Marriott's Grande Ocean — Hotel in Hilton Head Island

My family and I recently spent a week at Marriott Grande Ocean in Hilton Head for vacation.  This was our second trip to the Grande Ocean, third to a Marriot Vacation Club on HHI overall.  Generally, we love the Marriot Vacation Club properties.  They are extremely family-oriented, have tons of activities for kids and adults alike, and the properties themselves are very nice and well-situated on the island. | |Our week in June started no different, we were in a room in the Dolphin building, close to the North Pool and North Beach Access.  However, our unit’s AC went out on the second night of our stay (Monday night).  We called first thing in the AM and they sent up maintenance that morning.  The maintenance worker (Deion) was very kind and respectful but was unable to fix the problem.  He informed us that a third-party contractor would need to be called in to fix the issue, and that they would be coming this afternoon.  Not liking where this was headed, my wife called the front desk and asked about moving rooms.  She spoke with Clayton, who told her the plan was to bring in the contractor to see if they could fix the issue and that we would be moved to an equal or better room for the inconvenience if they could not.  Deion also brought up a portable AC unit to try to keep the room at a comfortable temp.  Clayton assured us that they would take care of us for the warm evening we had already spent and the inconvenience the following day.  | |By late afternoon, the contractor left having fixed nothing.  We called the front desk immediately, explained the situation again and they sent another maintenance worker up to look at it.  We told him what the other workers said, he told us he couldn’t do anything for us and that we should call front desk again to change rooms.  My wife called the front desk again only to be told that all the rooms were filled by that point and there was nothing that could be done.  She stressed that she spoke with Clayton that morning and was told we would be moved and taken care of for the issues.  The individual at the front desk told us that there was nothing they could do for us and that we would be stuck in the room for the night, but that it would get taken care of in the morning.  This entire time, the portable unit was running nonstop, struggling to keep the area right next to the unit below 80 degrees – the rooms were even warmer.| |We spent another very hot night in the unit Tuesday night; my son woke up at 1am soaked with sweat, I woke up throughout the night, even having to drain the water basin from the condenser at 3am (I dumped it right before bed too in hopes that it could last the night).  The next morning my wife walks down to the front desk to discuss, tired of the runaround we had been getting on the phone.  Again, she is told that there isn’t a single room in the complex that we could move to (even though we could have booked one on the website the night before – we looked!) and they would send up maintenance again.  Exasperated, she came back to the room and informed us that we are being told that we will have to spend the rest of the vacation in the swamp room.  I am furious at this point.  Finally, we get a call mid-morning that a room opened up that we could move to!  Now the room was a downgrade from the oceanfront building we were in (not the same or better we were originally promised) – in fact, it was the furthest building from the areas we spent time on-property – but it had AC, so we moved.  Through all this, we had spent 2 days in a unit with no AC out of 3 days we had been on the island.  I went down in person to speak with Brandon Moore, Customer Relations Manager, on Wednesday to see how they were going to make this right – I was told he was in a meeting and that he would call me back shortly, but he never called.   | |I have been a Marriott member for nearly 20 years, spending over 700 nights at Marriott properties.  There’s are several reasons I always choose Marriott, but the primary one is that they take care of you when things don’t go as planned.  This is not the first time that we have had something come up in a Marriott room, but every time that it has happened in the past, the staff went above and beyond to build loyalty.  But not this time.  We spent thousands of dollars for a room for 7 days/nights, 2 of those days/nights (nearly 30% of our entire trip) we did not have AC in our room.  Multiple commitments were made to us that were not followed-through.   At the end of the day, we paid for two nights/days at a premier property and didn’t receive a premier living or customer service experience.  I was told that they would take care of us – in the past that meant that we would be compensated for at least the point value of the rooms for the 2 nights/days (at the current market rate we paid, not owners’ rate), perhaps more.  Instead they gave us 25,000 Marriott points, which cannot get a night at a Fairfield off the interstate, let alone a Vacation Club night. I reached out to Marriott Corporate and they did not even bother to respond. Sad how Marriott’s customer service has fallen...

