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Escape the Ordinary—Hilton Head Luxury Retreats

Are you thinking of your next trip to Hilton Head Island? Great! We are in full agreement with your plan, and even though you certainly didn’t ask for our advice or counsel, we will just plow ahead and speak to the four points of the headline above – how to escape the ordinary with fabulous Hilton Head Luxury Retreats:

ESCAPE: Yes! Do. Often. As often as you can and go ahead and go even when you think you can’t or shouldn’t. You’ve heard the adage that no one ever approaches death’s door wishing he (or she) had spent more time at the office. And I should know. I’m typing this on Saturday evening of Thanksgiving weekend. At my office. BUT—I just escaped for a few days with my daughter, so I’m even.

THE ORDINARY: Ordinary. Mundane. Humdrum. Yep, escape all of these. I read the other day that once a year you should go someplace you’ve never been. I would agree with that. If you have never been to Hilton Head Island, make it a first in 2016. Or, if you’ve been here dozens of times, come back—and do something new. Dine at different restaurants, play a different golf course. Never been kayaking? Go! Never visited the Coastal Discovery Museum? Do it! Be UN-ordinary. Even in your ordinary place.

HILTON HEAD: Gosh, we’ve received so many accolades of late, we’re almost blushing. Hilton Head Island is a Top 25 USA, Gold Award Bike Friendly Community with over 110 miles of paved paths and such lauded annual events as Bike and Dine Week, and has been voted #1 in the USA of World’s Best Islands by Travel and Leisure. Sea Pines is on a multitude of “top” lists (including Top 10 USA Family Resorts by Travel and Leisure) as is Palmetto Dunes—another consistently acclaimed family resort. Hilton Head is the perfect place to enjoy the beach and surf, golf, tennis, biking, nature, fishing, water sports, shopping, dining…… or to just do nothing at all. And not apologize for it. (See above, ESCAPE.)

LUXURY RETREATS: Hmmm…. This word, luxury. I suppose it means different things to different people. For instance, have you ever stayed at a “luxury resort” and wondered who on earth would have ever given it the term? Luxury is sometimes in the eye of the, well, luxuriant. We don’t really often use the “fancy” term luxury when describing Beverly Serral Signature Rentals, but perhaps we should. If you regard luxury as impeccable cleanliness and fabulous outfitting and equipping of accommodations, paired with superior guest communication and service, well, I suppose that is pretty luxurious after all.

So escape the ordinary. Enjoy Hilton Head luxury retreats as our guest, at one of our gorgeous Beverly Serral Signature Rentals.

Take a look at our beautiful homes and villas and start planning your Hilton Head Luxury Retreats!

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Top Ten Reasons Why Visiting Hilton Head Island, SC in the WINTER is a Great Idea!

Summer is the busiest and most popular season in Hilton Head Island, SC. However, most locals prefer the late fall / winter season. Why? Find out what are the top 10 reasons WINTER is a wonderful time to visit Hilton Head Island, SC.

10. Even in winter, we still have sunshine.

Our median daytime temperature in January is 60 degrees Fahrenheit—plenty warm enough to bike or play tennis or golf, or even take a beach walk. Moderate temperatures combined with plentiful sunshine (and way-less crowded beaches) make for some of the best outdoor days of the year in Hilton Head Island, SC.

9. Post-holiday shopping is great!

Enjoy lots of post-season sales on clothing, furniture, and more, all without having to navigate throngs of people. Spend a day at the Bluffton Tanger Outlets, but be sure to also visit our terrific local boutiques on the Island.

8. Spa appointments are easy to make.

With the absence of tourists and conventions, spa appointments are super easy to make and available throughout the day. We love the spa at Palmetto Bluff and the Heavenly Spa at the Westin, as well as Le Spa in Sea Pines. You deserve an “ahhhh” day.

7. Take a swing or two in an uncrowded tennis or golf clinic.

As you already know, Hilton Head Island, SC is one of the top destinations in the world for playing golf – voted, in fact, No. 10 by Golf Digest. Hilton Head Island, SC features over 20 world-class quality golf courses, both public and private, each with its own set of unique characteristics and challenges. Many courses offer unbeatable winter rates for golf –  which is a wonderful reason to visit Hilton Head Island, SC this winter!

6. Take time to dine!

Actually, dining takes much less time in winter, especially without all the long lines. All of our favorite restaurants are open year ‘round, and several that do NOT take reservations in summer, will do so in the winter. Look for winter specials and deals, too!

