Seawatch at Island Club

Owning your vacation and building memories at the same destination year after year, while watching your children and grandchildren grow up, is the dream of timeshare ownership. Seawatch at the Island Club in Hilton Head lives up to the vacation ownership dream by providing an excellent resort with top-notch accommodations, amenities and customer service that keep the owners coming back to the resort year after year.

Seawatch at the Island Club is located in Hilton Head Island, SC, a popular family coastal destination. The Island Club features gorgeous grounds with trees, a lagoon that meanders through the property, a tennis center, picnic areas with grills, basketball court, a large outdoor swimming pool, and playgrounds. Seawatch is one of two Associations at the Island Club managed by SPM Resorts, Inc. and is in a prime location with two and three-bedroom units overlooking the ocean. Well-maintained with continuous updates, the resort always has an improvement for owners when they visit, whether it’s a large project like bathroom renovations or something smaller like an upgraded television service with HD channels. Tom Martin, President of the Seawatch Board of Directors, notes, “I believe the biggest testament to our success is the owner base who have supported Seawatch for almost 40 years, which has made it possible to continue to upgrade facilities, attract second and third generation owners to Seawatch, and offer state of art amenities which today’s vacationers demand.”

All units are spacious, featuring a large living space and dining area, washers and dryers, a full-sized kitchen and either two or three bedrooms, making this a comfortable home away from home. Most recently, this resort upgraded the master bathrooms with granite countertops and walk-in showers, to accommodate for owners that do not want to step over high tubs. Ken Pfeifle, Regional Vice President for SPM Resorts, Inc. and General Manager of Seawatch explains, “We listen to owner and guest suggestions, research practicality, and expense accordingly.  We realize that many owners see several different properties as they vacation, therefore, we regard their suggestions very seriously.”

This type of attention to the owner base’s suggestions is essential to ensuring that owners wish to visit their resort year after year. Pfeifle adds, “SPM and the Board work very well as a team, planning out projects and budgeting replacements on a five year cycle to ensure that maintenance fees remain stable and there is no need for a special assessment. The owners have an exceedingly good value for their annual maintenance fee, which is why we have such a high collection ratio in addition to owners using their weeks here every year.” One major project that guests will not see, but is equally as important as a pristinely clean unit with updated furnishings, is effective and reliable Wifi. Travelers are bringing their devices on vacation, and Seawatch recently upgraded their system to meet the world wide web browsing and streaming demands of their guests. HotAir Company installed access points with a Category 6 wire to half of the villas, which will give guests a faster Wifi connection, even with multiple devices accessing the network.

All of these efforts have not gone unnoticed by the owners, guests and exchangers, and the high scores on RCI comment cards have resulted in Seawatch at the Island Club holding the distinction of being an RCI Gold Crown Resort for thirteen consecutive years. Pfeifle says, “Maintaining the RCI Gold Crown status has been an annual goal, and we make purchase decisions based on the fact that we need to remain at the Gold Crown level of exchange expectations in both guest service and unit quality.”

Hilton Head is an appealing destination for many families looking for a retreat that features beautiful beaches, pristine golf courses, pretty shopping areas, fantastic seafood, and a traditional beach vacation. What sets Hilton Head apart is the lack of overt commercialism seen in so many destinations: with over 100 miles bike paths connecting the entire island maintained by the town, beautiful landscaping, and buildings hidden among the trees, the island is picturesque. The activities on Hilton Head Island for families are more traditional, and appealing to families that want to relax while on vacation. While some vacations may leave parents feeling exhausted, like they need a vacation just to recover from their vacation, this destination has a slower-paced vibe. Without huge theme parks or attractions, families vacationing in Hilton Head have time to reconnect with trips to the beach, strolling around popular spots like Shelter Cove or Harbour Town in the evening, playing with kids on the playground, riding bikes along the bike paths, tennis games and enjoying the family-friendly restaurants. The Island Club offers bocce ball, fishing poles, DVDs, and kites free of charge to guests.

Using this resort as a way to bring a large family spread out over three states has been one way the Post family stays connected. “The Island Club is like coming home every year,” said Seawatch owner Jim Post. They started coming to the Island Club in 1980 for week 26. Eight people grew to forty family members over the years, and now the family owns 8 units in Seawatch. Family members travel from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida to meet in Hilton Head each year to spend the week enjoying each other, relaxing, and taking advantage of all the Island Club has to offer. Walking to the beach, riding bikes along the trails, working out in the fitness room, playing tennis, and shooting hoops in the annual family basketball tournament are all ways this family reunites and reconnects each year.

Traditional, family-friendly activities and a well-maintained resort make Seawatch an ideal location to own a timeshare. Knowing that the resort is well managed, and that the Board and management pay such close attention to owner comments and suggestions, demonstrates how the property will continue to adapt in the future. Bill Young, President/CEO of SPM Resorts, Inc. comments, “Seawatch at the Island Club is a unique property in the timeshare world, and is an example of how a well-maintained and well-managed resort can continue to adapt and grow with changing vacation trends and compete with newer resort developments. The Board has kept an eye on detail and made consistent upgrades to the units, so they always feel updated, fresh and current. People still crave familiarity and a chance to reconnect with loved ones, and this resort will continue to be a place for families to make memories.”