Family Travel Bug Review | Marriott Barony Beach Club

Biking, Kayaking, Beach, Dolphins, and more!

For several years we lived in Utah, and we really didn’t venture out to east cost beaches.  We usually visited beaches in California when we wanted to drive somewhere.

About 18 months ago, Russ took a position in Texas which basically placed us dead in the center of the US.  When it came time to take a beach vacation at the end of the school year we had a handful of different options.   Because we had a free 5 day / 4 night stay at any Marriott Timeshare (we had to listen to a presentation), we narrowed our search to a handful of beach resorts.  Eventually we landed on Hilton Head, SC!  From Dallas to Hilton Head the drive was about 16 hours (yikes), but we figured we would stay in Atlanta one night and break it up.  Eventually after a 1 1/2 days. we arrived in Hilton Head at the Marriott Vacation Club Barony Beach.

Accommodation & Lodging

Because we had a free place to stay, we of course took advantage! However, there are so many places in Hilton head that would be great for families.  When we arrived, we noticed so many houses, townhomes, condos, timeshares, and more that could be rented.  This of course is much better than a standard hotel room, given you a lot more space for the kids and a kitchen to make your own food (thus saving some $$).​

Marriott Vacation Club Barony Beach

Like most timeshares, the accommodations are full service units with fully stocked kitchens, and more.   We like to stay at the Marriott vacation clubs due to two things.  First, their consistency is great.  We always know that the quality and comfort will consistent regardless of where we go.  Second, their family activities and amenities.  Marriott is renowned for their family friendly resorts and properties, our girls always look forward to when we visit a Marriott club property due to all the cool kid friendly features.

Family Amenities & Activities

Of course upon arrival at the resort, our kids first question is “where is the kids club”.  Typically all the Marriott vacation clubs we have visited have had some sort of kids club.  Unfortunately, this location didn’t have one which we found odd.  They had an activity room, but not a formal kids club – which was a disappointment.

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However, the resort did have several different planned activities for families and kids that we took part in.  Below are some of our favorite activities (by person):

Ashley’s

One of my favorite features of this property was its proximity to the beach.  We could leave our condo and walk to the beach in less than 5 minutes.  Other favorite things include:

• The condo’s were very nice and comfortable.

• Onsite beach rentals

• Relaxing on the beach & handstand competitions

Russ’s

Of of the things I liked the best is the proximity to things and the onsite amenities.  Other favorite things include:

• Ability to rent movies and games at the front desk

• Good Gym

• The poolside grill has some good food

• Hanging out on the beach and looking for sea turtles

Alyssa’s (age 9)

 I liked playing with other kids on the beach, and hanging out in the hot tub.  Other favorite things include:

• Playing at the beach and boogie boarding

• Jamaican hair braiding

• Kids karaoke & Shuffleboard

• Kids Neon Night (kids night with glow bracelets in the pool)

Kate (age 6)

My favorite thing was the pool! I loved going to the pool everyday. Other favorite things include:

• Jamaican hair braiding

• Kids Neon Night (kids night with glow bracelets in the pool)

• Building sand castles

• Boogie boarding

Aria (age 2)

Aria’s favorite thing was looking for sand crabs on the beach.  Additionally she liked:

• Kids Karaoke (singing “Let it Go”)

• Swimming pools & Hot Tub

• French Fries from the grill

Rooms

The rooms at the resort are all condo based, and have full kitchens and beautiful furnishings.   Our specific room was a two bedroom condo, which would work great for a family between 6-8.

Activities & things to do nearby!

Hit the Beach (FREE):

You can’t really go wrong with any of Hilton Head’s 12-plus miles of white-sand beaches. Driessen Beach and Islanders Beach parks are particularly good choices for families because they also have playgrounds and picnic shelters.

​Kayaking & Dolphin watching ($20-$35 per Kayak):

Rent a single or double Kayak and explore the water ways within the island.  We rented two double Kayaks and it worked out great.  We explored the different water inlets hoping to see dolphins.  Finally on our way back we saw one! It came right up to our kayak basically, it was AWESOME.  Alyssa tried to talk with it.

Harbor Town & Greg Russell’s Sing-a-long (FREE):

This was by far another highlight for our girls.  Harbor Town is great, it has a great playground for kids, and fun shops.  Additionally there is a great Ice Cream parlor.  At night, you need go to the Greg Russell show.  Gregg plays the guitar, brings the kids up on stage and teach the them silly songs.  Kids can then volunteer to stand up with Gregg and belt out their favorite songs, Kate and Alyssa learned all kinds of songs (which they later sang on our 16 hour drive home)

Coastal Discovery Museum ($10 adults $5 kids for special exhibits):

School-age kids will have a blast at the Coastal Discovery Museum, which offers scavenger hunts, costumes, and a butterfly exhibit.  When we went they also had a petting zoo area where the girls got to pet and hold alligators, which they thought was pretty cool.  Another highlight was the butterfly gardens, the kids get to walk into this enclosed garden and see all kinds of butterflies.  Kate loved this, she would go around and they would land on her fingers and her head.

Final Thoughts

Overall we loved Hilton Head, SC and we look forward to going back another time. There are great family friendly activities, fun beaches, and good weather.