I spent last week in Beaufort, SC for a business trip. I decided to stay at the Fairfield Inn in Bluffton to save some money and stay closer to Hilton Head.
The hotel can be difficult to find (-). The turn is located right off of Rt 170, just north of the US 278-Interchange, but there is no "Fairfield Inn" sign along the road. However, this does provide guests with quick access to Rt 170 and US 278 (+). Parking is sufficient.
Check-in only took a minute and the staff was very courteous (+). My king room was spacious (+), but had an unfavorable smell (-), almost like too much perfume. It was pretty powerful and I noticed it each day after I returned home from work. The bed was comfortable (+) and had several pillows (+). The television was the standard 27".
My room faced Highway 258 and I could hear the traffic if the air conditioner was not running (-). The hotel has a pool (+), but it is located on the busy-highway side of the hotel (-).
The hotel has a nice complementary breakfast bar (++): make-your-own waffles, assorted cereal, bagels, muffins, donuts, toast, instant oatmeal, instant grits, fresh fruit, milk, orange juice, apples, and bananas. Seating can be tight in the morning, but I always found an open table. Although the breakfast bar shuts down at 10am, apples, bananas, and ice water are always available throughout the rest of the day (+).
The hotel is not within walking distance of any major restaurants or shopping areas; however, 5 minutes east on US 278 provided numerous dining and shopping opportunities (++). Jim & Nick's BBQ was excellent (it's a chain restaurant, but a must visit if you enjoy BBQ) and Moe's Southwest Grill was tasty (another chain, but very good). The only local place I visited was Hudson's seafood restaurant. I ordered scallops and shrimp. I tried them broiled, and they were very bland (lacked seasoning). I sent the plate back and ordered them fried instead, but that wasn't much help. The food was very fresh, but lacked any kind of flavor that you would expect from a nice dining establishment. The only redeeming part of the meal was the hush puppies. They were amazing! But I digress.

I would rate the Fairfield Inn as a 7 on a 10-pt scale. If the rooms felt a little fresher (nicer smell, better carpets), then I would rate the hotel as an 8.