Any construction update on Ocean Oak (HHI)?

[CanuckTravlr]

We will be arriving at Ocean Oak resort on Hilton Head Island on March 4th. This will be our first visit to HHI and we are very much looking forward to it.

Just wondering if anyone has been recently and has any updates on the construction in phase 2? I assume if it is still going on, that by now it is mainly interior work, so maybe not so intrusive as exterior construction? I know they were hoping for it to be complete sometime this spring.

Also, does anyone know the status of the adult pool, which is part of the phase 2 construction? Appreciate any comments.

 

[alwysonvac]

It looks like the construction is still ongoing based on the TripAdvisor reviews

From https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...tions-Hilton_Head_South_Carolina.html#REVIEWS

Feb 11
Fortunate to have great weather in February to walk and enjoy the beach. Perfect weather for golf, but did not play this time around. Cant wait until we are able to come back and play some golf. Hopefully all the construction will be completed.

Feb 11
Overall a pleasant experience. Still under construction, pool closed 5 of 7 days. Constructionstarted daily at 7:30 am. Parking limited but always found a spot, sometimes at offsite lot.

Feb 8
This is a great place on the beach with a great pool (in season). The rooms are spacious and very clean. Even though there is construction being done for the next building, noise level in the unit was minimal.

Feb 7
Ocean Oak has a very good location on the beach at HHI.The property is undergoing a significant expansion, with some disruption due to construction noise, dust etc. In season, travellers should find this a good place to stay.

Feb 1
There was construction of phase two going on while we were there. I was nervous about it because of the negative feedback in some reviews, but we hardly even noticed it the whole week we were there. It really was no big deal. It’s set to be done early this year, so hopefully by this summer people can lay off the complaining. Our unit was 3rd floor oceanfront and the view was spectacular! We happened to be upgraded because we were there to listen to the timeshare seminar. We have been coming to HHI every summer since 2014, each time staying in a different place. This was by far our favorite! Sometimes you see pictures of a place that look nice, but when you arrive, its not nearly as nice in person... not the case here! What you see in the pictures, is exactly how it is in person! Wonderful! We already booked 3 units to come back in September with all my siblings and their families to celebrate my parents 40th Wedding Anniversary. Cannot wait!! I doubt we will have the pleasure of an oceanfront room this time around, but we’ll just be happy to be back!

Dec 2018
this is a new Hilton property in the accommodations are nice. However there is a considerable amount of construction on going as they add more units that disturbs the tranquility and peace that you normally have these sorts of places. Besides the ongoing construction in front of our balcony, we awoke on the first day or early in the morning to drilling on the bedroom wall as they renovated the unit next to ours. additionally in the middle of the week at about 2 in the morning to fire alarm went off twice in the middle of the night causing all the guests to evacuate their rooms. Once again construction was the culprit.the parking situation gets a little tight downstairs especially with the heavy construction equipment taking up some of the parking places outside.there was also renovation and painting going on in the game room during our time here. The staff was attentive and tried their best to meet all of your needs, but until the construction is over this place will not reach the full potential that it is capable of.​

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Thanks for that, Alwysonvac. I had seen some of those previously, so knew that some construction was still going on earlier this month. Back last summer HGVC staff had indicated they hoped to be booking rooms by February 2019. That obviously hasn't happened.

Had hoped they might be down to just some final interior finishing (and therefore less noise???) by now. But none of the TA reviews mention any real specifics of what is still under construction or whether the second (adult) pool is even started. Maybe that's where the construction noise and dust is now coming from?

I guess we will find out in about 2 weeks. Let's hope they make lots of progress by then.

The only other concern, from one of the reviews above, was about the main pool being closed for 5 out of the 7 days (for refurbishing?). Hope that is now over. With the ocean too cold at this time of year, we at least want a heated pool to be available. Maybe I will just contact the resort directly to see what to expect.

Thanks again.

 

[alwysonvac]

None of the February reviewers seemed upset about the ongoing construction so I take that as a good sign

Have a wonderful vacation. Please report back when you return.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Just back from two weeks in South Carolina, so thought I would report back. Our first week was at HGVC Ocean Oak on Hilton Head Island. I am pleased to report that Phase 2 is essentially complete, other than some cosmetic work on the landscaping and the final interior clean-up and furniture installation. My understanding from the concierge is that they hope to be able to start releasing units in Phase 2 into inventory as early as the beginning of April.

