful staff servicing the rooms and serving breakfast, and the drivers, Nick and Clifford, were all kind, welcoming, and helpful. The location is great, and the beach shuttle to Kiawah was perfect. They provided chairs, towels, and cold water, and we were able to reserve an umbrella when we arrived. Everything was so easy and convenient. I came with my boys a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I had to come back and bring my husband. We all had a wonderful time and will definitely be back!

A group of us girls stayed at Andell Inn for a few nights to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday, and…read moreit was such a great experience. The rooms were very nice, everything was clean, and everyone working there was friendly and welcoming. We had drinks there and they were really good, and we also had breakfast in the mornings, which was great as well. But the highlight for all of us was the outdoor space. Sitting on the wraparound porch in the rocking chairs with those views was so peaceful and relaxing--it truly made the trip. I would absolutely recommend staying here and would 100% go back.

I was supposed to take my college daughter to Germany for her spring break. With the coronavirus…read moreoutbreak we decided this might not be the best time to go. So three days before our scheduled departure we were scrambling for another fun destination. My husband suggested we head to Kiawah Island. There were actually a decent number of places still available to rent. Ultimately we decided on one that was managed by Akers Ellis. The ocean front condo was listed on the company's website, as well as on Airbnb and Vrbo. Do your research people. The best rate was the one on the Akers Ellis website. And then I called them. Since I was booking the unit three days before our scheduled arrival they graciously gave me an additional generous discount. We received a beach gear credit with the unit that allowed us to get our bikes and beach chairs for the week. The beach gear company VayKGear, has a partnership with Akers Ellis and has also been a joy to work with. I have been very impressed with the company. I had a question when we got here so I sent them an email and received a very quick response even though it was after normal business hours. I was also told to let them know if I had any other questions and they would be happy to help. Today I received an email from them just making sure our vacation was going well and telling us to reach out if we needed anything. Great customer service. I would definitely rent from them again.

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.

The Surf Shack is fun. The Surf Shack is small…read more We enjoyed seven days at the Surf Shack Thanksgiving week, 4 nights with 4 adults and a 4 year old, 4 nights with 6 adults and a 4 year old. Weather was great, an under 10 minute walk to the beach and the Island is, of course, beautiful. The kitchen and outdoor space (screen porch/dining area and seating area/fire table) were great.....and necessary. You are literally on top of Sparrow Pond. The bird watching was fun. The fish jumping was fun. No gator sightings, however. Thee kitchen was well stocked, high end appliances and perfect to cook Thanksgiving dinner. We did bring our own Roasting Pan, large cutting board, Pyrex, etc. The basting tube did not work but otherwise we had everything we needed. Bring a cooler and ice. The small sub-zero ice maker did not keep up us. The indoor space, while beautifully designed and decorated, was impractical. The two leather pieces look good in the photos, but as far as actually sitting more than one adult on one of them is uncomfortable. The four bedrooms were TINY. Beds/linens/pillows were fine, there was simply little room to maneuver around the bed. Corners were tight and the bed was hard when your shins knocked into it. Bathrooms were also small yet functional, showers were well-dimensioned given the space and water pressure was super. The cottage was clean upon arrival, the fresh flowers were a nice touch. There were plenty of books, toys for kids and a notebook loaded with information about the Island, menus for many restaurants, etc. We enjoyed our time with family most importantly but we would not return for an entire week based on the tiny bedrooms and impractical indoor seating. For us, a weekend away is the better choice for the Surf Shack. KIG was perfectly fine to work with and we would not hesitate to use them again given the circumstances. They give us the right information at the right time and were always prompt in getting back to us. Kiawah - YES KIG - YES Return to Surf Shack - No.

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.

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.

If you look closely at the building it is in failing conditions. Significant stress cracks in…read morefoundations, sinking foundations, sagging roofs, zip ties holding on structures. Building three just had a MAJOR plumbing incident an if you bounce from building to building in your stays , you will notice the other ones are well on their way , due to the fowl smell that comes from the pipes and the fact a plumber van is there every other day. The inside is no better, stained carpets, stained floors. The ac regulary also seems to go out, an they bring in a plug in wall swamp cooler with a ice pack..When a storm comes water comes in through the sliding glass windows from the top floor penthouse funneling water in. The workers are all illegal immigrants and not very helpful or good at cleaning. I would seriously consider buying from Kiawah itself, not this time share scam failing enterprise with make up of fresh coat on it to make it seem great