Exciting Birthday Weekend In Hilton Head with Kids

Although it is not too far from where we live now, we celebrated my birthday in Hilton Head, SC. It was a quick trip but completely worth it. Feel free to read my post about tips for road trips with little ones.

Where To Stay in Hilton Head with Toddlers

My husband had a friend that lives in the area that gave us a few recommendations for places to stay. We decided on staying at the Sonesta Resort. The resort is located through an area called The Shipyard that includes a golf course and condos on the way to the Sonesta.

Our room was nice with a king size bed and pull out sofa for our son. They provided a roll in crib that was perfect for our youngest. We did have some issues with the tv and phone not working but since it was a short trip we didn’t make a fuss about it.

Dining at Sonesta Resort Hilton Head

When you enter the resort you walk into a large space with couches and chairs and the check in/out desk off to the side. We got to the resort kind of later in the day and our kiddos weren’t really in the mood to sit down, so we order food from the bar to go and took it to the room. My husband got a pizza that he said was just ok, but I ordered a vegan burger that was very good. The resort offers 3 different food options.

Beach Access At Sonesta Resort Hilton Head

I was looking for a relaxing day at the resort for the full day we would be there. We started the morning out on the beach with towels that the resort offer. It was overcast and actually a little on the cooler side and for August in SC, that was a blessing. The resort also offers chairs and tents that you can rent. We did not go this route as our kids love the beach and will not sit still.

Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island Pool

Once the hunger started to settle in a little, we migrated to the pool within the resort. The pool has a great kids area with a large part only going to 2 ft deep. There are community floats and toys offered at the towel hut that anyone can use.

The pool grill and bar opens at 11 and kitchen opens at 11:30. I ordered shrimp tacos which were delicious. We ordered my son a cheese quesadilla that was a nice surprise to him. My husband got a spicy tuna bowl that was good besides the sushi rice.

Activities at Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

Turtle Talk

During the day, the resort offers different experiences for the kids. The first is turtle talk that happens next to the lagoon where a lady teaches you about turtles and you are able to feed them.

Crafts

Later there is a craft table to allow kids different options including making things or tie dye t-shirts. The crafts do come with a price though. The turtle talk is free.

Besides the walk up bar that is located by the pool, there is also a little hut near the beach access that serves drinks, snacks, and ice cream bars. My son was thrilled to learn about this.

Coligny Plaza Hilton Head Island

After a quick nap for our youngest, we knew we wanted to do some shopping because Hilton Head is known for some great shops. We ventured to Coligny Plaza, which the resort actually offers free shuttles to and from. There are lot of different shops here including well known stores to local shop kind of stores.

We had dinner plans but there are a variety of restaurants located here.

If a place has a playground, I can assure you our son with sniff it out. We came around a corner after leaving a shop and his eyes immediately caught site of it. The playground it nice with a large ship like building that includes and fire pole down as well as a slide. Both kids loved being able to run around.

The Black Marlin

For dinner, we met my husband’s friend and wife at the Black Marlin. Between both families we had 4 adults and 3 children, but we were able to get an outdoor table with a reservation and it worked out great. There was live music that night and the atmosphere was pretty laid back that helped drown out our youngest.

I went with Scallops and my husband shrimp and grits. Both were great. I highly recommend this restaurant as the food was on point and our server was extremely friendly and helpful giving great insights. This restaurant offers high chairs and booster seats for kids.

Final Day on Hilton Head Island with Kids

Our plan for the final day before driving back to Charleston was to allow our kids to play at the pool pretty much all morning. Check out was 11, so we hung out at the pool until after 10. Its pumpkin season, so we got. breakfast from the Starbucks that is only a mile and half from the resort.

Tanger Outlet Bluffton, SC

On the drive back from Hilton Head we stopped by the Tanger Outlets in Bluffton, SC. We really wanted to visit the Serena and Lily Outlet located there. They also have a little market in the parking lot on Sundays. The drive from Hilton Head to Charleston is only a couple hours basically. Although it was a short birthday weekend, we truly made the most of it. We plan on going back again for a few extra days.