5. Winter is warm and at the worst “chilly.”

Even if it is a chilly day, you can binge on movies at Northridge Cinema with their cozy theater recliners. Make it a double feature—we bet the seat next to you is open.

4. You can easily explore some history.

Visit the Coastal Discovery Museum or the picturesque Old Town Bluffton. Trudging around with throngs of people in the summer heat is NO fun, which makes winter so much better for exploring sites such as the Indian Shell Ring and Baynard Ruins in Sea Pines.

3. It’s the best time to spend with the little ones!

It’s a great time to bring your toddlers and not-quite-school age children or grand children on vacation, and spend a day at the Sandbox Children’s Museum. You may even have the place to yourselves………. It is not to be missed but can be difficult to navigate on a rainy summer day.

2. Visit Savannah and surrounding areas.

Have you always wanted to spend a day in Savannah but couldn’t stand the thought of 100 degrees and loads of tourists? Now is your chance! Even Savannah is less crowded in winter, but still beautiful and chocked full of history, dining, and shopping.

1. Yep, you guessed it…………….

The #1 reason to visit Hilton Head Island, SC in winter is that while we have all of the same great amenities and activities, we have about 90% fewer people visiting. It is quiet and lovely here in winter—come join us. But don’t tell anyone else. Shhhhhh…

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What Exactly IS a Beverly Serral Signature Rental?

Completely Comfortable | Consistently Amazing

What Exactly IS a Beverly Serral Signature Rental?

The best words to describe a Beverly Serral Signature Rental are these two: completely comfortable.

A little background to begin: in 2004/2005 I jumped on the flipping bandwagon and began to buy, renovate, and resell properties in Sea Pines. My first property was a “gutting” at Muirfield on the Harbour Town golf course. Purchased with a friend, then renovated, sold and closed all within 100 days… at a healthy profit…and I thought I had found my true calling. Three months later I had found another “jewel” and set about duplicating my previous accomplishment on my own this time. Little did I know that I was about to be hit with a big “whoa, there sister– not so fast…..”.

Six months later in the spring of 2006, with the market turned on its head and that grand profit still eluding me, I decided that 17 Hollyberry had better start helping to support itself. But EVERYONE told me I could never rent a house in Greenwood Forest that didn’t even have its own pool. Now I love for someone to tell me I can’t do something, so I set out to do two things: (1) prove them wrong, and (2) pay the mortgage.

And that is how Beverly Serral Signature Rentals was born– only I didn’t know it at the time, I just had a mortgage payment to make! Just how would I rent a house in Greenwood Forest….with no private pool? Sea Pines was full of homes closer to the beach or Harbour Town, larger homes, newer homes. But I see a lot of homes, and I knew none was nicer or more comfortable than mine. I would make the house the draw. I would make it (1) impeccably clean and (2) fabulously outfitted and equipped. And just to make sure that not only were the accommodations enjoyable for my guests, I would make sure the entire experience, from inquiry to reservation to arrival to departure, was smooth, stress free, and easy as pie.

So I thought of every moldy, icky, ill-equipped beach house I had ever seen or stayed in, on Hilton Head or anywhere else. And I thought of several less-than-helpful-masquerading-as-helpful reservationists I had encountered along the way. I have been fortunate to stay in some very nice hotels in several parts of the world, and I have experienced posh oceanfront and mountaintop homes in the US, and I have always wondered why a regular old 6th or 7th row Forest Beach/Sea Pines/Palmetto Dunes beach house, or Plantation Club villa, or Greenwood Forest bungalow couldn’t be as welcoming or clean, or outfitted as thoughtfully as the nicest guest accommodations I had ever stayed in, or offered with the same consistency of amenity and ease of service of a Ritz Carlton.

The answer, of course, is that they can. They just usually……. aren’t.

But when they are…….ah, then the guest can concentrate on making memories, and enjoying the small things like searching for sand dollars, or making a special only-at-the-beach dinner, or reading a good book, rather than calling for a working toaster or re-washing cookware.

And that is a Beverly Serral Signature Rental. Two words to sum up our niche, our philosophy, our commitment, and our promise delivered since 2006: complete comfort.

After all, it’s our signature, but it’s your story.

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Summer Raves & Our Guest’s Delight

What’s summer without a little ranting and raving?  Quite honestly, we don’t hear too much ranting once our guests arrive at one of our Signature Rentals– they mostly rant that they can’t get here fast enough or stay long enough or visit often enough.   But very often we do receive very kind notes of thanks and appreciation.  This particular  “rave” landed in our inbox this weekend and it made us so happy that we asked for and received permission to publish it.

