Montage Palmetto Bluff

Montage Palmetto Bluff is the most luxurious place to stay in the Hilton Head area, and one of the great resort experiences in the American South. It sits on the banks of the May River in Bluffton, about twenty minutes from Hilton Head's bridges, inside Palmetto Bluff, a vast conservation-minded community that the visitor bureau describes as set within 20,000 acres of maritime forest. The resort has about 200 rooms, suites and cottages, including some fifty cottages and cottage suites scattered among the live oaks, and it is one of the few resorts in South Carolina set directly on the May River. Montage Hotels took over the property and in 2016 unveiled a newly expanded resort following a reported 100 million dollar investment, adding a stately inn building to the original cottage village. The effect is of a small, idealized Lowcountry town: a village green, a riverside chapel, porches and rocking chairs, docks on the river, and paths for walking and biking through the woods. There are six restaurants, from fine dining to casual riverside meals, many using local and organic ingredients, plus a full-service spa with treatments drawing on Lowcountry botanicals. Activities are the other great strength: cruises and fishing on the May River, kayaking and paddleboarding, biking, tennis, horseback riding, nature programs, a shooting club, and golf on May River Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus design. Families are well looked after, with children's programs and plenty of space. This is the choice for milestone trips, honeymoons and anyone for whom the resort is the destination, with Hilton Head's beaches a short drive away.

Choosing a room: the cottages are the romantic heart of the resort, with porches facing the river or the woods, and the cottage suites suit families or friends traveling together. Rooms in the inn building put you closer to the main restaurants, spa and pool. River-view categories command a premium and are worth it if the budget allows; the light on the May River at dawn and dusk is the essence of the place. The resort also offers larger residences for groups. Expect generous spaces, porches, Lowcountry colors, deep tubs and the polished, warm service the Montage brand is known for.

Making the most of a stay: book a sunset cruise or a guided fishing trip on the May River, explore the forest by bike on the community's trails, and take a spa morning. Golfers should reserve tee times at May River Golf Club ahead. In cooler months, including November, fire pits, porches and the quieter rhythm suit couples especially well, and the holiday season brings festive decorations and events; check the resort's calendar. Old Town Bluffton, with its galleries, the Church of the Cross and the Bluffton Oyster Company, is a short drive away, and water taxis from Bluffton run to Daufuskie Island.

The honest trade-offs: Montage Palmetto Bluff is not on the ocean, and it is a drive from Hilton Head's beaches, Harbour Town and the island's restaurants, so plan on a car or resort transport for island outings. Rates are among the highest in South Carolina, with resort fees and dining adding up. But for a stay that feels like a world apart, with the river, the oaks and a calm, gracious pace, there is nothing else in the region like it.