My personal observations would support that as possible. When we were there we saw them putting in the final sod and shrubbery in the quadrangle between Phase 1 and Phase 2. The second (quiet/adult) pool and hot tub is finished and the water is in. They were installing the pool furniture on the pool deck. We also watched each day as they did touch ups and cleaning in the Phase 2 units and hauled in boxes full of furniture and appliances, unpacking and installing them. There was no construction noise, for which we were pleased.

There are 66 units in Phase 1 and another 60 units in Phase 2, so it almost doubles the size of the resort. The second pool should help offset potential crowding around the main pool. There is also a garage underneath the entire two sections of Phase 2, plus additional outdoor parking, so that should help offset the parking issues in Phase 1, where almost half of the garage space is for the adjacent, pre-existing, Carolina Beach Club.

The main pool itself is wonderful and whatever work they were doing on it appears to have been finished. Unfortunately we only got into it a couple of times at the end of the week. While the pool itself is heated, the outdoor air was unseasonably cold for the first part of the week, so we had no interest in laying around the pool!!

 

[alwysonvac]

Thanks for the update

 

[GT75]

Thanks for the update @CanuckTravlr. Did you notice if the charcoal grills had been replaced with gas ones yet?

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Thanks for the update @CanuckTravlr. Did you notice if the charcoal grills had been replaced with gas ones yet?

Yes, the new grills have been installed. One evening while walking by the grills, one guest was chuckling because he had brought down charcoal with his steaks, only to find he didn't need them (the charcoal, that is...not the steaks ).

 

[GT75]

My understanding from the concierge is that they hope to be able to start releasing units in Phase 2 into inventory as early as the beginning of April.

Does anyone have an updates on Ocean Oak Phase II completion?

 

[mrharris03]

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster. My family and I were at Ocean Oak for my mother-in-law's spring break the first week of April. Phase II of Ocean Oak opened on April 1 - the resort had a "grand opening celebration" in the lobby that day and invited all guests staying there at the time. Hope this helps!

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Thanks for the update. That's good to hear. We were there the first week of March and it looked like they were almost ready to go then, so I am not surprised they made the April 1st target date.

And congratulations on joining TUG and making your first post. I hope it is the first of many more to come.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Does anyone know if this inventory has hit HGVC yet. I am surprised that there is nothing available for most of the year, including the fall. I called and asked and VC seemed to indicated that only Phase 1 inventory was available.

Anyone with better info that me?

 

[amycurl]

And can I just say it was such a pleasure to meet and hang out with @CanuckTravlr? Somehow, I missed this report when he first got back. I have a getaway for Ocean Oak that we need to book...the woman calls me almost every day, but it's hard to visualize when we'll be able to get back to HHI. Might have to be this summer--I wonder if the new phase will have availability for those getaway sales weekend at the height of the season? TBH, we've *never* been to HHI later than late March; I'm kinda worried about crowds and humidity--although the latter won't be any worse than where we live, LOL!

 

[CanuckTravlr]

@amycurl It was great to meet you and your mother, too! We thoroughly enjoyed spending some time over drinks and dinner. It's always fun to meet other Tuggers and share knowledge and experiences. Whenever you are able to get to Ocean Oak, I think you will enjoy it, especially now that the resort is "complete".

Not sure why units shouldn't be showing up in inventory yet? If it was ready for occupancy April 1st, you would think doubling of the available units would create some capacity, unless they had anticipated the opening and offered them up earlier and they have already been scooped up. Would be interesting to hear from someone who is staying there now if they can see people staying in the two new buildings.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I called the front desk. People are staying in the new buildings. The front desk staff did say that a lot of those people were from third party bookings, like Hilton.com or expedia etc, and not all HGVC bookings. So I think they are selling the unsold inventory in another venues and then will add inventory to HGVC at some interval as sales are completed.

There was certainly NO large increase in inventory at HGVC that I noticed. Did anyone else notice?

 

[CanuckTravlr]

I called the front desk. People are staying in the new buildings. The front desk staff did say that a lot of those people were from third party bookings, like Hilton.com or expedia etc, and not all HGVC bookings. So I think they are selling the unsold inventory in another venues and then will add inventory to HGVC at some interval as sales are completed.

There was certainly NO large increase in inventory at HGVC that I noticed. Did anyone else notice?

After I thought about it for a bit, I suspected that might be the case. Before they sell the units, there is no real money for them to put them into HGVC inventory for existing owners. Instead, they make pure profit off them by offering them to third-party sellers or Hilton and reap the rental income. Makes perfect sense. Once the week/unit is sold it has to go into HGVC inventory first.