The house worked nicely for our family of four.
We loved the access to the river for nightly fishing and kayaking. It is a haul to the dock with a kayak, though. Would be nice if there was sanctioned access to the spots where owners can leave their equipment right close by. We had brought our own kayak and SUP, but there are tours/rentals just up the river at Mingo point too. We were even lucky enough to see dolphins strand feeding at low tide. The pool access was great as well - relatively quiet and nice!
The bikes were a critical feature, as we used them to get everywhere. Kiawah is very accessible by bike, and the beach and dock were walkable, but a little too far to do comfortably with a bunch of gear. On the plus side, one of the bikes included had a beach wagon for hauling gear, but on the downside it was rusted in place so couldn’t be removed for longer rides, and the chains kept popping off all the bikes. Hopefully an upgrade/repair is planned as it was a nice plus to not have to haul our own along or rent them separately.
The kitchen had all the cooking equipment we needed, though there was only salt and pepper for basic supplies provided. The convenience store within walking distance was nicer than we expected, and proximity to Freshfields for other groceries and dining was fantastic - although that’s the one place we didn’t go by bike as the trail has very little shade and it was hot while we were there.
There are elements to the property that are a bit run down, but everything was functional and nice. It’s one of those neighborhoods where all the houses are close together, but it was quiet and lush, and it’s nice to not have to deal with the traffic at the main resort gate if you don’t want to. On the comfort side, hopefully the linens will be updated with the beds this fall, which the owner previously noted was happening, since the sheets were low quality/scratchy.
Overall, very happy with our stay!