New hotels in Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island sits off South Carolina's coast, a 12-mile-long, shoe-shaped barrier island shaped by maritime forest, tidal marsh and roughly 60 miles of paved, shaded bike paths that link nearly every neighborhood to the beach. It has been a golf and resort destination since the 1950s, when Sea Pines Plantation was first developed, and it still draws its identity from that low-rise, tree-canopied planning rather than from a high-density hotel core.

Two hotels are tracked here. Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa Hilton Head Island is the 513-room oceanfront resort in Palmetto Dunes that spent years as the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa and changed flags on 1 March 2024, after renovating every room and suite. Courtyard by Marriott Hilton Head Island opened at 79 Pope Avenue on 24 March 2020 (the week American travel stopped, which is why almost nobody noticed) and is one of the very few hotels built from the ground up on the island in recent years.

One clarification, because the confusion is common: Six Senses South Carolina Islands is routinely called a Hilton Head resort, but all of its rooms, cottages and its spa are on Daufuskie Island. Hilton Head holds only the arrival point: a restaurant, a shop and the dock you leave from.

What to do

A weekend on Hilton Head Island

Two days is enough to get the island's pace: a morning on Coligny Beach, the busiest and most central stretch of sand, then lunch and shopping at Coligny Plaza. Rent a bike for the afternoon (the path network reaches Sea Pines or Shelter Cove without ever touching a road) and end at Harbour Town, where the candy-striped lighthouse overlooks the marina at sunset. Alligators are common in the lagoons along golf courses and bike paths island-wide; keep your distance and never feed them.

A full week

A longer stay leaves room for the quieter corners: a day trip to Savannah, Georgia, 45 minutes away by car, for its historic squares and riverfront; a morning at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, just across the bridge, where flat trails wind through marsh and forest favored by egrets, herons and alligators; and Mitchelville Freedom Park on the north end, the site of the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States, established in 1862. Golfers should budget a day for Harbour Town Golf Links, which hosts the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage each spring.

Areas of the island

Sea Pines

The island's original and largest planned community, at the southern tip, gated and built around Harbour Town's marina and lighthouse. It holds several public and semi-private beaches, Harbour Town Golf Links, and the most extensive bike network on the island.

Coligny / Forest Beach

The island's closest thing to a downtown: a non-gated stretch just north of Sea Pines built around Coligny Plaza and Coligny Beach Park, the most heavily used public beach access on Hilton Head. North and South Forest Beach share the same sand and make the most walkable base for restaurants and shops; the Courtyard sits at its edge on Pope Avenue.

Shelter Cove & Palmetto Dunes

Mid-island, Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina is a waterfront hub of restaurants and shops next to Palmetto Dunes, one of the larger resort communities, with its own beach, golf courses and the Hilton Beachfront Resort on eleven oceanfront acres.

North End

The quieter, residential end: Port Royal, Islanders Beach Park, Folly Field and Mitchelville Freedom Park, for visitors who want calm over proximity to shops.

Frequently asked questions

Which new hotels does this guide track on Hilton Head Island?

Two: Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa Hilton Head Island, which switched from Marriott to Hilton in March 2024, and Courtyard by Marriott Hilton Head Island, opened new in March 2020 near Coligny Beach.

Which new Hilton Head hotel is on the beach?

The Hilton Beachfront Resort, directly on the sand in Palmetto Dunes with two outdoor pools and a spa. The Courtyard is a few minutes' walk from Coligny Beach rather than on it, and compensates with a rooftop pool and bar overlooking the ocean.

Is the Six Senses resort on Hilton Head Island?

Only its entry point. The rooms, suites, cottages and spa of Six Senses South Carolina Islands are on Daufuskie Island; Hilton Head has the restaurant, the shop and the dock you leave from.

What is the best beach on Hilton Head Island?

Coligny Beach Park is the most popular and central, with the most restaurants and shops nearby. Sea Pines' beaches and the North End's Islanders Beach Park are quieter, with the same wide, flat sand.

Is Hilton Head Island good for a car-free trip?

Largely, yes, within the island: the bike paths connect Sea Pines, Coligny, Shelter Cove and the North End without needing a road. A car or rideshare is still useful for the airport or a day trip to Savannah.

Is Hilton Head Island family-friendly?

Yes: flat, extensive bike paths, calm Atlantic beaches and wildlife-watching at Pinckney Island make it a common choice for multi-generational family trips, alongside its golf courses for adults.

When is the best time to visit Hilton Head Island?

Late spring and early fall bring warm water and thinner crowds than the midsummer peak; the RBC Heritage golf tournament each April draws a spike in visitors to Sea Pines specifically.