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 the unit entrance way and a small roach in the kitchen the next day. I was able to make the “hit” on both of them.|- I needed to have maintenance better seal the front entrance door and door jambs because there were large spaces for bugs to freely enter|- The toilet in the MB was leaking water so it kept filling and draining. I needed to have the maintenance team fix the problem within the tank.|- The fitness center was very hot each of the three days I was there|- The front desk staff was not very versed on the rental of beach chairs / umbrellas or local eating recommendations||Beach chair and umbrella rentals can be done through the Marriott Bike Shop or a private provider. The Marriott charges $10/day or $25/week for each beach chair or umbrella (plus tax), You can get two beach chairs, an umbrella and a cart with a small cooler for $30/day or $125 week (plus tax). The private firm has full-size chairs and umbrellas already operational on the beach, but is more expensive. As an example, a set of two chairs and an umbrella rental for six consecutive days (discounted) is $255, plus 7% tax. So, a rental of two chairs and an umbrella for six consecutive days at the Marriott is $75 without a cart (plus tax) or $125 with cart (plus tax) vs. $255 (plus tax).||My overall rating is 8.4/10. No matter where I have stayed at a Marriott timeshare, there are always problems. The extent of the problems and how the staff / management respond is always the key. The staff was very accommodating and diligent here. They compensated us for the lunch we had to have at Loggerheads the day we could not get into our room for lunch. If possible, I will...

WOW! Our family & friends feel like we have died & gone to heaven every time we return to Grande Ocean. We have stayed in every single bldg there & they are technically all Oceanside full villas, since most bldgs face the ocean, & some are actual Oceanfront. All close to the beach!! During our 2 week stays, we have several different sets of friends & family coming & going at our villa. Our typical day starts out on our villa''s balcony overlooking the dolphin pool or Koi pond & ocean, while drinking our coffee & reading a good book.

At 9am we are at the tennis clinic having our usual good laughs with the pro & other vacationers. We return to the villa in hopes that others have now gotten out of bed & made blueberry pancakes. And while those are cooking we will jump in the pools & hot tubs. Ahh!

Now if it is not a picked golf day, after breakfast we jump on our bikes & head down the trails probably towards the lighthouse in Sea Pines. At Marriott's Grande Ocean location they give you a free pass into the gated Sea Pines (Harbour Town/ Salty Dog) . The much shaded bike & walking paths take you past lagoons, ponds, golf courses, woods, homes, resatuarants, stores... or you can ride along the ocean's edge on the hard sand. You will probably see a variety of birds, gators, turtles, dolphin, starfish, shells, & relaxed people. Once in Sea Pines we walk along the marina to admire the yachts, go down to the end of the pier to decide whether we will later jet ski, parasail, crab off the pier, or just hang out. Time to eat... do we want to eat at an indoor or outdoor restaurant. Hmmm?

Part 2 of the day is spent bouncing back & forth from the pool, to the hot tub (talking also with new friends we met in the hot tub), to our beach chairs (where there is almost always always a good breeze), into the ocean, back to the pool, up to the villa for a cool drink or snack, & then repeat. So simple. Will catch a cat nap either on under an umbrella or in the plush King bed in the villa... & will finish a couple of good books during the week.

Then the troops get riled & it is time for hors doerves & & good laughs in the villa. We take turns cooking... a few head to the grill to hang out with other grill masters, a few stay in the kitchen preparing for dinner, & everyone else scatters to the beach, the fitness center, or to play ping pong.

The evenings are filled with playing bocce or our own version of putt putt on the beach, watching fireworks, listening to outdoor music/bands, going to the outdoor shops & getting custard ice cream while we stroll, playing cards, & hanging out in the pools until late.

Day 2... Repeat... except tonight we are eating either New York City Pizza or a good seafood or steak place. Day 3... Repeat & go for sunset sail with group on the Intracoastal Waterway. Day 4... Drive into Savannah, Ga or Beaufort, SC.

After a year of working, this trip makes it all seem worth it... & will repeat another hard year of work to return to the ocean... & the Grande Ocean, & let our...