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A small new costal retreat along the Kiawah River, 20 miles from Charleston, great for shorter stays.
Kiawah River, SC, US
Location
2024
Year opened
72
# of rooms
$
749
Starting rate
Experience it
Want to see what a stay really looks like with kids? Here’s how other families did it.
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tips and watch-outs from families who've been there
sleep
- All rooms have screened-in porches, and 90% offer a connecting option
- Rooms are spread out across multiple buildings — not all have elevators, so if that’s important, be sure to request it
- All rooms except the double queen can accommodate a rollaway
play
- This is a small, laid-back property — perfect for a long weekend. For a longer trip, consider pairing with a few nights in Charleston
- Staff is super friendly and helpful — they’re happy to assist with planning!
- Kids club is only open on Friday mornings
- Young kids love walking to the local farm to see animals (~1 mile away, or ask for shuttle in advance); there’s also a playground across the street
- The pool is small, and the beach requires driving — but there’s a larger pool at the fitness center that guests can use
- Dolphin cruises and dockside fishing or crabbing are popular with kids
- Free bikes to borrow, including kids' bikes and wagons
- The hotel bar has board games
eat
- Food is great (including a kids' menu), but there’s only one main restaurant on-site
- For more variety, you’ll need to drive to off-property options
- You can bike to a nearby farm stand
- S’mores are always a hit
- Rooms include free snacks, water, and coffee
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The details
What room setup does your family need, at minimum?
We're having you search by beds, rather than number and age of kids, because every family sleeps differently.
King/queen bed includes pullout sofas
Kid-size bed includes sofas (not pullout), twin beds, or rollaway beds
Results show rooms that meet or exceed your minimum.
If you move forward to booking, we'll make sure the hotel has an accurate guest count,
King/queen bed includes pullout sofas
Kid-size bed includes sofas (not pullout), twin beds, or rollaway beds
Results show rooms that meet or exceed your minimum.
If you move forward to booking, we'll make sure the hotel has an accurate guest count,
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Must haves
Sweetbay Two Bedroom Cottage
2
2
3
2 king bedrooms, 2 sofas in living room
- This private cottage is the Sweetbay One Bedroom Suite connected to a king room
- Entire private cottage
- Wrap around porch with garden
- Private terrace with outdoor soaking tub
- 6-person dining table
- Dedicated living room with fireplace
- Spacious bathroom with double vanity and walk-in rain shower
- Perfect for families with children
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Arbor Two Bedroom Suite
3
2
3
1 king bedroom, 1 two queen bedroom, 2 couches in living room
- This is the Arbor One Bedroom Suite connected to a standard two-queen room
- There's a bathroom in the queen room
- Riverfront
- Three porches
- Spacious living and dining areas with fireplace
- Spacious bathroom with double vanity and walk-in rain shower
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Seabrook Two Bedroom Suite
3
1
2
1 king bedrooms, 1 queen bedroom, 1 sofa in living room
- This is the Seabrook one-bedroom suite connected to a two-queen room
Two private terraces with river views | Living room with dining nook and fireplace | Bedroom features a soaking tub overlooking the river | Spacious bathrooms with double vanity and walk-in shower
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Saltgrass Two Bedroom Suite
2
1
3
2 king bedrooms, 1 sofa in living room
- This is the Saltgrass one-bedroom suite connected to a king bedroom
Private terrace | Living room with dining nook and fireplace | Spacious bathroom with double vanity, walk-in rain shower, and soaking tub
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Sweetbay One Bedroom Suite
1
2
2
1 king bed, 2 sofas in living room
- Great room for families with young children
- Similar to Arbor One Bedroom Suite, except it has a larger wrap-around porch and outdoor tub
- If you have older kids, there's an option add a connecting king room to form a private two-bedroom cottage ("Sweetbay Two Bedroom Suite")
- Expansive wrap around porch with outdoor soaking tub
- Dedicated living room with fireplace
- 6-person dining table
- Spacious bathroom with double vanity and walk-in rain shower
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Arbor One Bedroom Suite
1
2
2
1 king bed, 2 sofas in living room
- This large one-bedroom suite has plenty of space for families with young kids, but there is no bathtub
- There are two side-by-side porches, one accessible from the bedroom and one from the living room
- Option to connect to a 2 queen room ("Arbor Two Bedroom Suite")
- Riverfront
- Two porches
- Spacious living and dining areas with fireplace
- Spacious bathroom with double vanity and walk-in rain shower
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Saltgrass or Seabrook Suite (with or without tub)
1
1
2
1 king bedroom, 1 sofa in living room
- The Saltgrass Suite with Tub and Seabrook Suite with Tub are identical (the only difference is Saltgrass has the option of connecting to a king room, while Seabrook can connect to a double queen room). These rooms have river views.