Dear Beverly:

What a fabulous stay we had last week at 2204 Heritage Villas.  First class experience with you and your team that started with our first connection to your website.  We got the perfect place for our family of 2 parents and 4 teen agers.  Exceptionally well-appointed and furnished at perfect location.  Immaculate pool was gorgeous, never crowded, and was the perfect water temperature.  Wifi and HighDef TVs were sensational – watched all the US Open golf highlights in the evenings after our days on the water and at the beach.  Easy, short, enjoyable walks to Harbour Town and Sea Pines Center for any meals or knick-knacks we needed.  100% recommend and plan to return – ideally to the exact same unit.  Simply could not have been better.

Unbelievably great job.  Wish I was the owner.  I’m serious.

Thank you so very much,

B. Groves and family

We work diligently to offer exceptional homes and villas to exceptional guests, and to provide exceptional service and a fabulous experience for all involved—including our owners.  We invite you to become a guest or homeowner and experience our Signature service firsthand.  Contact us today at 843.341.3600 or guestservices@beverlyserral.com or Beverly Serral directly at beverly@beverlyserral.com

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Hilton Head Vacation Rentals and What to Look For

Do the gray skies of winter have you dreaming of blue skies and your summer vacation rental on Hilton Head?  Us, too! We know it is just about time to start scouring the internet for your next vacation accommodations on Hilton Head Island, so we are offering up these top 5 things to consider while perusing:

  1. Location!  This is a personal choice and there are lots of options, but we encourage you to think about your group (ages, abilities, desired activities) and then delve in.  For instance, a home on North Forest Beach, within a 2-3 minute walk to ocean, might work best for a multi-generational family with very small children.  A villa overlooking one of Palmetto Dunes golf courses might appeal most to a girls or guys golf trip, and a house with pool in Sea Pines would be ideal for a family who wants easy access to a variety of activities including biking, land and water sports, shopping and dining.
  2. Cleanliness!  Pore over a property’s reviews, paying close attention to how often it is noted as very clean or super clean or the like.  Is there anything worse than arriving at your vacation rental and having to clean or call for cleaning?  We can’t think of much.
  3. Outfitting and Equipping!  Just what should you expect to find behind closed (cabinet) doors?  Hopefully, your chosen home or villa offers up most everything you will need for a comfortable and convenient vacation stay.  This should include quality bed and bath linens, kitchenware in abundant supply and excellent condition, and electronics, bedding, and furnishings all as good or better than you have at home.
  4. Service!  From reservation to arrival to stay and departure, your experience should be one of ease and convenience.  Reach out to Guest Services—do you receive a timely reply? Are all of your questions answered? Are you confident that you will be assisted immediately should you have need during your stay? Again, those property reviews can be very helpful here.
  5. Experience!  Quite unabashedly, we think there is no better place to experience so many, well, experiences, as Hilton Head Island.  Within just about 12 linear miles you can (literally) golf, beach, tennis, swim, bike, hike, shop, and dine to your heart’s content.  Did we mention history exploration, wine tasting, festival going, parasailing, fishing, water tubing and skiing, and zip lining?  Whew!  You may just need a vacation from your vacation……….
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Why Choose a Sea Pines Vacation Rental?

Ok, so we just don’t work and play in Sea Pines, we actually live here. It is our favorite spot on Hilton Head Island for all kinds of reasons, but here are 5 local tips as to why you should choose a Sea Pines Vacation Rental:

5. We rarely have to leave Sea Pines. Just about everything we need is located within the “gates” of Sea Pines—beach, biking, water sports, tennis and golf, shopping, drinks, dining—it is all here within our 5,000 acre community. And when we do have to venture out for groceries or a movie or a manicure, it is almost always within a 5 MINUTE drive. Seriously! We never even have to go to the north end of the Island unless we have to the hospital or Wal Mart. Neither of which we like to visit very much.

4. We have lots of choices for “getting around”: Of course we drive cars, but biking is also huge (we have 14+ miles of paved paths plus wide, hard sand beaches), and walking and running are especially nice under the moss-draped live oaks. Plus—South Beach and Harbour Town marinas offer up chartered cruises, as well as jet skis and parasailing. All great options.

3. Our beach is best. And that’s not just us saying it! The readers of Travel and Leisure, Coastal Living and Trip Advisor agree. The nearly 5 miles of beach in Sea Pines offers up soft sand and great dolphin watching along the Calibogue Sound from South Beach and around to the beginning of the Atlantic. Head north to the Sea Pines Beach Club and enjoy loads of hard packed sand at low tide—great for biking, running, ball throwing for dogs, and just plain strolling—plus soft sand to sit sink your toes into.

