Staying at the Montage Palmetto Bluff – What You Need to Know!

Last weekend, for Easter weekend, we went down to the Montage Palmetto Bluff (from our hometown of Charleston!), so I wanted to recap the trip with our Montage Palmetto Bluff hotel review & some things you need to know about this place! I’ve had this gorgeous hotel on my list for so long, I was SO excited to finally experience it! 

And, while my expectations were high going in, the Montage Palmetto Bluff blew me away. If you’re looking for a quintessential experience of the American South, a five-star resort surrounded by scenic lowcountry and so much wildlife, there’s no better place. There’s something about this classic Southern escape that instantly relaxes you when you set foot on property. Maybe it’s the charming hospitality and next-level service. Maybe it’s the history, the emphasis on lowcountry culture, and the stunning South Carolina nature. Or the fact that they’ve thought of everything when it comes to creating the perfect lowcountry experience for their guests. Or maybe it’s just that they’ve mastered the slow, purposeful, beautiful, Southern pace of living and have found a way to encourage you to do the same. 

The Montage Palmetto Bluff is set on the beautiful May River in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, within a beautiful 20,000-acre community between Hilton Head Island and Savannah. Here at Palmetto Bluff, you’ll find hiking trails among a nature preserve, two picturesque villages with a bunch of dining options, a riverfront marina, a gorgeous pool and hot tub overlooking the river, and a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. It’s quaint and charming, yet grand. It’s classic, yet modern. And it’s luxurious, yet not stuffy in the least. I was so impressed with the service, the rooms, and the overall family-friendliness of the hotel! I love the Montage brand for all of their hotels (I recently stayed at the Montage in Napa Valley as well), and think the brand always does an amazing job at mastering the modern luxury resort experience.  

 

Here are 7 things to know about staying at the Montage Palmetto Bluff

“Porching” is a thing, and you’re going to love it

Watching the sunset from your screened-in porch is a staple of Palmetto Bluff experience, so “porching” with cocktails in hand is a nightly event when you stay here. You can either enjoy your own ‘porching’ from your own cottage, and/or you can head to the lobby at 3:30 each day for a social hour when resort guests gather to ‘porch’ together, with lemonade and cookies on the screened-in porch.  

The food is SO, SO good

Wow, I was blown away by the food at the Montage Palmetto Bluff. You have to book a dinner at the River House. It was one of the most exceptional and memorable meals we’ve ever had! I loved the strawberry burrata salad, the chef’s crab cake (the best crab cake I’ve ever had!), the oysters, the steak, and the wine list (the sommelier Coravin pours were out of this world!). This will be a meal you’ll talk about for ages. As far as the dress code, jackets are recommended for men, so be sure to pack one! 

For a more “casual” meal, that is still just as five-star, head to Octagon, where the sushi chef whips up some of the most delicious sushi rolls, and the burger is one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted. You can also get this same menu on room service if you choose to relax on your screened-in porch!

And, after dinner each night, you’ll want to head to the s’mores firepit where there are s’mores each night! So fun for the kiddos, and the adults! They even have gluten-free graham crackers available if you have an intolerance or allergy. 

It’s these little touches like the ‘porching’ and the nightly s’mores that make the sprawling resort feel so quaint. Less like a resort and more like you and your friends’ little summer house. It’s amazing. 

You can rent Uppababy products for your stay!

If you’re traveling with a baby to Montage Palmetto Bluff like we were, you’ll be happy to know Montage makes your life so much easier by having Uppababy products on property (we rented the Ridge all-terrain stroller and the REMI playard, which is suuuper nice and where our baby slept at night!). The Ridge all-terrain stroller was so nice to have to take advantage of the natural trails and surroundings of the property, and to not worry about bringing our own stroller! 

BTW: If you have older kids, Paintbox, the kids’ club, has daily activities that take advantage of the resort’s natural environment and wildlife, and lowcountry culture. 

Bikes are the preferred way to get around the Bluff

Make sure to grab a bike when you arrive, you’ll find biking around Palmetto Bluff is a part of the lowcountry experience! The trails here are gorgeous, or you can use your bike just to bop around the resort. 

Hushhhhh! There is a speakeasy on the Montage Palmetto Bluff property

Hush is an intimate speakeasy bar that pays homage to the storied past of speakeasy culture in the South.

The secret entrance below the River House intrigues and invites guests to escape to a new world. Staffed with the best mixologists on the Bluff, guests can linger and connect over the collection of carefully curated bourbon, rye and other premium spirits. It’s a cozy setting for happy hour, a post-dinner or a late night drink. The hours of the Speakeasy are Wednesdays-Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.

You can get JETSET reader resort perks, a complimentary upgrade and more

If you book through my preferred travel agent partner by submitting a contact form here and using the referral JETSETCHRISTINA. Here’s what you can get through booking with my referral code:

• Upgrade at time of booking, subject to availability
• Daily Full Breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
• $100 USD Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  
• Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Palmetto Bluff is only a 2 hour drive from Charleston!

If you’re wondering how far Palmetto Bluff is from Charleston, and if it’s possible to combine the two into one trip, it definitely is! I think this is such an important thing to note, because I think combining the two Southern destinations would make for such a great trip – especially if you’ve never been to either! You could fly into Charleston, and out of Savannah, and rent a car to drive between the two!

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