Hi All,
I am considering booking one of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort Premier Villas and was wondering if someone could suggest a specific villa to reserve. This is the first trip my new husband and I will be taking with his parents and since I am in charge of planning the pressure is on; I want it to be special.
I have gathered that all of the villas are individually owned and therefore vary greatly in terms of decor and upkeep. As such, I was wondering if anyone has suggestions as to a specific unit that I should request. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Specific Kiawah Villa Suggestion
Because ';taste'; in decor is an individual preference, here%26#39;s what I suggest you do: google ';Kiawah vacation rentals';; check out some of the various websites. Look at the big listing sites. Homeaway.com is one that is user friendly; vrbo.com; vacationrentals.com (all three are owned by the same company); smaller sites are vrconnection.com, vacationhomerentals.com
All the villas are individually owned: those listed on the above sites and those managed by KI Resort. I don%26#39;t think the resort posts photos of the units. Personally, a picture is worth a thousand words:-) I%26#39;d rather see a photo than have a rental agent describe it to me.
Pick out a few of the units from the websites. Once you have a feel for what you like, we can give better opinions.
Some things to think about: 1. time of year for your visit; 2. do you need access to a pool; 3. how important is ';privacy'; i.e. can you stay in a condo building or do you need a stand alone unit; 4.any specific amenities you deem important i.e. tvs in all the bedrooms, ';cook%26#39;s kitchen';, etc.
Specific Kiawah Villa Suggestion
There are hundreds of villas (condos and cottages) on Kiawah. Although they do vary in terms of ';decor and upkeep';, the variation in quality and maintenance will not be so great among the ';premier'; rated villas. To get a premier rating the place has to have been recently remodeled, and with a fresh, consistant decor. ';Premier'; rating has nothing to do with anything other than interior furnishing and ambiance.
Thank you for your responses! I was considering booking through the hotel b/c of the amenities (pools, golf, tennis, spa, etc.) but don%26#39;t like that I cannot see pictures of the individual units. B/c KIGR is a 5 diamond property, I expect that the villas will be of high quality, but as OurGreatEscape noted, a picture is worth a thousand words.
We will be traveling at the end of August/beginning of September. In terms of privacy, I would not mind staying in a condo building if we could have a top level unit. As for amenities, I would prefer an ocean front unit with a cook%26#39;s kitchen and screened porch/balcony. The style of decor is not as important as a clean, well maintained unit.
I heard that there might be some construction going on? Does anyone know if it is on the East or West beach and/or when the project is scheduled to be complete? Thanks!
The first year we stayed on Kiawah, I rented through the resort. That was the last year. Granted we booked late in the season for a summer week but I did not like that I couldn%26#39;t see pics;-) We went ';rent by owner'; after that.
KiawahVilla will be better able to speak to construction. I think the big construction job at one of the buildings is finally complete (the entire building was encased in what looked to be plastic wrap).
Late August/ early September except for Labor day weekend you should have no problems getting a great unit.
There is a new low-rise luxury condo building under construction near the hotel and the Tennis Villas. This really impacts only the immediate area, which is quite contained; but you might want to inquire whether the construction would be on your walking route to the beach.
There also has been some major exterior renovation going on at the largest Windswept building and at the Shipwatch building. I do not know whether those projects are completed, but can get more info when I am down there a couple of weeks from now.
Although the Resort does not post photos online, they should be able to email photos of any place you are considering. Be sure to ask.
More advice ...
Concentrate on choosing the view and the location that most appeals to you before you try to pick a specific villa. There are some older places, with simpler decors, that have fabulous views. There are some very glamorously decorated, ';premier'; places that have have lesser views.
There are no ocean front buildings that have their own swimming pools. If you want ocean front, and access to a swimming pool, you will have to rent through the Resort. If you do not care about renting ocean front, there are neighborhoods, with their own swimming pools, to which you could have access by renting directly from the owner or from one of the other management companies.
Except for the Resort swimming pools, all other amenities - golf, tennis, dining, etc. - are available to anyone on Kiawah.
Unless you really need a pool, the amenities that Kiawah offers may not be worth the extra price you pay for renting through them. Don%26#39;t they charge more plus charge an amenity fee? There are some homes and maybe villas with access to a small community pool. At the time of year you are going, the pools will be pretty hot, so you%26#39;re better off at the ocean(plus it%26#39;s a beautiful beach!). I would try vrbo.com or one of the other rental sites mentioned above and compare prices for what seem to be similar units. My opinion is that Kiawah is 5 star because of the Sanctuary and a lot of their attention is paid to the really high end properties moreso than the villas or smaller homes.
If you go to VRBO , I%26#39;d only consider places that put 10 or 12 pictures that show interior pictures. If they show a lot of outside or only have a few pictures, there may be a reason....
Good Luck!
I agree with checking out the sites with pictures of the actual units. We have rented through the resort and got some great units and then some not so great. Check VRBO, they have several to choose from.
