Marriott's Grande Ocean

We just got back from 10 days at the Grand Ocean in Hilton Head. We had beautiful weather. Overall, the property is beautiful and the rooms were nicely appointed. The staff was also kind and couteous. The only issue we noticed was that the property was in need of some minor maintenance. For example, the railings on the balcony need to be painted as the paint was peeling off and the hot tubs were not fully working. We drove down from NJ. It took us two days, which is no big deal as we are retired. For us, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra distance and points compared to Myrtle Beach, another beautiful property with awesome restaurants near by. The ocean at Hilton Head is a bit nicer as it is a bit calmer than Myrtle Beach. However, coming from NJ and MD beaches, where you get violently slapped when going into the ocean, that does not seem to be the case on either of these two properties. I think there is more for kids to to at Myrtle beach with the entertainment areas, as Hilton Head is more geared to adults with golf and shopping. Overall, I would give the property 8 out of 10. So far, from all the resorts we visited over the last few years, Marco Island and Palm beach are our favorites.

This was my first time to both this Marriott timeshare and Hilton Head Island. I did not have any specific expectations other than hearing this was a great vacation destination. This property is nestled into the native environment as are most of the island businesses, homes and properties. Quite frankly, I have never experienced anything like it before. Usually, builders remove everything and then replant but that was not the case here. There is an extensive environmental area between the property and the beach which can be accessed by two long boardwalks by the main pools. If you are into shell hunting, there are very few shells on this beach. The tide does move up and down the beach a significant distance between the High and Low periods. Note that this is not a lock-off timeshare so there is only one entrance to the Villa. What I Liked: - The property is very serene and well maintained. Our two-bedroom Villa was the best Marriott time share property we have stayed at to date. - The Villa interior appeared to be recently renovated and was visually excellent - The parking availability under the units was also excellent. We never had a problem getting a space regardless of the time of day. - The first floor was not at ground level. Since we opted for the first floor based on wait time for a Villa at a higher level, our concern was having a unit where anyone could walk by your Villa and walk onto your patio. This was not the case. - We were able to pre-check in early (12:00pm) and there was a minimal line around 4:00pm when we did the final check-in - They offer beach chairs and umbrellas. When we were at the Singer Island (West Plam Beach) Marriott timeshare last year and they did not offer this option. - The pools were not overcrowded. Note that the main pool on the south end of the property was the busiest. - There were more grills and grilling areas than I recalled at comparable Marriott timeshare properties - There were a lot of people on the beach doing a lot of activities yet the vibe was very relaxing and tranquil - The beach was great and the water was clean. - There was a large chessboard located by the northern main pool tucked inside a pond areas where turtles would appear begging for food at certain times of the day. What I Did Not Like - Our biggest problem occurred the day before we were to check-out. We came back from the beach to eat lunch only to find we could not access the room because the keys were not working. We reported it to the front desk and the new set of keys would not work. The security team came up and they could not get into the room. It turned out to be a major fiasco trying to get into the room and then replacing the door lock. It took more than three hours to remedy the problem. They felt the excessive humidity that week was the cause. In one sense I felt very safe because the Marriott couldn’t even break into the room without a team of 3-4 resources! - The morning of Day #2, I found a large Palmetto bug in th

We loved the dolphin pool with lazy river, my kids (ages 6 and 11) went around and around for hours. It’s tiny but the water is shallow and moving at a good pace so super fun and safe for kids. Not really a relaxing lazy river for adults though so be aware. The ocean is a very short walk and there are multiple entrance points. We spent more time by the ocean than I expected. Fun to visit at various points in the tide cycle. We appreciated the activities and did poolside bingo twice (they have lots of winners so my kids were thrilled and won both days) and my kids made soaps. There were lots more activities we were interested in but had other things planned. Parking is free which is nice with a rental car. Rooms are a bit dated but were clean which is what is most important to us! The setup can’t be beat for families- 2 separate bedrooms and bathrooms with a large kitchen/living space.

This hotels sits right on the beach and if you are lucky enough as we were, you can hear the sea off of your balcony. The rooms are spacious and well equipped and the TVs have access to Netflix if you need something to entertain the kids. We hired bikes and cycled to harbour town, it’s about a 30 min ride and not too strenuous. Cycling around the area is pretty safe as you have your own cycle path so you don’t share the roads with cars. My only gripe about the hotel is the bar shuts at 7pm and the gardeners start leaf blowing at 7am which can be enjoying if you aren’t an early riser.

This was our second time to stay at this resort. It is such a great place to stay, partially due to their amazing staff!! We were there Christmas week. The resort was festively decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, etc. We love being able to walk near the ocean and the fact that the resort activities staff plans so many fun activities! Can’t say enough good things!

We have been going to Grande Ocean for over 30 years as owners and have always been pleased. However, this year we were assigned room 8017 (first floor) in Dolphin building. The first floor in each building is the location of the elevator equipment room. The noise from the elevator going up and down was terrible and we could hear it clearly throughout the villa. I mentioned it to a maintenance guy and he said that there were three buildings with elevators that were very loud and indicated that's just the way it is. (we have previously contacted the front desk and received no help). I recommend you stay on the 2nd through the 5th floor to avoid this problem.

DO NOT sign up for the time share sales meeting, regardless of what is offered. The Marriott staff will take almost any opportunity to claw back any perks or rewards they offer you up front thus increasing the amount you spend at their resorts. I traveled an hour round trip in the rain to attend the meeting and informed the staff that my spouse was ill. They were cold, inconsiderate and downplayed the illness. I was told that all perks would be removed and was not offered a viable solution.

This is our third visit to this particular property on the island. It is a lovely property. It is a very large resort that offers 4 different pools. It consists of 8 buildings. Some offer great ocean views and others not so much. All of the 2 BR units are identical. If you have been there before, you know exactly what you are getting inside of your unit. Our biggest complaint this visit was that we did not get the assigned the room/ view that we had asked for. I did not expect OF because we are not owners. However, I had requested Dolphin building top floor with side OV. We got 2nd floor in front of the turtle pond. We hated that we woke up to shade every morning due to all of the huge green courtyard foliage instead of the blue skies with palm trees. Next month we are staying at a Marriott property in VA Beach and every year they assign us the exact same corner unit that we ask for. We love Hilton Head, but we would choose a different property next time. One that will guarantee us an OV or OF even if we need to pay more for it. We were very glad that we had stayed there on M-F because on the Friday, the resort started to get way overcrowded with LOTS of children everywhere included in the adult pool/hot tubs and we no longer wish to see or hear kids everywhere at an exclusive resort. Just be careful when you choose to visit.

Always a great visit. Close to everything and the pool area is always kept up so nice. (I do wish saving chairs at the pools were limited, but I know that is hard to do - MANY MANY chairs saved and never used) The walkway to the beach is a nice touch too. Rooms are always nice and clean. Love how easy the bike rental is as well.