Kingston Plantation

Ok, we have narrowed it down to Kingston Plantation for the week of July 4th. I%26#39;m trying to decide between South-North Hampton, Brighton, or Royale Palms. I love oceanfront--I know most are oceanview--also, my husband doesn%26#39;t like heights and wants 5th floor or below--most are high rise--I know.

Anyway, I have a couple of questions from anybody that has an opinion--which building, and where to rent from. We have checked with the Kingston Rental service--has anyone used them?? (There are 8 in our family coming and 6 coming with friends of ours--ages 17-68 except 1 2-yr old and one 9-month old. We would like to have units close together.) Any suggestions at all regarding Kingston--good or bad is appreciated!!

Kingston Plantation

I%26#39;m the resident Kingston fan here! 1st off, check VRBO.com before making any decisions. You will pay a much higher rate booking directly through Kingston. With VRBO you will be able to see exactly what you are renting, not possible with the Kingston Rental service. I would not suggest North or South Hampton unless you see plenty of photos first. Many of those units are outdated and need some serious make overs. Kingston Rental will not tell you that and if you get stuck with a unit that is not top notch they will not do anything to accomodate you.

Royale Palms is the newest kid on the block and you will have plenty of beautiful units to choose from there. Brighton is a few years old but definitely lovely too.

Check in during that week (definitely peak!) can be somewhat frustrating. If you rent through VRBO you will bypass the long lines. Brighton you check in through Embassy Suites and Royale Palms you check in through Hilton if you book either through the Kingston Rental Service.

Royale Palms sits back from the ocean. The lazy river pool and cabanas are directly in front of Royale Palms. Brighton is right on the beach. However, both have lovely views.

If you have more specific questions, just ask!

Kingston Plantation

Thanks so much! Also, I%26#39;ve heard all these different stories about who can use what pool, and some have to pay for the water park, etc. If you rent through VRBO, or direct from owner---do we have to pay extra charges???

Certain pools are specific to certain units. For example you can%26#39;t use the pool at Margate unless you are staying at Margate. That is the policy regardless of whether you rent directly from an owner or through Kingston.

That being said there are PLENTY of pools to choose from. You can use the Hilton pools as well as the Embassy Suites pools. The Splash area has lots of kids activities during the summer.

The health club and kids water park are an extra charge if you are renting privately. However, the fees are not high and you will still save considerably renting through VRBO. Most importantly you will be able to see what you are getting before you get there.

We%26#39;ve rented a Brighton condo through VRBO. It%26#39;s our first time at Kingston also. Our condo owner says the water park and pools are included in the rental price, but if you rent from the owner, you need to make sure of that. Some include it and some do not. We%26#39;ve rented through VRBO prevously and had no problems. I like knowing which unit I will receive so there are no unpleasant surprises. Good luck to you.

Like lillious, I am a big Kingston fan. It%26#39;s like you%26#39;re own little world. My husband and I visit Kingston Plantation a couple of times a year. We have so many memories that we actually had our wedding at the Hilton in 2006. We had over 80 people at our wedding. All of them from out of town ranging from 6 months-70 years. The best thing about Kingston and North Myrtle Beach is that there is really something for everyone of all ages and personalities. The SPLASH water park at the Embassy and lazy river and sand pools at Royale Palms/Hilton are a HUGE hit with the kids. As lillious said, the use of pools will not be an issue. We%26#39;ve also taken the opportunity to see many different rooms in the different buildings. My personal favorite are the villas because you can be so close to the beach yet it%26#39;s quiet and removed from the busy beach, but we don%26#39;t have kids so it%26#39;s a little different. As far as the buildings on the beach, North and South Hampton are WAY below the standard the Brighton and Royale Palms, although more expensive. Royale Palms just opened in 2007 so you can%26#39;t go wrong with any of their rooms. I%26#39;ve been in 5 different rooms at Brighton and they were all very, very nice. Once again, so far above those in North %26amp; South Hampton. I can%26#39;t help you with who to rent from, but I hope this helps!

I actually have more questions...perhaps you can help me too! We%26#39;re thinking about staying at Kingston Plantation this summer.

The resorts looks a little overwhelming. Is it too crowded to enjoy over the summer? e.g., are the pools packed with kids?

Would you suggest renting through VRBO vs. directly through Hilton? The Hilton rates don%26#39;t seem higher than VRBO.

I think we prefer a Villa condo rental vs. a highrise so that we don%26#39;t have to deal with elevators. Any opinions on the Villa condos?

Thanks!

I%26#39;m looking at Kingston Plantation for late June with our 2 kids 18 and 20.

Looks like enough there to keep them occupied.

Are there any areas of Kingston- not so great?

Anyone know if the beach project will be in that area?

Thanks

Hmm, summer, Myrtle Beach? Yes, everything will be busy! However, Kingston is a great place during busy times because it is large enough to accommodate plenty of vacationers.

I do not recommend North or South Hampton unless you can see which unit you are getting before you go. Many of those units are very outdated.

If you want a high rise stay with Margate, Brighton, or Royale Palms. I have a unit in Royale Palms and I love it because it is new and connected to the Hilton. Margate and Brighton are also beautiful. Narrow it down by how much you want to spend and the size of the unit you want.

To answer the villa questions. I have a townhouse in Kingston too. I prefer being able to park right outside my door instead of dealing with parking garages or elevators but that is a personal choice.

Arrowhead is the oldest part of Kingston and again, unless you can see the unit first I would not recommend it.

I love many of the units in Richmond Park, St. James and Hyde Park, but.....if you haven%26#39;t seen them then I would be leery.

I don%26#39;t know if the beach project will be in the Kingston area this summer although it%26#39;s certainly very possible.

We just booked (via phone directly to Hilton), the Margate Suites at Kingston Plantation. We got a 4 bedroom condo there. Of course, we didn%26#39;t get to see the room ahead of time. So, can someone tell me, say what the key differences or risks are between choosing the Margate or Royale Palms?

You should not have a problem with either Margate or Royale Palms. They are both upscale properties and well maintained.

Key differences are really just the location within Kingston/Hilton. Both have parking garages. Royale Palms is connected to the HIlton which is convenient on bad weather days.However, Margate is easy to get to and true oceanfront. You would be happy at either location.The Margate pool is very nice.

You can use the facilities at both Kingston and Hilton when you stay anywhere in the Kingston/Hilton complex.

Margate you check in at Embassy Suites and Royale Palms you check in at Hilton.