HHI - a poor excuse

[MycatlovesEeyore]

We just returned from a three-day stay stay @ HHI and were sorely dissappointed with the resort. IMHO it falls way short of a normal Disney resort.

While layout of our Studio was great and very pretty (as was the resort in general), it fell way short of my family's expectations derived from previous stays @ DVC resorts around DisneyWorld.

Things we were dissapointed with included:

1. No luggage service - having to haul bags up flights of stairs, even to a "first floor" room was quite a hassle and not my idea of a vacation.

2. No food available after 5:00 PM - this is ridiculous that in order to get something to eat after 5 you have to load the entire family up in the van and head out into "snooty-ville"

3. Incredibly noisy rooms - our girls were unable to take afternoon naps due to the constant noise from people climbing the stairs outside, or from the cell phone ringing in the neighbor's room. or the vacuum in the room above, or the neighbor's conversations in their room. It was amazing. I suspect that if I had tried a little harder I could have heard both ends of the cell phone conversation in the next room.

4. No food at the "Beach House" after 4:00 PM what are you supposed to do when you come up from the beach after an afternoon of playing in the surf and @ 4:15 everything is closed up tight?

5. The closet door that was ripped from its hinges and left standing against the wall for my one year old to come along and pull down on herself - was it fixed- no, just removed from the room so that the one year old could play with the vacuum cord and step-stool. Great fun for all!

6. No reference to any Disney characters anywhere in the resort. Are you Disney or not?

I could go on but I belive I have vented enough for one post. IMHO, the HHI resort is just another run-of-the-mill, high-society type beach resort with a Disney sign at the front gate. It has none of the theming, personality, or charm of the true Disney resorts in Orlando.

I will not waste my time again.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Sound like you are better off sticking with on-site DVC resorts, or possibly an all inclusive Club-Med type vacation. HH is a great change (and a nice one) for members who desire some variety and relaxation from thier DVC membership. It's a nice change from the 24/7 "All Disney" experience in Orlando. With so many great restaurants on HH, it's not difficult to get something to eat, and many deliver.

I suggest SSR for your next DVC trip.

 

[chorlick]

Thank you for that! We stayed there a couple of years ago. (My brother lives in HH so it was the perfect choice.) Hmmmmmm...we were REALLY disapointed. You are so right, if you didn't know it was a Disney Resort, you wouldn't know it was one. It was really a dead atmosphere. There is almost nothing to do with Disney there. It was a nice resort for a place to stay, but for the price, we liked the new Hampton Inn better. I thought maybe things had changed because of all of the recent posts of how great it is, but I guess not. I do agree with you!!!!!!

 

[KennySC]

Maybe your problems began with the thought that Hilton Head is "snooty-ville". We love Hilton Head and the resort. You do list some valid issues but now would change my mind about either. As for seeing Disney stuff, there were little Mickey's on the name badges.

 

[WolfpackFan]

To each his own. One less person to have to compete with for reservations. We absolutely love "snootyville" and wish ALL our points were there.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Eeyouch! It's been a few years since we've been to HH, but it certainly seemed like a great place to us. Different. We really loved the marsh lands, nature, and quieter atmosphere of the resort. Wished the ocean was closer. I hope you pointed out all issues to the HH Resort manager in writing upon departure. We always make sure to point out even the smallest issues. We're not nitpickers, but for whatever reason it seems the housekeeping staff sometimes don't see the issues that seem obvious to us. So it is important for us, (part owners really) to keep management on their toes. Sounds like your'e a young family and on site resorts probably will be your best stays for a while. Wherever it is I certainly wish you a happier time.

 

[WolfpackFan]

It was a nice resort for a place to stay, but for the price, we liked the new Hampton Inn better.

Last time I checked, I don't believe Hampton Inn's have 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Wow, I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience at HHI.

Do you own points there? You got in during the summer, and in a studio, I thought they were hard to come by.

At any rate, I hope Pixie Dust makes all of the rest of your DVC vacations sparkle!

Bobbi

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Off message here, but what is the bad report icon in the left column? Seems everyone has it but me.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Off message here, but what is the bad report icon in the left column? Seems everyone has it but me.

I don't think you would want to report a bad post that you made. I can see one icon for everyone but me, bobbi!