2. We can do it all, or do nothing at all. Do you like your vacation structured and busy or calm and restful? Either way, Sea Pines is the place. Hop up early for sunrise yoga on the beach, followed by a trail ride and tennis clinic, then shopping and cocktails before dinner, OR—wake up, read, snooze, read, lunch, then snooze some more. We say “ahhhhh” to both options.

We simply enjoy nature. If you have never been to Hilton Head Island, and Sea Pines in particular, you are in for a natural treat. There is simply nothing like a Sea Pines sunrise, unless it is watching the sun set over neighboring Daufuskie Island. Or observing the rookery of snowy egrets at the lagoon at Lawton Stables. Or watching alligators, turtles and great blue herons bask alongside each other on the banks of Sprunt Pond. The visionary founder of Sea Pines, Charles Fraser, meant for this to be a special place where people and nature coexist peacefully. And we do.

We invite you to join us.

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When Fido Wants To Go On Vacation, You Need A Pet Friendly Rental

Traveling with your dog isn’t just for ladies with purse pooches anymore. Families, singles, and couples are taking their pets on vacation—and especially to resort areas which welcome dogs.  When everyone including Fido wants to go on vacation, it’s time to take a look at pet friendly rentals on Hilton Head Island.

We find that most of our “with pet” travelers are experienced in toting their dogs by car or plane, and are respectful guests when accompanied by their dogs. Many of our Signature Rentals on Hilton Head do welcome dogs—even multiple dogs- so we thought it might be helpful to know what you can and should expect from a pet welcoming rental, and also what is expected of you and your pet.

Hilton Head Pet Friendly Rentals in 2018

The good news is that they are mostly great!  Gone are the days of icky carpet and pet smell.  First, the great majority of pet friendly rentals really only welcome dogs—not cats.  As people are more allergic to cat dander, the availably of cat welcoming rentals has diminished greatly over the years. And carpet in general is on the way out as a vacation rental flooring.  You will find most dog welcoming rentals—and ALL of our dog welcoming Signature Rentals — to be uber clean and of the highest quality.

Today, luxury rentals- and hotels- not only allow most breeds of dogs, but they put out the woof welcome mat. Accommodations may include pet treats or toys, perhaps the staff will assist with or supply crates or other equipment, and should always include special cleaning protocols at departure.  Certain breeds may be excluded due to a variety of reasons, not limited to temperament or size. For instance, our Signature Rentals do not allow for, unfortunately, the oily coated breeds like Labradors, boxers, pugs, and the like.  We just found it too difficult to remove their sticky, straight hairs. Much as we love a black lab, give us a fluffy haired golden retriever anytime!

But—speaking of hair—do be a good guest and clean after your pet.  You should not have to scrub the floors, but leaving tumbleweeds of hair on the floor or evidence of pets in beds will often result in an additional cleaning fee levied by housekeeping, and, is just not cool.  Having your dog sleep in your bed is fine when it IS your bed.  If you simply cannot keep Rover on the floor at night, bring your own big blanket and drape the bed.  Then, fold it up and take it with you!  Same goes for furniture.  And ALWAYS pick up after your pet when outdoors.

Speaking of outdoors, we love to see people’s fur kids enjoying their vacation, but for everyone’s safety and enjoyment, there are rules for dogs on Hilton Head Beaches.  From the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. dogs are not permitted on the beach, and different leash rules apply at different beaches. 

Whether indoors or out,  just remember that not all guests of the island will be accompanied by dogs or be lovers of dogs.  And that’s ok.  Our goal, mostly met and exceeded for 12+ years of welcoming dogs, is that no guest should know if or when a pet was in residence. 

Sometimes, though, it’s the people who are messy, but we just sic the dogs on ‘em.

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What’s In a Name? At BESTNEST by Beverly Serral, a lot.

So a funny thing happened in 2005. A girl (me) set about buying, renovating and reselling real estate. This worked fine until 2006, when our market slowed. By 2007, our market had stalled, and by 2008 it had fallen off the same cliff as……..well, you know the rest.

But they say that necessity is the mother of invention (the necessity being the mortgage payment at 17 Hollyberry Lane), and so just like that, I was in the rental business.

