Our Stay at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

This post is in partnership with Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.

Northeaster’s rejoice! I have found the perfect spot for your family or friends get-away just within a few hours plane ride. With Mia only 9 months old, we were looking for the best place for her first family vacation. In just under 2 hours of flight time from Philly to Savannah/Hilton Head airport, we headed out to The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island in South Carolina! Sun, sand, pool, wildlife, amazing food…read on!

When we arrived to the hotel we were greeted by a stunning lobby with sea glass chandeliers. The front desk manager came out to greet us with a warm welcome to the Sonesta Resort. Bailey was jumping out of her seat on the airplane the entire time after waking up at 4 am with excitement to jump into the pool. Our family couldn’t have been more excited to arrive on vacation.

Our Room

After a friendly check-in we grabbed some refreshing pineapple water and went up to get settled and change into our suits. The double Queen bedroom was spacious enough for the 4 of us, had a balcony and a crib for the baby. The room was beautiful and Bailey loved that she could check out both the pool and the ocean from the balcony. One of the things needed to keep my family organized on a few days trip, is plenty of space to store our clothes. Our room had a 6 draw dresser, a large closet, a bench with 2 drawers and lots of shelving in the bathroom. The bathroom was so big we even had dessert in it one night so we wouldn’t wake the baby late at night, ha! The beds were super soft and I love having extra pillows in the closet!

Pool Goals + Beach Goals = Heaven

If headed to a beach vacay, always seek a hotel that is right on the beach. The extra cost will always make up for the hassle of having to truck your family back and fourth. The Sonesta Resort had a stunning layout and did not disappoint! I prefer the beach, while Bailey prefers the pool. The layout made it super easy for us to not have to choose. The pool was spacious with great poolside service of fruity cocktails and delicious grill bites. The hotel allowed kids floats which was fun (some hotels do not) and had a very shallow end with fountains for young children to wade in safely while the deeper end went almost to 8 feet for the adults or spring breakers. Needless to say, I got to work on my cannon ball!

The hotel also offered a second pool with an overhead that provided shade. This pool was surrounded by large cabanas and offered a great space for us with a baby. As it’s hard to have kids in the sun all day, I can’t tell you how nice it was to have the second pool + hot tub as an option. Little Mia found the perfect spot to nap.

The beach was nestled between other private beaches. As my toes sunk down into the super soft sand, Mia also got her first taste of sand…literally! As we watched Joey and Bailey jump waves, we saw dolphins go by many times while coming up for air! The beach at the Sonesta Resort was just beautiful. Chairs, umbrellas and bikes were available for families to enjoy. We managed to add shells from Hilton Head Island to our suitcase to bring home to our sea shell collection.

The Resort Layout

Between the pool and the beach, the grounds of the Resort were gorgeous. Sweeping with greenery, airy beach winds and relaxing hammocks the grounds were so peaceful. I adored all the little nooks to stop and sit. The picture perfect pond with fountain was one of Bailey’s favorite parts of the vacation. The pond was filled with turtles! Twice a day the kids could feed the turtles and it was amazing to see them all crowding around the dock where kids could safely get a closer look and toss turtle food to them. Cranes, fish and other birds also filled the pond. It was super cool!

We ended our stay with a trip to the gorgeous Arum Spa for a massage. The service was amazing with everything just right. What we also loved was family movie night out by the pool each night at 8 pm. When the sun went down the hotel would put on favorites like Moana while the kids either snuggled on chairs or splashed for a bit more in the pool.

The Restaurants

Another great feature of the hotel was the restaurants. Each morning we would have breakfast al fresco on the deck of the Sea Crest Terrace where Mia loved the waffle bar. Friday night Joey was in Seafood heaven enjoying the Friday Night Seafood Buffet that’s been a Hilton Head tradition for 25 years! He had oysters and shrimp galore. Mother’s Day we went to a special dinner at Heywards. We dinned on the terrace where we had steaks perfectly cooked to order. I had the filet with gorgonzola cream sauce and mushrooms while Joey had the New York Strip. The hotel even had a nightly Chocolate Bar where you could pick up sweet treats and s’mores.