By Peter Ellegard

Step inside the grand lobby of The Sanctuary after arriving via an approach drive lined by Spanish moss-festooned live oak trees and you could be forgiven for thinking you had entered a stately antebellum plantation mansion. Yet despite its lofty ceilings, antique-filled public spaces and irregular, creaking walnut floorboards, the luxury oceanside hotel that is at the heart of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort is less than 20 years old, first opening its doors in 2004.

No effort was spared in its construction or landscaping. The world’s largest mechanical digger was used to transplant more than 400 trees, including 160 50-foot-high live oaks, while the site was raised 20 feet to give the four-storey building’s ground floor uninterrupted views of the Atlantic.

The Sanctuary’s own history might be contrived but there is plenty of historical interest in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, including several preserved plantation mansions and gardens. Just 21 miles away, Charleston celebrated its 350th anniversary earlier this year and is a living museum, its walkable Historic District possessing 2,800 buildings of historical importance.

The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour, and America’s first golf course (Harleston Green) and golf club (South Carolina Golf Club) were established in 1786.



Rooms

The Sanctuary has 255 bright, spacious guest rooms and suites, all with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi. Each room features a marble-lined entry, a private ocean-view balcony with a cocktail table and two chairs and either a king bed or two queens. Mine has a king bed, a sofa, armchair and a coffee table and from my balcony I look over the pool area to the beach and ocean beyond.

There is a large desk with two chairs, a flat screen TV and DVD/CD player and a coffee machine. The bathroom features a marble walk-in shower, a deep soaking bath, dual vanity units and two Italian bathrobes. Guests in Club Level rooms enjoy the services of a dedicated concierge and the use of a Club Lounge serving food throughout the day and evening.



Restaurants and bars

Of the hotel’s four dining options (the resort’s four golf clubhouses have six more), the Ocean Room is Kiawah Island’s premier steakhouse and offers local produce in a refined setting overlooking the Atlantic. The oyster roast followed by ribeye and lobster tail is to die for.

Authentic Lowcountry cuisine featuring locally-caught seafood and organic ingredients is served from breakfast to dinner at the more informal Jasmine Porch. The poolside Loggerhead Grill opens seasonally while Beaches and Cream is the place to go for sweet treats, coffee and express take-out food. For pre-dinner cocktails or a nightcap, head to the Lobby Bar. I sink a few there during my stay.

Spa and wellness

Tone up before or after your round in the hotel’s spa, which features a steam room, sauna, mineral whirlpool and relaxation lounges. A range of massage and beauty treatments is also offered. Outdoors, the hotel has a family pool and children’s pool.

Activities

Golfing guests are spoilt for choice with the Kiawah Island resort’s five superb courses, all served by free shuttle bus.

Rent a fat-tyre beach cruiser bike to cycle along the hard-packed sands of Kiawah’s wide beach, riding through natural areas behind the coast where you may well spot an alligator or two lurking in ponds. Nature abounds on the island and offshore. See animal exhibits in the resort’s Nature Centre or take a guided boat tour of the island’s marshy waterways to spot dolphins, pelicans and other wildlife.

If you want to keep active, the resort’s Roy Barth Tennis Centre has 22 courts. Or just reserve a beach chair and parasol to laze in the sun. The Sanctuary even has its own wedding chapel so couples can honeymoon on site after tying the knot.



Conclusion

The Sanctuary is as sophisticated yet unpretentious as golf resort hotels get. Living up to its name it is a real sanctuary far from the madding world, alongside one of the world’s best golf courses and close to my favourite city. I can’t wait to return.

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Kiawah Island
South Carolina 29455
USA

T: +1 843-768-6000
W: kiawahresort.com