Sanctuary at Kiawah - February 2013

Old Mar 12th, 2013, 05:09 AM
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Sanctuary at Kiawah - February 2013

In February, my husband and I headed south to Kiawah Island, to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. I had not been to Kiawah since the summer of 2001, when I spent a weekend there with my mom, who had a conference to attend. It rained cats and dogs the entire weekend, and, left to entertain myself in our musty, humid room, I did pretty much nothing but watch TV. Besides the rain, my memories of Kiawah were fuzzy. I remember that we stayed in a hotel that didn’t seem too fancy, but that was fine, and I remember the island seemed like it would be a really fun place…..if (and only if) it was sunny and warm outside.

Needless to say, my past memories clouded my anticipation of this weekend, and while I knew we would have a good time, I wasn’t expecting to be wowed. Little did I know that in the past 12 years, Kiawah has “arrived."


The Sanctuary at Kiawah, opened in 2004, is completely different than the Kiawah Inn, where I stayed before. It is not just a reburbishment and a new name, which I had assumed – it is in a new prime location, and is 100% luxury. The Sanctuary at Kiawah strikes the difficult balance of being luxurious and well-appointed, yet warm and friendly, all while displaying some of the best service I have experienced anywhere in the world.

The weather this weekend, while better than my experience in 2001, was still not optimal Kiawah weather. On our first day it was cloudy/rainy, and the second day it was sunny, but windy and bitter cold. Regardless, because Kiawah has bolstered its activities so much, there was still so much to do. Greg and I snuck in a bike ride on the beach and through the beautiful homes on Saturday morning, before taking a much-needed nap on our heavenly feather mattress. On Sunday, we braved the wind and hit the links for a fantastic golf lesson at the Golf Learning Center. We are novices at the sport (to say the least), but our instructor didn’t mind, making the experience a highlight of our visit. Should the weather continue to be inclement, I would’ve visited the spa (just ranked #30 in US hotel spas by Conde Nast Traveler), taken a dip in the indoor lap pool, and cuddled up by the fire in the lobby to read a book. Weather is no longer a mitigating factor at Kiawah, to say the least.


The dining on the island left little to be desired. The Atlantic Room provided world-class seafood and floor-to-ceiling oceanview windows, Cherrywood BBQ served one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I’ve eaten in a long time, and Jasmine Porch had lovely “high Southern” cuisine. The Ocean Room, which is The Sanctuary’s premier restaurant, is open only for dinner, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Because of this, our dining options within the resort were limited to Jasmine Porch (another poolside restaurant, Loggerhead’s, is seasonal). However, complimentary shuttles will whisk you to any of the other restaurants on the island, so while a slight inconvenience, it didn’t dampen our spirits too much.


The rooms, decor, and atmosphere of The Sanctuary are perfect. Sunny, warm tones and natural lighting burst throughout the resort. The bedding is extremely comfortable, and the rooms are clean, spacious, and have balconies. Ask for an oceanview room on the 5th (top) floor, where (as the golf pro told us) “you can almost see Portugal!”


I left Kiawah counting down the days until I can return in the summer with my daughters. Yes, Kiawah is at its peak in the summertime, but there is something to be said for quieter, off-season days, where tennis and golf times are abundant and a handful of people are on the beach. Regardless, it is worth the easy trip to Kiawah (45 minutes from Charleston) – it is certainly one of the most enjoyable, luxurious, and family friendly resorts I have ever been to!
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Old Mar 13th, 2013, 03:06 PM
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Great trip report. We too loved the Sanctuary! We had Christmas Dinner at The Ocean room and were so impressed. I am so glad you had a wonderful trip.
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Old Mar 14th, 2013, 04:59 AM
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Well done. I'm so glad you enjoyed Kiawah. I have friends that live down there and enjoy visiting.

I will say, however, while the food on the resort is fine, Charleston is so full of stellar dining options visitors should plan to eat some meals of premises. On John's Island both Fat Hen and Wild Olive are not too far off Kiawah and worth the trips.
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Old Mar 14th, 2013, 07:09 AM
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Sue, I completely agree - we weren't able to go to the Fat Hen, but so many people recommended it. we did go into Charleston to S.N.O.B. and had a delicious meal. I think it is a must to carve out one night at least to to Charleston while in Kiawah.
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Old Mar 14th, 2013, 03:04 PM
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Suewoo, how funny! We ate at Wild Olive and Fat Hen when we were there over Christmas based on some recommendations from a friend who lives on Kiawah. Wild Olive was one of the very best restaurants we have been too. We were very impressed with Fat Hen as well! You definitely know your Charleston and surrounding areas!
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Old Mar 14th, 2013, 03:04 PM
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I meant to add that the sweetbreads that were served at Wild Olive completely changed my mind about this dish. Yummy
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Old Mar 15th, 2013, 02:24 AM
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I know all the restaurants and what they have for specials! Augh! Do I have a problem, lol!

I lived in Mt Pleasant for decades and just recently moved to NC to assist with my elderly parents. It broke my heart, even though I know I did the right thing. I love Charleston.

Wild Olive was recently on a list of 10 most underated restaurants in the country. It's really special and both of those are great resources for Kiawah visitors. Sometimes people want nice dinner withut having to drive 40 minutes into town.
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