We have stayed at Monarch from the moment the ocean front building opened. Yes, there are some problems but frankly they seem to be with folks that want a "resort". We are a family oriented timeshare where most of us cook and like to have our own facilities to cook. We do not want to pay the cost of bringing in outside "restaurants" nor do we want to lose the feeling of the "resort" which existed when we bought. Most of us do not trade our units and prefer knowing our neighbors who return each year. There are tons of restaurants on the island to cater to every taste and more activities than you can possibly do in one week, but they are not based at Monarch such as:biking, golfing, sailing, sightseeing, walking, garden explorations, birding, all ocean sports, canoeing on the lagoons, windsurfing, shopping, building sandcastles. What have I missed?
Monarch serves as a home base for all these family activities and few stay on the property 24/7 as they may do at some full service resorts.
The island is 12 miles long, so for many trips a car is recommended.

My family and I returned from our stay at the Monarch and we were a bit disappointed. This was our first year using our timeshare. We own in Palm Desert at a brand new resort, so maybe that is why the Monarch did not live up to our expectations.

Our villa was still being cleaned at 4 p.m. on check-in day, but we were able to get in shorty after 4. We were very pleased with the location of our villa. We stayed in the Magnolia building which also houses the lobby and it had a great view of the ocean and the pool area. However, the lagoon area that snaked its way through the property was a pretty disgusting algae green color. We realize it is very humid in August in South Carolina and probably hard to control the algae, but it was just plain unpleasant to look at.

On the last full day of our stay, the main pool was roped off and was not able to be used until 5 p.m. There was no written explanation as to what was wrong (a note in the lobby, a memo under our villa door, or a phone message).

The villa itself was recently renovated and the furnishings and decor were very appealing. However, the resort does show its age and there was a lack of craftsmanship and attention paid to small details. (i.e. bathroom sliding door off track, appliances not leveled, screen door bent). Although most of the items were minor, for the amount of money we pay each month/year to be Marriott timeshare owners, we expect a certain standard of quality.

We did have a larger problem with cockroaches. Over the course of the week, we killed 7 and found a couple dead in the villa. Being located on the 4th floor, we found this kind of strange. We actually did not report it to management until we left, so I don't know what they would have done for us. We quite honestly did not want to pack up all of our belongings and our two young children to switch villas, so we dealt with the bugs.

On the positive, the Monarch is very conveniently located in Sea Pines Plantation. It is close to shopping, restaurants, South Beach and Harbourtown. We did not rent bikes on this trip, but the flat geography of Hilton Head makes it a perfect place for a family bike ride. The Monarch activities staff did a nice job scheduling crafts and events for the kids and the whole family to participate in.

We will most likely return to Hilton Head, but will most likely not return to the Monarch.

Marriott should be ashamed to be associated with this property. I am a loyal Marriott customer. I am also a time share member thru Marriott and was "duped" into thinking this was a "resort". Give me a break. There were absolutely no amenities at this location. The pools were small, there are no bars or resturantss on property ( you have to go "next door" which means you have to leave the property )to have lunch. There is no witer or waitress service as there is nothig to serve! Who wants to pack a lunch for the pool on their vacation!!! The pool area is small and BORING. This place is good for families with very young children or those just looking for quiet time( except for the under 7 crowd carrying on all day.) What ever happened to nap time? If you want to have any fun, go somewhere else. I have a 13 year old son who was bored out of his mind. No food, bo drinks no arcade, no pool slide.. nada, zippo zilch. Unless you get this place for free, stay awa...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Get the point?

We stayed here 3 nights as part of a Marriott time share promotion. I will not go into a long description as there are already many on this site. However I will say we encountered no problems/dirt/mold/rust or worse. The resort was clean, quiet and in a wonderful location. It is 30 years old but appears to have been recently updated. I recommend renting bikes and biking to Harbor Town and South Beach.