 

[chorlick]

We did't need a 1,2 or 3 bedroom. Plus we weren't DVC members so we just made cash reservations. We only stayed in a studio so my experience was with that. I guess if I had my whole family, then it would be a different story, but thinking about that, I wouldn't have paid cash for a 1,2 or 3 bedroom at HH either. (Two rooms at the HI would have been ok and CHEAPER!!!!) Two totally different scenarios.

 

[KennySC]

You don't see the little bad report icon for your own posts.

 

[CarolA]

I don't like the resort, but it appears to me that anyone who goes some place calling it "Snooty-ville" started with a chip on thier shoulder.

I found it much nicer then the Hampton Inn there (which I have also stayed in!) However, I perfer to rent a villa within the plantations (Guess that is REALLY "Snooty-ville" LOL!)

 

[TCPluto]

I don't like the resort, but it appears to me that anyone who goes some place calling it "Snooty-ville" started with a chip on thier shoulder.

I found it much nicer then the Hampton Inn there (which I have also stayed in!) However, I perfer to rent a villa within the plantations (Guess that is REALLY "Snooty-ville" LOL!)

We love the resort and the Island.

But I can see where if someone was expecting a WDW experience how they could be disappointed. It's not a WDW experienc, but a great experience with a little WDW flavor.

The maintenance issues are not acceptable, but you get these anywhere. Still doesn't make it right.

The off site dining was a condition of the resort being built in the first place. The marina didn't exist until Disney developed the property. The only way Disney was allowed to proceed with the construction was the marina development and the contigency of no onsite restaurants, because the area restaurants would be negatively affected.

We'll be there, loving the place, sitting next to Wolfpackfan at the fish boil.

 

[Ms.Mouse]

WOW!!!! I was thinking about going to HH at some point next year BUT.... I don't know now.....
It wouldn't bother me that it doesn't have the "Disney theming" because it's in the Carolinas.... NOT WDW!!! It would be just another nice change to relax in a place that you would expect to have the "Disney Clean and Kept Up" though (which it doesn't sound like that is being done). In fact, that is why I would reconsider.... No food after 5 on premises!!!! What if you don't feel like getting into a car whether or not you like the surrounding areas???? And what about putting someone into a room that needed maintenance????? NOT RIGHT!!! I would have complained about that.... Get in and fix those doors NOW!!!! Points are $$$$ too!!!!!

Oh well, that's just my opinion... Now I'm going to sit back and watch the "snooty-ville" vs "non-snooty-ville" fights take place

 

[Ms.Mouse]

Off message here, but what is the bad report icon in the left column? Seems everyone has it but me.

What is a bad report icon anyway?????

 

[lisaviolet]

There are restaurants in walking distance.....

 

[DisDaydreamer]

MsMouse hope you don't really choose to skip HH based on a couple of bad remarks. It is DISNEY, and it is different, but a good different. My DW and I want to visit all the DVC resorts and have our own opinions of each. We don't really compare one resort to another, we just know what WE like (and not like) about each. It's been a few years since we have been to HH, but I don't even recall food being an issue. We typically make most of our own meals anyhow.

 

[Doctor P]

Obviously tastes differ, and I am sorry the OP didn't have a good experience at the DVC at HH. That said, some of the OP's criticism's need to be put in context: 1) climbing stairs: because the OP was in a studio, there was less than a 25% chance that they would have to climb stairs to get to their unit. There are only five studios located outside a building with an elevator, so they lost out on luck of the draw; 2) lack of luggage assistance: unreasonable expectation at at timeshare, I think. This is not a hotel. 3) most units at HH have a full kitchen, so planning around the lack of on-site dining after 5:00 pm can be relatively easy, including getting cold sandwiches wrapped to go. 4) there are plenty of dining options within EASY walking distance of the resort, and even more within an EASY bike ride; few are snooty, LOL; 5) in general, HH is the quietest of any resort I have ever stayed at. We occasionally got noise from the adjoining neighbors balcony, and some noise from kids inside, but much, much quieter than the on-site DVC resorts.

The maintenance issues should have been addressed and are something to be concerned about.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Ms.Mouse I think I mis-quoted the label. It is called "Report Bad Post" and I now believe it is to be used report a bad post (maybe a naughty post). Anyway it is an icon that you see on other's posts, not your own as it was pointed out to me you wouldn't report your own bad post.