Marriott's Grande Ocean

Spent seven days at the Grande Ocean. We are owners at another property (Aruba) this one was as a rental. Although F&B options are limited, the room design and lay-out more than makes up for any shortcomings this property may have. Perfect for couples and families. Beaches are beautiful and we found the staff to me very accommodating. Can't recommend highly enough is staying on HHI.

I was the past president of 5 HOA and Condo Associations. I had a bad experience at the Dolphin Pool with a family of five who threw their towels on five chaise longes and walked away from 9:05 AM to 11:02 AM. I was sitting there and these people showed up demanding their lounge chairs back. I gave them the rules about abandoning your chairs for more than 45 minutes. They go get a pool associate who tells me to leave. I reminded him of the rules and he said to move. I went to the front desk and told the people about the incident and they did nothing.

The grounds, view, and location are pretty amazing. But, the room we received was stale and smelly. One bathroom had 4 inches of black mold around the ring of the shower, light fixtures missing caps and built up dust colonies inside and the master room smelled of mildew which I believe came from the nasty carpet and bathroom ceiling that had black spots. When we approached the manager he stated he had zero inventory to move on a holiday week. We understood that and his only offer was to send housekeeping to tackle the issues that seemed beyond what housekeeping could rectify with a cleaning, except maybe the shower with loads of bleach. Perhaps we got a lemon room.Perhaps not. I added photos but unfortunately cannot record the stale smell. Towels are on their last leg- dingy, thin, and almost can’t do their job. Need replacing. Pool towels okay. Workers up very early talking loudly in the courtyards and blowing leaves. It became my 7:30 alarm clock. Manager did not care at all to help us and kinda robotic. The other staff were nice. If I were him, I’d offer some kind of incentive to make up for the gross room. The lovely beach saved the trip. And of course great company. We made the most of what we were dealt. I wouldn’t go back. Sad, because this is a jewel Marriott location. I hope GM/Director takes a look at whose running this place on the daily and checking units.

Incredibly comfortable condo-like villas; always clean, and if you need anything, the staff answers request immediately. Atmosphere is lovely, beautifully maintained gardens and walking paths; wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else on the island.

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 Palme

We loved the dolphin pool with lazy river, my kids (ages 6 and 11) went around and around for hours. It’s tiny but the water is shallow and moving at a good pace so super fun and safe for kids. Not really a relaxing lazy river for adults though so be aware. The ocean is a very short walk and there are multiple entrance points. We spent more time by the ocean than I expected. Fun to visit at various points in the tide cycle. We appreciated the activities and did poolside bingo twice (they have lots of winners so my kids were thrilled and won both days) and my kids made soaps. There were lots more activities we were interested in but had other things planned. Parking is free which is nice with a rental car. Rooms are a bit dated but were clean which is what is most important to us! The setup can’t be beat for families- 2 separate bedrooms and bathrooms with a large kitchen/living space.