Marriott's SurfWatch in Hilton Head Island

Marriott properties in Hilton Head are all fantastic. Surfwatch was no exception. The room was nicely appointed and fairly newly upgraded as far as I could tell. We chose this one since we needed a three bedroom so my son could invite a couple of friends.

It’s a large property with about the same buildings and probably rooms as others like Grande Ocean or Barony Beach Club, but more space between with a large lake.

Only three pools total with only really one outdoor within the proper resort and one on the ocean far removed … then there is a large indoor pool.

Good amenities, great staff, and excellent upkeep. The building we were in, Tide Mark, only had one elevator which seems odd … our child broke her ankle and was in a wheelchair and we were in the third floor so there was a little “what would we do if the elevator broke half way through our vacation “ … but it didn’t happen … just a note.

The location is removed from the downtown busy hustle and bustle which can be good. Being mid island has advantages and disadvantages, again, just a note.

Overall they took good care of us and we’d return if we needed a three bedroom again.

This was our first visit to SurfWatch but have been coming to Hilton Head Island for 30 years as we are owners at Grande Ocean on the other side of the Island closer to Sea Pines. This was an easy exchange through Interval International (trading a Marriott Aruba week)and it did not seem to be busy this time of year. The resort is small and quaint, not very large, only comprising of six buildings with villas (one building closer to Ocean, two courtyard buildings, and two garden view buildings and one in the main building where you check-in) with two pools and an indoor pool. We can now say that since we have stayed at all the Marriott Beach locations in Hilton Head (Monarc, Barony, Grande Ocean and now Surfwatch), this is our least favorite resort. The reason for the “8” rating is because it is not directly on the beach or easy access. Surfwatch was quiet the week we were there, however, Surfwatch lacks the character and “resort” feel that we prefer at Grande Ocean (that is very spread out, with easy beach access, 4 pools and an indoor pool, a larger beach area and lots of sitting areas). Surf Watch is a long walk to the beach but if you’re up to it, it is a nice stroll along the boardwalk. There are NO views of the ocean from the courtyard or the garden view buildings. Cabanas can be rented at the pool close to the ocean but there are no view of ocean from the Cabanas (in my opinion, they should be free on a first come basis). We found the beach area very small (not sure if high tides) but the week after, we spend at Grande Ocean with a very large beach area, biking on the beach and a much better beach experience. We also found there to be lots of “kissing bugs” and or flies (not sure if because of the “swamp” area but didn’t experience this at Grande Ocean the following week. Our villa was a first floor unit in the Tide 5500 building with views of the back pool, it was typical Marriott layout with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, a stacked washer and dryer (although at Grande Ocean there is a full size washer and dryer); the kitchen is well equipped and the dining room and living room are standard. There is a large balcony with 4 chairs and table. The master bath had a very large walk-in shower that was amazing with dual controls and shower heads. It was a nuisance in the 5500 building with the elevator that could only be used IF a staff member came to operate it. Therefore, every time we wanted to go up or down, we had to wait for a staff member to come to run the elevator. We were told by staff that the elevator situation has been going on for months and each time it is repaired, it has problems again. They did fix it the last day of our stay. We also had to get a shuttle to the pool up front or to the beach. The entire week, were were only able to use the beach once or twice due to very short beach and high tides. The staff is very attentive and helpful and aim to please; the activities were fun and tokens were given to winners that

Stayed at the garden view side. Nice room overlooking the lake, easy walk to main lobby lots of activities near the main building. Beach isn't too far of a walk. Buy they offer golf cart rides if you choose not to walk.

We had a three bedroom suite and we loved it so much. The view was beautiful and the kids loved the pool.

The room was in excellent condition and exceptionally clean. The pools are also always in great condition and the indoor pool temp. was perfect!

I don't remember there being a charge for parking (it's been a few years since we stayed before) which I found to be a disappointment, otherwise a great stay.

Our family visited Marriott SurfWatch just before Christmas and had a wonderful stay. We stayed in a three-bedroom suite overlooking the gardens and lake. It was spacious, comfortable, and well-equipped with everything we needed. The resort provided all the essentials to start our stay and refreshed our supplies every other day, which was a nice touch. The front desk and concierge teams were friendly and always ready to help. We did have one issue — one of the bedrooms stayed cooler and more humid than the rest. Maintenance responded quickly with a large dehumidifier and even repaired what looked like an exterior crack. When that didn’t fully solve it, they offered to move us to another unit. We appreciated their effort and decided to stay since we were already settled in. There was plenty to do around the resort — beach walks, water aerobics, bingo, a magic show, the indoor pool and hot tub, beer and brats, wine and cheese social, and s’mores by the fire pit. The recreation staff made every event fun, and all the guests we met were friendly. Overall, it was a relaxing and fun vacation for our family, and we’d definitely come back!

We went in the off season (over New Years) and found the place a great location for family and kids. Multiple pools (heated), hot tub, on the beach and lots of activities to keep adults and kids happy. They had a magician (which I initially thought would be hokey and boring) that was funny and entertaining for kids and adults. The next day there was a women who brought multiple live owls to talk about them and show them to the kids. Hot chocolate, hot dogs, brats, all available for guests. MY shower was HUGE and I felt like I was in a car wash, with all the nozzles knocking the dirt off of me