Kiawah island is an interesting place. The entire island is a gated residential community on several golf courses. The condo rentals (villas) seem to be handled by two main companies, the Resort and Akers Ellis. Judging by these reviews the individual units are in various conditions. We lucked out and our Windswept Villa was an updated unit with new furniture and appliances, and a wonderful beachfront location. However, depending on which company you rent from, you may or may not get pool access (strictly enforced at community pools). This is not easy to figure out during the rental process so read the fine print before committing to a unit. There is also a pool at the Sanctuary hotel. You may also get credit for beach gear or bikes but this is of dubious value. The default rental company (vayk gear) is not very helpful if having problems or need to make changes. The bike trails were plentiful and well maintained and not busy. If you want to eat at a non-golf course restaurant, you have to leave the island. The one grocery store (Harris Teeter) is convenient and well stocked. There are also fruit & veg stands (try Rosebank Farms) just before the island entrance.…
When we booked a 3 bedroom villa on Kiawah (tied to the Sanctuary) we expected a certain level of accommodations. Our expectations were quickly diminished when we opened the villa door and hit with the mildew smell, warm temperature and stains all over the outdated carpet and furniture. We tried to switch to the resort but they were booked so we stuck it out for the 3 nights. We woke up early just to get out of the dirty villa surroundings and stayed outside on beach/property until we had to shower for dinners. Truly one of the worst places we have stayed. I would HIGHLY recommend looking at different options for your stay in Kiawah.
I had a rough check in because the villa was not as expected. However the front desk agent Jonathan went above and beyond to get me into a new room (even at 2am). The manager Chris Jarrett then followed up the next morning to make everything right. Beautiful resort, great rooms (depending), but more importantly… Fantastic customer service!
I read these reviews after we booked the villa and I was getting scared, but actually the place was pretty nice and right on the beach. I loved the convenience of the beach and all the great bike trails. The villa itself was comfortable and the area was very quiet and family oriented. It could have used a coat of paint and some new carpeting, but otherwise it was what to expect of a beach rental.
I reserved a premier labeled villa in Mariners Watch. I would not consider anything about the villa to be a premier-type property. I packed up and came home early just so I could enjoy my nicer appointed home. The villa needs updating. The following are some of the issues: sagging and stained sofa, broken wall clock in hallway, painting needed, dirty kitchen cabinets (I cleaned a few of them), old cabinets, chipped furniture, rusted bathroom fixtures, hair dryer that got so hot on the handle that I thought it was going to burn my hand, no doormat on the inside of entryway (sand incoming!), off balance refrigerator, spongy flooring, bathroom door that keeps closing on me while I'm at the vanity, bathroom exhaust fan filthy, hvac in closet needs cleaning, dark colored something above shower (possible mold?). I wish I had not wasted all of the money I paid on this villa since I could only handle one night of my stay. It was not someplace I wanted to be. I cannot recommend staying at a villa through the resort. Live and learn! I'd have been better off camping in my tent at one of the beautiful SC state parks on the coast.…
We (two couples) stayed at the two bedroom "villa" at 2265 Shipwatch Road April 3 - 7. The "villa" was a dump. We walked in and it smelled like industrial strength cleaning solution. Took 2 hours to clear out. The furniture, kitchen - all dated. One closet could barely be used because it was blocked by a bed. If you choose this "villa" make sure you pay a lot less than other Kiawah Island "villas". Its strengths - ocean view, close proximity to Cougar golf course/dining and town, strong water pressure from showers, and comfortable king size bed (as long as you are not taller than 6'3" because your feet will hit the bed board.
Our first trip to Kiawah Island and a stay in a “premier”Villa at a 5 star resort. It left us completely underwhelmed. 2 bedroom, Lovely 4th floor ocean view place. It was clean but obviously dated and some of the furnishings had seen better days. Bathroom cabinets were mounted so high on the wall, a shorter person could only see the top of her head. My biggest complaints: not an extra blanket in the place, one bedroom closet could not be used to hang clothes because it was filled with junk, only 2 wine glasses in the cupboards, and broken coffee pot, (write up said premier properties have Keurig) mixer, and stove. The pass to use the walkway to the beach was hidden away in a drawer( found after having to go west village office) and the hallway door would not close without slamming (damage could be seen to the frame) as well as the door to one balcony not opening or closing easily. A large portion of this building is under renovation so maybe some of these items will be repaired, but in the meantime it’s a bit of “bait & switch”. Everyone we came in contact with were helpful and pleasant. Shuttle transportation was wonderful and all the restaurants were delicious and accommodating to outdoor dining, and Ofcourse The beach was the star of our stay! I will definitely not be recommending staying in this villa and after reading other reviews, which I should have done first, I would advise anyone to be very careful.…
Was excited to stay at the Villas at Kiawah during Thanksgiving. The Villa is in need of some serous TLC and cleaning. I encountered roaches, cob webs, sink that wouldn’t drain, light bulbs out, mold in the shower and stains on the couch. I expected more from a Villa that I rented directly from the Kiawah Resort. Probably the worst part was the fact that I got a guest survey after my stay from the Resort and I gave them poor grades on most of the accommodations but never had anyone reach out to apologize for such a poor experience. If you go rent from VRBO and deal with the owner directly.
We have been coming to Kiawah for the past 8 years. And the last 3 times the villas are absolutely gross to the point you can’t stay. We walked in on 9 Beach house and couldn’t get over how outdated it was But that was not the problem it was not cleaned at all. It is a pet friendly villa which you pay to have in fees So it should be deep cleaned after every pet, but house keeping is not cleaning at all due to they can only use what the owner provides for cleaning products( meaning what they have in unit Like vacuum and mops. I had to go buy cleaning products and spend my vacation cleaning due to manager stating they are at the mercy of the owners in what they clean and supply. The comforters were covered in hair as well as the sheets under it and the pillow cases. I asked for new bedding and all I got was sheets they couldn’t do comforter or blanket on top of sheets cause that is provided by owners. HELLO ITS COVID they need to be cleaned. I went and bought blanket to sleep with and threw the original bedding in a room we weren’t using. The furniture needs to be replaced uncomfortable as hell, sagging and dirty. Beds are so uncomfortable our backs were ripping in pain. They say there at the mercy of owners NO Kiawah needs to have a standard for owners to participate in the rental program. These villas condition reflects KIawah’s name. All they do is give you a very small credit cause they know you will use it at restaurants. Chris the hospitality manager does nothing to help he really needs more training on how to care about your customers experience. We absolutely love Kiawah itself but these villas are horrible the pictures are so outdated. The only positive was the view.…
With Kiawah having the reputation that it does and with the award winning course with the PGA championship being played you would think that the resort would have high standards for the properties that it manages for the individual owners. This is not the case. Do not go to Kiawah and rent a villa expecting something nice. We were there for a work event and several people were complaining about how poor the interior of their villas are. Mine was no exception. The carpet is filthy, the furniture was very tired, the TVs are tiny and probably the first flat screens that ever came out. The kitchen utensils were lacking, the fridge had mold in the side, the porch was nasty… I could go on and on… I would not recommend using the Villas managed by the resort… I will also add that the service from the staff was not great, for getting logistical directions to trying to get bikes it was a mess. You could ask three people who work there the same question and get three different answers. Really just a very very poor experience. So bad I left a day early……
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