The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

South Carolina
United States

The Experience

This is a magnificent spin on a 19th-century great Southern mansion, oceanfront style. The grand entrance hall with opulent sitting rooms and a sweeping Gone with the Wind-style staircase will make you feel you’re about to meet Scarlett O’Hara herself. Beaches, five championship golf courses, tennis and fine dining are all compressed into this environmentally designed semi-tropical, private barrier island paradise. Lest there be a dull moment, you just might encounter one of the island’s treasured occupants: the Loggerhead sea turtle. The resort is casino-free too, and the only dollars you will find on the shore of this Southeastern Atlantic ocean hideaway are sand dollars. Private estates and an upscale shopping center share the island.

The Rooms

All of the plantation-inspired guest rooms are 520 square feet, while the suites are spacious and make the most of being in the midst of a remarkably serene 10-mile long, uninterrupted beach that's accentuated by grass covered dunes. Spacious and decorated to amplify the charm of beach life at its best, the guest rooms make you feel as if you are staying in a private home.

The Service

Unpretentious and upbeat, 24 hours a day—from room service to a romp in one of the five golf courses or tennis courts. This stunning resort has all of the nuances of a world-class resort, most notably a gracious attitude that's never rushed and always personalized.

The Highlights

There are 11 choices for dining, so you needn't leave the island for a midnight martini or even slice of warm peach pie. The spa takes an integrative approach to this beach habitat and has created compatible treatments such as the Ocean Fossil Mineral Mudwrap and the Seaweed Body Rescue. Body Wraptures are warm grain and herb-filled wraps that promote deep relaxation; they also debuted here. While golfers gravitate to a signature treatment such as the Fairway (botanical steam and scrub and sports massage), others will find the Southern Café Latte (a body treatment using espresso-infused mud blended with prized Indian tobacco leaves) less a jolt than a refreshing repast.

 

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