- The Saltgrass Suite without a tub does not have a river view
- Private terrace with river views
- Living room with dining nook and fireplace
- Bedroom features a soaking tub overlooking the river (if you book a "tub" suite)
- Spacious bathroom with double vanity and walk-in rain shower
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Dunlin Double Queen
2
0
1
2 queen beds
- View could be village, nature, or river
- Can connect with a Seabrook or Arbor Suite for two bedrooms
- private terrace
- floor-to-ceiling windows
- in-room seating area with sofa
- spacious bathroom with double vanity, walk-in rain shower
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Village, Sawgrass, or Riverfront King
1
1
1
1 king bed, 1 small sofa
- Village, Sawgrass, and Riverfront King rooms are identical except for location
- Village King = resort view
- Sawgrass King = partial river view
- Riverfront King = river view
- Connecting rooms are available
- private terrace
- floor-to-ceiling windows
- in-room seating area with sofa
- spacious bathroom with double vanity, walk-in rain shower
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Kids Club
Camp Dunby - only available on Fridays from 9:30am - 12pm
- Age: all ages, but kids under 5 must attend with an adult
- Cost: $105/child
- Outdoor-focused club with various adventure activities
Pools
- The Cove pool is on the main property. It has umbrellas, a few cabanas, a hot tub, and a nice view of the marsh.
- Guests are also allowed to use pool across the street (open to residents of the surrounding neighborhood as well)
- No lifeguards on duty
Beach
- There's no beach on property, but there is a public beach a short drive away
Babysitting
- You can get a sitter through the hotel's recommended service; note: there's a four hour minimum
Activities
Free
- Visit The Goatery farm to pet and feed animals (goats, cows, chickens, pigs, donkeys)
- Playground
- Tennis and pickleball
- Friday afternoon social on the lawn with drinks and lawn games
- “The Shindig”: live music every Friday and Saturday evening
Paid
- Going for Grits: morning kayak and brunch picnic
- Dockside fishing (ages 2+)
- Coastal Safari: boat ride along the river to see dolphins, turtles, and birds
Highlights
- Kids 10 and under eat free May 15 - September 1 2025
Early Morning
- The Willet Room | 6am – 11am | coffee and pastries
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
- The Willet Room | 5pm - 11pm | small bites
- In-Room Dining | 7am - 10pm
Travel & transportation
- The hotel can arrange transportation from the Charleston Airport, with car seats
- They have a shuttle that goes around the property only
- If you want to go off-property you can borrow one of two resort G-Wagons (fits family of 5) for up to four hours, as part of their partnership with Mercedes-Benz
- If you bring a car, parking is valet only (no charge)
- Note that it can sometimes be hard to get an Uber or Lyft in Kiawah River, especially a van or SUV, but the hotel can book a car service or taxi
Leave it at home - they have it!
- cribs
- highchairs
- kid bikes
Ready to Book Your Stay?
Book through us (at no added cost!) for access to perks, including resort credit, free breakfast, preference for upgrades and early check-in/late check-out (crucial for naps!)