Hampton Inn and Suites of Bluffton, South Carolina

The Hampton Inn and Suites in Bluffton, South Carolina is affordable, clean, friendly, and conveniently located to I95 and the island of Hilton Head. The hotel can be found next to Sun City, about seven miles from I95 and about twelve miles from the city limits of Hilton Head. It is a 100-room hotel with several amenities, free parking, and a free hot continental breakfast.

We have stayed at other Hampton Inns recently including one in East Peoria, Illinois and one in Summerville, South Carolina. The facility in Bluffton, South Carolina was by far, the favorite when compared to the other two Hampton Inns.

First impressions set the tone for any hotel stay. The Bluffton Hampton Inn has a clean, well-maintained parking lot and entranceway. The first step into the lobby was refreshingly cool compared to the warm South Carolina humidity. The lobby was modern, bright and opened directly into a conversation area with comfortable couches. The open-air area is also home to the hotel's guest computer station, library, and dining area with a large flat screen television. The brightness from the room during the day was from the over-sized windows that dominated one wall, allowing guests visual access to the parking lot.

Although check-in was not until 4 p.m., we were able to check into our room when we arrived early around noon. We had a room on the second floor with a window overlooking the back parking lot, which allowed us to be able to see our car from our room.

The room had two queen beds and was non-smoking. It was spacious, exceptionally clean and had a pleasant fresh smell. As South Carolina's state tree is the palmetto palm, the room and lobby decor featured a palm tree motif. Each queen bed was comfortable and had a thick comforter and four pillows, plenty for our family of three. The room also had a desk with work chair, dorm-size refrigerator, microwave, television in a cabinet, and plenty of storage space if you were going to be staying several nights.

The bathroom in this Hampton Inn and Suites was larger than both the bathrooms in the Hampton Inns in East Peoria and Summerville. It had a curved shower rod allowing for a more spacious showering experience. The hook on the back of the bathroom door eliminated having clothes on the counter or floor when showering. The hairdryer was the same kind found in most hotels, but it worked and got the job done. The only bathroom negative was the shampoo and conditioner, which seemed watery.

Other room amenities included an ironing board and iron, cable channels, in-room rentable movies, and even the Hilton channel that offered guests details about the hotel and its services and amenities. Also provided in the room was a menu book for area restaurants and a large vacation planning book with information for visitors to Hilton Head and the surrounding area.

The hotel did have laundry facilities, although they were small consisting of a single washer and dryer, the room and machines were clean and in working condition. Each machine cost $1.75 to use and was located in a room that locked and was accessible only with a hotel room card. The hotel's fitness room was also small featuring a treadmill (which was out of order), a stair climber, and an elliptical machine.

The Bluffton Hampton Inn provides its guests with a free hot breakfast every morning from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. It is similar to breakfasts provided by hotel chains like Country Inn & Suites or Holiday Inn Express. There were many options including eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, grits, hot and cold cereals, fresh fruit, yogurt, three kinds of juice, coffee, tea, and plenty of creamer and sugar options. The muffins and Danish selection were very tasty but the breakfast pizza that was available on the Monday morning of our stay was outstanding and by far our favorite.

The Hampton Inn and Suites in Bluffton, South Carolina is a great choice for anyone visiting friends or family living in Sun City, as you are about one block from the gated community's entrance. A discount of about $22 per night is available to friends or relatives of Sun City residents, so be sure to ask the front desk for details.

If you plan to visit the island and beaches of Hilton Head, South Carolina but want to be away from the hustle of tourists, this hotel is a good choice. Only 12 miles from the city limits and about 22 miles to the outer beaches of Hilton Head, this Hampton Inn allows you to get to the heart of the area quickly but without being engulfed in tourist-craziness.

The Bluffton Hampton Inn and Suites is located at 29 William Pope Drive, in Bluffton, South Carolina. Please note that some GPS systems will need to be programmed with the address as Okatie, South Carolina, not Bluffton.

The Hampton Inn and Suites is part of the Hilton family of hotels and does honor the HHonors guest cards. For more information about this hotel, call 843 - 705 - 9008 or visit the hotel's website at www.hamptoninn.com.