We spent 4 nights/5 days at the Omni Hilton Head Beachfront Resort in early May and wow have I missed being by the water! Even though I grew up going to the Carolina beaches, this was my first time in Hilton Head and the resort style accommodations did not disappoint! Below find all of my thoughts about our stay; we didn’t spend much time off of the resort but did check out a local restaurant and that is 100% a MUST if you’re ever nearby.

Hotel: In true Omni style, the accommodation started as soon as you pulled up – being a family friendly resort, not only were we greeted with smiles and kindness, but so was Layla. While we were getting checked in and helped with our bags, she received a kiddie bag with a cup, coloring book/crayons and bunny snacks (which was perfect for our bunny-loving girl). The layout was beautiful and navigating felt intimidating at first but I feel like we mastered it pretty quickly. The whole Hilton Head area had a very distinct and beachy style to every building, which was really fun and in case of a rainy day there is an aquarium nearby! Several people we spoke with planned to extend their vacation and break up the travel home by stopping and spending time in nearby cities like Savannah and Charleston! Even though 5 days sounds like a lot, I feel like it went so quickly that we didn’t really do much off of the resort.

We had a room on the third floor with a resort view (even though we still good a good view of the ocean beyond the pool) with two queen beds – which was perfect for us to give the girls a little space of their own. Each room has a sleeper sofa, mini kitchen with a sink, mini fridge, microwave, barstool style table and chairs as well as a small set of basic bowls/plates/cups/silverware. This was on top of the usual hotel finds of a coffee maker, toiletries, etc. Each room also had a private balcony, which is where we expected to spend most evenings after getting the girls down, but we turned in early too in favor of sunrise mornings. The decor in the rooms was perfectly beachy but still felt upscale, and it’s not often that I’ve seen a double vanity in a hotel bathroom, where the extra space was more than welcome! Beds and pillows were comfy, and having the actual mini kitchen vs just a mini fridge was great for kids and all our beach snacks.

Food: There were several on-site food options and we gave them all a try! We frequented their Palmetto Market every morning for a great breakfast sandwich and coffees. They also had a few bakery and yogurt/smoothie items that were easy for Layla and you could eat there or pack in your beach bag. They were open all day and also had ice cream, board games souvenir items and grab and go snacks/drinks. The main dinner options were HH Prime, their steakhouse, or the XO Sports & Spirits sports bar. Our meal at the steakhouse was good, but definitely felt a little expensive for what it was (but also expected since it was the nicer resort restaurant). The sports bar was perfect for good drinks and a salad or burger/sandwich – they had an awesome lounge area in the back with comfy chairs and a giant screen to put the game on for you. The Buoy Bar was the outdoor bar area perfect for ordering lunch and eating there or bringing it back to your pool chairs, even though we opted for beach snacks most days. If you were by the pool there were some staff walking around to get drink orders. I think we all agreed that the drinks felt higher quality (and stronger!) than we have found in other resorts, presumably since this is not an all inclusive stay. **guests were not allowed to bring their own hard coolers to the pool area, but if you have a small/soft lunchbox style bag that would fit in your beach bag, no one would be the wiser**

We left the resort one evening for dinner and checked out a local spot called Fishcamp on Broad Creek and if I could eat every meal there I would have! We tried the lobster bisque and jalapeño hush puppies to start followed by a few of their specials for mains and when I tell you I had the best shrimp & polenta of my life, it wasn’t even a close call! It was a hole in the wall place on the water that was jam packed all evening long. It was very family friendly, with some outdoor games like corn hole and giant jenga and open space for the babies to run around. Live music played and only added to the evening – nothing too loud so that we were right by it on the back patio and could still hear each other speak. We tried several of their desserts and everything was fantastic.

Pool: The resort had two family friendly pools, one adult only pool, and several hot tubs. All pools were gated, which was perfect for any parent with a kid who couldn’t WAIT to get to the pools like Layla. One of the family friendly pools went up to four feet with several stair/entry points and an adjacent splash pad. The main resort pool was also family friendly and had the zero-entry walk-in, which was great for newer, younger guests. There were tons of chairs and umbrellas, and towels were provided, so there was more than enough room for everyone to spread out. We didn’t check out the adult only pool, but I can appreciate that there is a quiet space that isn’t covered in water toys and kids playing for those looking for a quieter poolside afternoon. All pools also had equipment to accommodate guests who need additional assistance into the pools. There were covered cabanas that you could rent for an additional cost. There is a bar between the adult only and main/zero-entry pools that was closed during the time we were there, and the Buoy Bar was between the two family friendly pools where you could get food or drinks! between the main pool and the beach access there was a small setup where you could get info about renting beach equipment or excursion information that also had ice cream and popsicles. I’m not going to lie, $6 for a basic popsicle felt outrageous…but it did the trick to avoid a meltdown in a pinch.

Beach: There’s nothing that makes me crazier than going onto travel reviews and seeing people complain about the beach or the weather like the resort actually has any control in the matter! The beach was well maintained and clean; there were several options to rent chairs and umbrellas for the day – either already set up on the beach ($44 for 2 chairs + umbrella) or you bring them down and set them up yourself ($25 for 2 chairs + umbrella). **Note that if you have a resort credit, it’s not applicable for anything already set up on the beach since they are not a part of the resort/company** The waves were mild and tides predictable – we really shined when the tide went out and Layla could play in the large tidal pools. We did notice a lot of jellyfish, but being newer to Hilton Head I can’t say if that’s normal for the area or just happened to be that way while we were there. We also saw dolphins every day and some horseshoe crabs! There were a variety of beachgoers, walkers, bikers, etc. out on the sand everyday and everyone was very friendly and courteous of others on the beach; some people were walking their dogs on the beach, but all leashed so be sure you check local beach rules or restrictions before bringing your fur babies!

Overall, I would give this a solid 4.5/5 for an amazing experience – it is on the pricier end for our normal vacation style, but the value for the price tag is definitely there. The room was phenomenal and not needing to leave for anything all week if we didn’t want to made it a little less daunting with two young children. Although that’s the double edged sword for me, because some of the items and food felt a little overpriced if you stayed on site. If we had more time or were there on an adult-only trip I think we would’ve done more exploring. There were SO many sweet moments, mixed in with a few “vacationing with kids is just parenting in another location” but I would absolutely make my way back to Hilton Head and the Omni if the opportunity arises!