Point South / I-95 / Yemassee KOA Holiday — Hotel in Yemassee

First, the good. Everything good said about this location is true. Good amenities, the wine bar is nice, it's great to have pizza as an option. The pool is clean, there are plenty of games (horse shoes, cornhole, tetherball) etc.

Now for the other things that aren't "bad" per se but good to know:

Fishing: If you are thinking about fishing from the banks of the lake, I wouldn't. It would be a real pain, even for an experienced angler. You could bring a kayak or canoe (there is no landing) but the are quite a few alligators. I live the in south and see gators all the time - but there are at least two good sized alligators that I wouldn't risk it with young kids. The day we got there my 16 year old took a walk around the lake and facetimed me to show me the bigger gator on the trail. Even though signs say that there are alligators, I don't think people are understanding what that means. This is probably especially true for those of us who live in the south and see gators all the time. Like, oh, gators, big deal. Right - little gators - bigger ones aren't a joke. For the two big ones I saw, a dog or a small child would be an easy bite. I wouldn't go out there or on the lake without some heat if you catch my drift.

Staff: Friendly staff, no doubt. The rules are the rules and I get that, but having staff swarming around makes it a little bit of a hassle. For example, my small dog got out of his collar. I'm chasing my dog with the leash and the collar in my hand and within 30 seconds a staff member came on a golf cart telling me I need to have the dog on a leash. Like yeah, guy, I know.

Then, we had our kids in the pool and I had to use the restroom. I told my kids to get out of the pool until I came back. They got out and were sitting in the chairs. Between the time I went to the restroom and when I got back (probably 2 minutes tops) a staff member had told my kids they couldn't even be in the pool area without an adult present. My 16 year old was there with my 11 and 10 year old - so these weren't toddlers.

There were a few more little incidents like this. Again, the rules are the rules and I respect rules. Rules are good. But a swarm of staff monitoring every little thing can be stifling. Maybe what I wrote is music to somebody's ears and they like that enforcement. I get it. I don't want people blasting music after hours or getting drunk and loud or dangerous. But if you have young kids you might find it a little offputting to have them being monitored...

Our worst camping experience ever! We chose this KOA specifically because of the overwhelmingly positive online reviews. I am not sure which campground the other reviewers stayed at, but it couldn't have been this one. Upon arrival, we were informed that our campsite (the one closest to the entrance and the dumpster, even though it had been booked 3 months in advance) had blown a circuit and was without 30/50-amp power (not their fault). Because they were booked, the only other available site was a site that is used as a pull-in for big rigs wishing to back into the adjacent sites. We would have to wait until the other reservations arrived before we could pull into the site, and in the meantime, we were without power. Needless to say, after 9 hours on the road, I was not happy. In as polite a way as I could muster, I mentioned to the woman behind the desk that I had chose this KOA because of the positive reviews, but how could I possibly write a positive review under these circumstances? Several minutes later, while I was waiting at the powerless site, the owner (Bill) approached me and told me, "If you're going to write a negative review, you can pack up and leave now." Seriously? Possibly the most unprofessional attitude I have ever encountered from a campground proprietor. Putting all that aside, the campground itself was dated and not well-maintained. The pool was freezing, the sites were cramped and on top of each other, the playground was overgrown, the bugs were atrocious, and the bathrooms were absolutely filthy. Having stayed at several other KOA's, this last point was quite surprising. But there was so much mud on the ground, I actually had to lay down several layers of toilet paper in front of the toilet before I could sit down. I am not sure if the other reviewers were lured by the wine tasting or gourmet coffee or on site pizza delivery, but instead of these cute luxuries, I would prefer the ownership spend more time focusing on the basics - well-maintained facilities and better...

Yemassee South Point KOA Probably one of the better experiences I have had at a KOA. We booked a few days before and they only had non-sewer sites availible. I put in the notes that if possible, we would love to move into a full hookup if one opened up and my typical note about trailer size and things that were specific to us. The next morning, I get a call from them confirming my reservation (never had this before, amazing) and also saying they would do what they could about a full hook up site. Very nice lady. I showed up around 2 on a Friday. They met me as I pulled in checked me in and escorted me to my site and guess what?!? It was a full hookup. I understand that can’t always be expected but the fact that they read my note on the reservation, called to confirm and then followed up is what impressed me the most. If I find myself in that area again, I will use them. OK, now let’s talk about the actual campsite. Tons of pull thru sites. I didn’t count but I would say the majority. The sites are what you expect for a KOA. A little tight but workable. Full hookups, trash service, Cable and WIFI. They also have a pool, Bathhouse and will deliver pizza to your camper. They have wine tasting in the evenings as well. They are pretty close to I-95 so you do get a touch of noise but only if you listen for it however that makes it great for a few reasons. First you are ideally located to visit the surrounding areas like Charleston, Savannah, Beaufort and Hilton Head. Secondly if you are traveling and need a quick one-night rest stop this could be a great place. The town of Yemasee really didn’t have much to offer in regards to dining or entertainment. Pretty rural.

So overall it’s a winner. If you are in that area and need a place I would recommend. Probably not a destination type place but 100% a...