The Low Country culture of South Carolina is marked by tall marsh grasses, hot summers and delicious seafood. A bit of a Low Country paradise, the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina provides visitors with all of the above and more. “The land has spoken to every generation,” says Marketing Manager Christine Wrobel. “You will never find another place like this.”
Stay
Lodging at Palmetto Bluff is an attraction all its own. “If the outside wasn’t so amazing, people would never leave their room,” laughed Wrobel. It might surprise new guests to learn that the inn-classic to South Carolina with its oversized porc -contains no guest rooms; instead guests stay in a cluster of cottages located on the 20,000-acre property. The cottages feature screened-in porches with views of the water or the forest, a fully stocked wet bar and Italian linens, as well as a steam shower and soaking tub.
History Lesson
Where the Palmetto Bluff village square sits today used to be the foundation of an impressive mansion, built in the early 1900’s by a rich banker from New York named Richard T. Wilson Jr. The estate was a hunting getaway for Wilson and designed specifically for the guests and parties of his socialite wife. But, in 1926, the four-story home caught fire and burnt to the ground. A devastated Wilson returned to New York, but hints and ruins of the majestic structure can still be found on the property.
“You get a complete spa experience,” Wrobel says, explaining that each shower is outfitted with organic bath and body products, including a eucalyptus spray that heightens the experience. And, once guests are finally ready to go outside and explore, they can plan their day with the touch of an iPad. Each room has a tablet through which guests can request spa times, golf tee times and more.
Play
As guests head out their door, they can go by foot or hop on one of the two bicycles that come standard with every cottage. Golf carts are also available to rent.
Visitors to Palmetto Bluff definitely need something with wheels in order to get around because there is so much to do and see. “Firsttime visitors so often schedule day trips to Savannah or Hilton Head, but when they get here they change their schedule,” says Wrobel. The property is surrounded by water-a saltwater river and a freshwater lagoon. “There’s saltwater and freshwater that creates a variety of wildlife you can see between our two ecosystems,” Wrobel explains.
Between the two bodies of water, there’s fishing, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and anything else a water lover can dream up. Wrobel says guests also have an excellent chance of spotting the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that live in the river year-round.
Though the property doesn’t have its own beach, boats are ready and available to float guests to private beaches and islands. An antique yacht called Grace offers weekly waterway excursions, including wine cruises and scenic river cruises. “Grace just turned 100 last year and she is just an amazing boat,” says Wrobel, adding that Grace is one of only a handful of 100-year-old boats left in the world.
For land lovers, there’s the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. The golf champion had a hand in designing the course, as did the inn’s wildlife management team.
“They explained to the designers the value of the trees-100-year-old oaks- and waterways and the value of the wildlife,” says Wrobel.
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Drive Time: 6 hoursLearn More: palmettobluff.com
“The course literally fits into the land. When you go out on the course it feels like an amazing walk through nature. It feels like it’s been there forever.”
For a more relaxing outing, the onsite spa offers treatments that are specific to the area. “We provide really indigenous treatments,” Wrobel says. “The mud treatments are incredibly specific to our spa.” During the early 1900’s, she explains, young courting couples would walk down to the river and play in the rich pluff mud which is located beneath the marsh grass on the riverside, made so rich by the decomposition of the marsh grasses.
“So the spa took a sample of it to a lab to recreate it with all the rich qualities,” says Wrobel. “As much of the herbs, minerals and components of the spa treatments we can get locally or from South Carolina, we use.”
That includes the Carolina gold rice used in scrubs. Then there’s the sweet milk and rosebud scrub, sourced from the lovely rose gardens right outside the spa.
“There’s so much to do, but if you don’t want to do anything but sit and relax, we have amazing vistas everywhere you look,” adds Wrobel. “You just can’t help but relax as the sunlight filters through the live oaks and the moss; it just takes you to another place.”
Dine
The inn is like the center of a small village-a village with its own vibrant food scene.
Inside the inn walls is the upscale dining option River House Restaurant. According to Wrobel, this restaurant focuses on local farmers’ produce and meat, with an additional elegant flair. The high-quality menu features everything from Low Country shrimp and grits to seared duck. For those casual meals between outings, Buffalo’s is the place to go.
“It has a very casual environment and a great menu. It’s what everybody wishes their local corner restaurant would be like,” Wrobel says.
Buffalo’s serves up tasty go-to items like the Buffalo burger and local shrimp tacos. Then there’s the fried green tomatoes, sweet potato fries and fried pickle spears. Situated above the canoe and kayak storage is The Canoe Club Restaurant. “It really focuses on the bounty of the river-shrimp, oysters,” says Wrobel. The Canoe Club also adds a focus on southern comfort with buttermilk fried chicken, fried oyster po’boys and more.