Hilton Head on a Low Budget

I%26#39;ve been searching tripadvisor and various vacation rentals sites for a couple of weeks for a budget-minded 2br for me, my husband, and four 16 year olds guys for the week beginning 5/30--unfortunately the first week of kill-budget rates. Our first stay there last year was at the Breakers, but it was too small really. Looking for comparable access to beach and shops and restaurants. Strangely, the guys loved going to Piggly Wiggly on their own.

Anyway, any suggestions? Courtside $700; Surf%26#39;s Court $750; HHB%26amp;T $500; Fiddlers Cove $545 -- so far these are the best quotes I%26#39;ve been given, all very generous.

Should I give up the search now and pick up about a month before--would I have better luck with the rates then?

Thanks.

Hilton Head on a Low Budget

Have you tried the VRBO website? You may able to find exactly what you are looking for at the right price renting directly from the owner.

Hilton Head on a Low Budget

Thanks Amy. Yeah, I am exclusively rent off VRBO where ever I go. After we invited all the guys, we found out one had to do band camp the 5/23 week, so that pushed us all out a week and out of budget, to be honest.

I%26#39;ve also tried greatrentals, hiltonheadvacationrentals, vacationrentalpeople, homeaway, ownervacationrentals, a1vacations, hhicondo, hiltonheadvacation, vacationcompany, clearstay, vacationsbyowner, hhibeachretreat, flipkey, and seriously about 20 more!

Thanks though; that%26#39;s the best rec I could give to anyone as well.

A 2br at HHB%26amp;T for $500 sounds unusually cheap. Make sure they aren%26#39;t quoting you a 1br with bunks in the hall (just like Breakers) and that it is in decent condition.

HHB%26amp;T is on the oceanfront, great oceanfront pool, walking distance to Adventure Cove for miniature golf. Check Shoreroom Ballroom%26#39;s event schedule to see if there is a teen-friendly concert or event that week.

Rent bikes and they can easily get to Port Royal Plaza, Bi-lo, McDonald%26#39;s, Pineland Station, Main Street and Wal-mart to the north and Fuddruckers, Shelter Cove Mall and Shelter Cove Marina to the south. Even Coligny and The Crossings Skateboard Park aren%26#39;t an unreasonable bike ride on the paved bike paths. We always used Hilton Head Ice Cream as a bike destination. It%26#39;s about 5 miles each way.

If you are looking to cut costs, take the guys to Yummy House for the $6.95 chinese lunch buffet. Pizza Hut also has a pizza/pasta buffet for $8.95. You might not need to feed them dinner. ;)

As for waiting, we%26#39;re seeing tons of vacationers already. The roads are crowded and spring bookings are pretty good. I expect there will be a mad rush to lock in summer vacation rentals very soon.

I%26#39;d suggest Hilton Head Resort where I own, but I%26#39;m not aware of anyone that rents for less then $650.

Good luck!

- Jeff Morgan

Thanks Jeff!

Hey Jeff, the guy at HHB%26amp;T wanted the deposit and a copy of my license. Is that normal? I%26#39;ve rented from folks on VRBO a few times and never had that come up before. And do you think HHB%26amp;T is a good spot?

I suspect he%26#39;s just making sure you are a real renter and not a Nigerian scam. If you offered to pay with a money order, he should have immediately gone on ';high alert';. A typical scam is they send an ';international money order'; that turns out to be more than the rental amount, then ask for a refund of the difference. Two months later the money order turns out to be fake and the owner lost the amount of the refund. I usually get 2 or 3 of these scam ';offers'; each year. Maybe this owner has been burned before.

Each HHB%26amp;T villa is individually owned. The resort itself is fine and was rated one of the top 10 family resorts on HHI a few years ago. My wife has sold several villas there so I%26#39;ve been there many times.

When we were hunting our condo back in 1997 we stayed a weekend at HHB%26amp;T and a weekend at Hilton Head Resort. The one bedrooms are just too small for extended stays. My wife wanted to live at the beach during the summers with our two kids. We chose the larger 2br units at HHR. HHB%26amp;T has some 2 bedrooms in the Tennis Villas and Admiral%26#39;s Row. The rest are 1 br with bunks in the hall (as far as I have seen).

I wouldn%26#39;t have any problem staying at HHB%26amp;T. It%26#39;s a hopping place with lots of families and activity in the summer. Your sixteen year olds should have a great time in a relatively safe, gated environment.

- Jeff