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.

My family went to South Carolina for a short get away. We heard Bluffton was centrally located and easy to get in and out out of. Having great experiences with Marriott in general we, as well as several friends, booked rooms with this hotel. We found the staff to be very friendly and available, the hotel was spotlessly clean inside and out, the beds were very soft and comfortable, the pool and hot tub were very nice, the continental breakfast was great (everything was fresh), and it was very quiet. When we return to South Carolina we will surely stay here again. I would recommend this hotel to anyone, whether on business or a family vacation. Bluffton did not offer a lot but a short drive in just about any direction got you to the sites and business areas. This is a great place to stay!

Clean but old very in need of renovation but staff was friendly and free breakfast was decent.

Night clerk, who checked us in, unfriendly – never smiled
Carpet badly stained;
Room had an acrid smell
furniture marked and scraped
bathroom clean; Breakfast was ordinary but sufficient
We reserved for 2 nights but left after the first night for a Hampton Inn that cost about $17 more per night but was well worth it.
Ratings:
Overall: 2.0
Rooms: 2.0
Service: 2.5
Cleanliness: 2.0
Pool: Not rated