Inn at Palmetto Bluff (South Carolina) to be managed by Montage
 

:td:

150 additional rooms? that's a big disappointment... love the cottages approach.....

FDW

I love Montage, but adding 150 rooms to this lovely resort on the May river is a real shame. I love staying in those charming cottages under the live oaks and having breakfast on my porch watching the river mosey by. This is too bad. I wonder what happened with Auberge?

I really loved this place when it was only cottages and houses and stayed several times. I'm so sad to see it go 'mass market'. I won't return.

press release mentions management changed feb 1
but doesnt mention that new rooms wont be open until 2016 or later

http://www.blufftontoday.com/bluffto...luff-expanding
http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/12/...room-five.html has quote from auberge

I guess if I could go one last time before the construction starts, I would. If the new rooms wont open for a couple of years (or more), there might be a year or two before it all begins...

Thanks for sharing that information. I'll keep in it mind.

While I'm sure Montage will do a fine job managing the expanded property, this change still stings. IMO, Palmetto Bluff was one of the real gems of the United States, with a setting, low density, integration with natural surroundings, and sense of place that was the Southeast's analog to FS Hualalai. The quality of everything - service, food, furnishings, activities (like Hualalai, not nickeled-and-dimed) while being such a perfect reflection of "SC Lowcountry" made it a special, special place.

I feel compelled to visit one last time before construction begins, but apparently their first step will be tearing down the spa to make room for the new building. That in itself will take something away from the place - the spa was so perfectly situated under a canopy of live oaks with a verdant setting and in close proximity to a small lagoon island that native birds enjoyed frequenting.

Headed there next weekend, looking forward to it very much. Definitely motivated to go before the expansion

I agree. This is too bad.

Please report back as to whether they've done any clearing/bulldozing/tearing down for the new construction yet. If not, I may have to brave the Southeast summertime heat and humidity to visit one last time.

Construction has definitely started. You can hear what sounds like clearning/bulldozing, etc. Access to the construction area is blocked off (you cannot cross the bridge from the cottages across the lagoon towards the old spa area, etc) It's not loud, but we were in one of the lagoon view cottages, and you can certainly hear it....and it does detract from the experience, of say, having breakfast on the screened porch. They started around 8am every day, and appeared to take Sunday off. The spa is now located in one of the cottage units closest to the Inn building.

That being said, we really enjoyed our stay at the Inn. Was a perfect blend of a beautiful site, great good and really warm, friendly service. Employees really seemed to like working there, and service was good and not stuffy at all. The room itself was really nice - high quality furnishings, terrific bathroom with a nice tub and steam shower, etc. Huge screened porch - we were lucky enough to be across from "Bird Island" and could have spent all day just watching the various herons, egrets, alligators, etc.

Ate at all of the restaurants, including dinners at the Canoe Club and River House, and both were excellent. Had lunch at the pools all but one day, when we ate at the golfcourse clubhouse. Food at both the adult pool and family pool - and the food was much better than I was expecting Breakfast - room service and at Buffalo's was also quite good.

Enjoyed the kayaking on the river, and a lot of bike riding. Access from the village toward the River Trail is blocked by construction, but you can go around the back of the cottages and toward Stallings Island Rd to get to the Morelands, etc. Appears as if they are putting in more hiking trails over there, and have some restroom facilities along the way as well.

Will be interesting to see what the expansion does. Loved the small scale of the resort - people knew you by name. Enjoyed puttering around on the golf carts and not having crowds of people everywhere. Having more dining options will be nice for longer stays, but it will definitely change things. A few minor missteps (water not replaced in fridge despite asking, sharp shrimp tails left on a couple of times in food) - service at the pool could be a little slow, especially when it got busy for lunch, but overall was friendly and decent.

This is very surprising....

Thank you for this report! We're heading there next week and was hoping to have beat the construction. The construction noise you mentioned worries me. I was planning on spending a great deal of time unwinding and reading books on the screened porch cottage, with just the sounds of nature, and construction noise of any kind is the last thing I want for my stay. Now wondering if I should rebook into a River View to be facing away from the construction site (or at least book into Lagoon View and hope for a Virtuoso upgrade into River View - as of now I'm in Forest View, which, if they upgrade me, would put me into Lagoon View facing the construction).

You say you were in Lagoon View - did you book through Virtuoso, FHR or similar and get upgraded into that category, or did you end up in the category you booked (when I was there last time, I didn't get an upgrade even though I was Virtuoso, but it was over a holiday).

Booked via the PB website, with iPrefer membership...think that is the category that we booked. Had a package that included breakfast and a golfcart, which we found to be a great value.

Didn't get a good sense as to the noise level for the Forest View as the only time we went back through there was on bikes on our way toward Morelands.

Noise level was definitely noticeable...a little muffled by distance and trees, but noticeable. Sunday breakfast on the porch was much nicer without the noise.

Thanks - when I called them about the construction, they claimed it wasn't beginning until September and that there should be zero noise issues. That, of course, doesn't jive with your on-ground reports and the reality that the bridge over to that area has been closed off and the spa already moved to a temporary location. I'm a bit perturbed they're not being straight-up about this.