When we expanded our portfolio from one property to two, our concept became one of consistency, and we gave our little burgeoning business a name (mine): Beverly Serral Signature Rentals. Two properties grew to four, then ten, then twenty plus. ‘Round about 2010, I thought it might be a good idea to “certify” all of our rental properties, in order to give our guests even more peace of mind about the product.

A BESTNEST would be just that—the best vacation rental ever, consistently, every time. A BESTNEST would be completely comfortable, fabulously outfitted and equipped, fastidiously clean, and the entire vacation experience would be smooth and stress free because, let’s face it—stress is what people are trying to vacation from.

Looking back to 2006: Of course vacation rentals existed on the internet, but we had no idea then what would become the “sharing economy”, Airbnb didn’t exist, Expedia hadn’t yet paid $4B for HomeAway. Even in the early days, I knew that there was a need and desire among travelers for (1) comfort and convenience, and (2) consistency of product. No surprises at your vacation accommodations is a good thing.

Looking forward from 2018: We know that the BESTNEST concept is needed, sought after, and appreciated now more than ever.

And so, we now transition (in name) from Beverly Serral Signature Rentals to BESTNEST. BESTNEST is what we’ve been making and doing and sharing for 12+ years, and now we make it official.

Today Hilton Head Island, tomorrow—who knows where?? But as long as you BOOK A BESTNEST, you can rest easy.

Want to perhaps join the fun and family? To BE A BESTNEST, contact Beverly directly at 843.341.3600 or beverly@beverlyserral.com

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Imagine Your Next Hilton Head Vacation… differently.

Imagine this……..

You work 51 weeks for a 7-night trip to the beach.  Six months ahead, you go online and filter through hundreds of possible Hilton Head Vacation Rentals that will fit your needs.  You email with the owner/manager.  The property photos are decent and the reviews are mostly very positive.  You take the plunge and hand over your credit card.  You are pretty picky, but most other people are, too, right?  Surely you can trust what you see on the internet.

Summer comes!  After 10 hours in the SUV with kids in tow, over burning asphalt, and through multiple traffic tie ups, you finally arrive at your home away-from-home.  It looks the same as the photos, but something is not quite right.

The kids immediately head for the WiFi.  First you cannot find the connection, then you cannot find the password. Lastly, you cannot find anyone to help you. 

You head to the kitchen and open a cabinet.  Dishes? Well, sort of.  Cookware?  Looks like it came from your son’s college apartment.  Ample dish towels, quality implements, matching glassware?  Um, no.

Next to the closets.  Hangers?  A jumbled mess from multiple dry cleaners.  Extra blankets? Again, sort of. (Messy, seem dirty.)  Extra pillows?  Some, but lumpy and uncased.

A check under the bed?  Ok, but you are almost afraid to…..  Found:  an empty water bottle and 2 J. Crew tags.  Not the end of the world, but makes painfully obvious the fact that no one really took care to make your stay welcoming or joyous.

Now imagine your vacation rental experience differently……..

Have you read the book about cleaning out clutter?  The author tells you to discard anything that does not give you JOY.  Here and now–  and somewhat related—discard your old way of discerning and evaluating a potential vacation rental property.  As a matter of fact, allow us to do it for you.  

Each BESTNEST vacation rental property is inspected and certified as attaining our high standards for outfitting, equipping, and cleanliness, and each and every BESTNEST is consistently outfitted and equipped.  So no matter the location or size or price of your chosen property, you will always know exactly what awaits you.   

Book A Best Next Vacation Rental Today » … and rest easy!

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Two Islands We Love: Hilton Head and Manhattan

Beach or City? 

We love Hilton Head Island—that’s no secret, of course, but we also love some city time and New York City is our fave. We recently furnished and outfitted our first NYC apartment, found and secured through our association with Rodrigo De Faria of CitiHabitats, a division of NRT, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company which owns established brands such as The Corcoran Group and Sotheby’s among others. Rodrigo excels in locating and negotiating the ideal spaces for his buyer and leasing clients in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. 

Start the conversation with us (we’ve learned a lot about the various neighborhoods and micro-neighborhoods) and we can introduce you to Rodrigo when you are ready to hit the street—so to speak.  We can also visit open houses for you—saving you time and expense- as you begin your search in earnest.

To sum it up—we want to be—and are!—your one stop shop for all things real estate, rental, and renovation in the Hilton Head market.  AND, we can help you tremendously if you are pondering a Manhattan dwelling as well. Contact Beverly personally at 843.341.3600 or 843.290.1663 (m) or beverly@beverlyserral.com and let’s start the conversation!