The Best Resorts to Book in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Being active is almost unavoidable at this sporty resort, where you’ll find a Get Fit Kit with kettlebells and bands located in every condo. Prefer to exercise outdoors? Take advantage of the pools, championship golf course, tennis and pickleball courts spread throughout the grounds. Rest your tired muscles in the oceanfront hot tub or unwind with a salt stone massage in the spa. Come nightfall, load up on protein at the onsite steakhouse.

Built in the style of a 1940s hunting lodge, Disney’s Hilton Head Island outpost is as kid-friendly as you’d expect, featuring a Big Dipper pool with a water slide, plus daily arts and crafts activities. Embark on family bonding time by participating in campfire sessions, fishing off the resort pier and watching screenings of Disney movies under a sprawling oak tree. The beach is just a 20-minute walk away.

Atlantic produce takes center stage at this Caribbean-style resort, both at the seafood buffet and at Hayward’s Restaurant. Where the freshness of the fish is matched only by the quality of the beef, try the shrimp pasta with champagne cream sauce and garden herbs. Other perks include live music by the pool and onsite bicycle rentals you can use to explore the area. Rooms have garden or ocean views; upgrade to a suite for a private wet bar.

The beachside terrace at this four-star Hilton transports you to the tropics, complete with palmetto trees swaying over the pools and cabanas surveying the white sand beach. Enhance your Zen levels even further with a treatment at the spa, surrounded by koi ponds and gardens. All rooms and suites feature the Westin enveloping Heavenly beds and private balconies, some of which have ocean views. Private beach access from the outdoor pool area only adds to the desert island ambience.

As part of the high-end Sea Pines Resort, The Inn & Club boasts three of the finest golf courses in the USA – Harbour Town Links, Heron Point by Pete Dye and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III. For lunch, seek sustenance from the Links menu, a succulent prime rib dip sandwich, perhaps, or a build-your-own BLT. Rooms favor classical glamour, with mahogany two-poster beds, floral curtains and antique desks – most also overlook Harbour Town Links.

Tennis heads will love this collection of fully-equipped, two-bedroom Tennis Villas with private balconies, some of which overlook the courts. After perfecting your serve, forehand or backhand with the resident pros, cool down with a game of pickleball before heading to the largest pool on the island for live music and ocean views. Watch Grand Slam tennis matches on HD screens at the CocoNutz Sports bar and try the resort’s signature square pizza at Gator’z.

Hilton Head Island isn’t short of tiki huts, but this party-loving resort has the only one actually on the sand. Even better, it hosts daily live music, film screenings and looks out over beach volleyball courts, so keep your eyes peeled for professionals training here. Next door, The Porch serves southern comfort classics, such as slow-cooked brisket and shrimp and grits, accompanied by a special drink every day, from Margarita Mondays to Screwdriver Sundays.

Peaceful self-catered stays are the specialty at this creekside aparthotel. All of the accommodation – from studios to three-bedroom villas – are clustered around an outdoor pool. Expect lounges with vaulted wooden ceilings, French windows, granite-worktop kitchens and patios with access down to the banks, where you’ll find grills and picnic tables. During peak season, jump on the free shuttle bus to get around the Palmetto Dunes Resort or the marina and mall at Shelter Cove.

This beachfront three-star hotel has a small grocery store selling essentials, but the in-room kitchens are so well-stocked you probably won’t need it. Suites are geared towards large families or two (or even three) couples traveling together, featuring two double bedrooms and a living room with a sofa bed. Cooked out? Head downstairs to the poolside restaurant for steaks, seafood and ocean-view fire pits.