bakpakr

Help! We'd like to go to Kiawah Island with our one year old. We'd like to use the pool so I understand that we need to book through the resort --- which has been really difficult.

I first tried to book online. Eviently, our only option is to make a reservation but we will not know what level of condo we get until we arrive. The nightly rate is less than teh Deluxe and Premier rack rate but higher than the Resort level.

When I spoke with someone at the resort they could not give me a great answer about the different condo levels (resort is not updated, premier is the high end and deluxe is "somewhere" in between but they could not give me more detail). They said the units are individually owned and decorated but we could not view pictures of the unit we'd reserve (if we reserved over the phone and could determine the level of condo vs. online). I just want a place that is nice and clean (I don't need the latest and greatest but don't want to spend my vacation in a 1980's kitchen with worn out furniture and tired mattresses).

This all seems way to complicated to book a vacation. Am I missing something? Is there an easier way keeping in mind that I really do want pool access. If Kiawah is a pain, is there somewhere similar we should consider (traveling over Memorial Day week with 16 mo old - would love the beach/pool plus a nearby city; would like to keep accomodations to $300/night).

dsgmi

I don't think I would worry about renting a condo that was above the resort level - though make sure that your rate is higher because of quality and not just location in relation to the beach. Night Heron Pool is great, there is a small restaurant right at the pool. I would think the advantage of renting through the resort is that there would be the option to get a different unit if you found it unacceptable. If I'm not mistaken, the resort has minimum standards that the units must meet or they get bounced out of the program, and if the unit is above this level and not called 'resort' you should be fine. I do believe that the resort staff (when renting through the resort)does all of the cleaning and provides all of the linens. My parents rented through the resort several times, not knowing which unit they would get and it was fine. The other question might be your proximity to the beach, since that's one of Kiawah's fantastic features.

Sparrow Pond Cottages and Duneside Villas have their own pool so access in these areas does not depend on the resort/night heron pool.

OurGreatEscape

The big advantage of renting from the Resort is the use of the resort's pools e.g. Night Heron. Each unit in the resort's inventory is individual owned. Thus, amenities and decor of each unit varies.

You can have the best of both worlds--Rent directly from an owner (money saveer) and have access to a pool. Inlet Cove, Greenslake, and Sparrow Pond neighborhoods have pools for their guests use.

Inlets and Sparrow Ponds are three bedrooms; Greenslake cottages have two bedroom.

Keep in mind, we're heading into the busy rental season. Rentals will be by the week only-Saturday to Saturday.

If you can't find something on KI, head over to Seabrook Island. We just built a fabulous new community center complete with outdoor pool!

dsgmi

OGE - thanks for the extra info on which condos/villas have pool access. One question, though...If you're staying at Inlet Cove, do you/can you get a vehicle pass to get through the regular gate if you want to go elsewhere by car on Kiawah?

Bakpakr - make sure to take your little one into the Nature Center right at the Night Heron complex. Lots of animals to see and there's a kid play area located right there and a giant soccer field to run around - if running around on the beach isn't enough!

Welbourn3

We always rent a townhome or condo through vrbo.com and have had resort access, no problems. Good luck, Valerie

KIGRGM

It is well worth renting directly through the resort for the pools, and the access and preferred rates on many of the family and recreational activities. It is a full service 24 hour a day operation with over a thousand employees who want to give the FULL resort experiance. The villas and homes on the rental program are definitely screened and even the most economical accomodations have minimum standard requirements that will assure you of a good experiance. I suggest you call the resort directly rather than online so that you have all options available.

kiawahvilla

LOL! Inlet Cove is part of Kiawah Island (I live here much of the year!) and has full access to every other part of the island. You can even rent Inlet Cove cottages that are managed by the Kiawah Island Golf Resort - giving you access both to the Inlet Cove pool (best private pool on the island) and the resort's Night Heron pool.

There is NO NEED to rent directly from resort reservations to get access to the resort's swimming pools and other amenities. Many owners of resort-managed properties list their homes on VRBO. These owners can offer "full resort privileges", and they often rent at lower prices than the resort.

dsgmi

kiawahvilla - that must have sounded pretty funny! I know Inlet Cove is on Kiawah, but I never knew how they worked the gate and passes since the entrance is before the regular gate and there are separate gates for Inlet Cove. We just got back and I will say that everyone in the West Beach area can really take advantage of the new bike path to Freshfields!

That is great information about the availability of resort privileges through some VRBO rentals!

kiawahvilla

dsgmi - Since you just left Kiawah, I know you had beautiful weather in which to enjoy the new bike path! Beach weather is even better this week - the winds have died down a bit, and the sun is growing stronger every day.

I know that Inlet Cove is in a unique situation: We can go drive wherever we want on Kiawah, but other people on Kiawah cannot drive into Inlet Cove. Strange, but true.

It has always frustrated me that the Kiawah Island Golf Resort does not publish photos of the properties they manage. Bottom line is that the resort likes to maintain flexibility to move guests around and fill the spaces. The resort will try to honor requests for specific homes and villas, but they do not guarantee anything other than the quality level. If you like knowing exactly what you will get, VRBO is a great option. Just be sure to ask lots of questions.