We just returned from a 4-night stay in Unit B-304 in the Port O Call villas at Wild Dunes. Even though the furnishings aren't upscale (like at the Boardwalk Inn or Village at Wild Dunes), the condo is cute and the oceanfront location made our time there memorable. We took advantage of a Wild Dunes-offered package that allowed us to add a 4th night at no charge, so it was extremely affordable, too.

The weather was mostly to partly cloudy with temps in the low to mid-60's for daytime highs, but other than swimming, we were able to do everything we wanted to do. With Charleston such an easy commute, we enjoyed walking the historic district and shopping on King Street - and my husband was glad to get in a round of golf at the Harbor Course located on Wild Dunes. And, of course, being oceanfront allowed us to walk the beach at will - and enjoy the fabulous sights and sounds each day and night from our screened deck and bedroom windows. This unit also has a "widow's walk" located up a spiral staircase - but it was not accessible at this time (darn!).

As to local restaurant suggestions, we like the Sea Biscuit on the Isle of Palms for breakfast - and on the resort itself, The Lettered Olive is very nice. In Charleston, I would highly recommend Magnolia for wonderful food and lovely decor. If you're looking for a place for outstanding seafood and absolutely NO ambiance at all (but it's worth it), seek out "The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene" located on Shem Creek - the fried shrimp and oysters are amazing - and the Key Lime pie was the best we've ever tasted.

We look forward to returning to Wild Dunes - and though we may not specifically request this condo, I think that anyone who stays there would enjoy themselves as much as we did. (We also toured both a studio and 1-bedroom at the Village at Wild Dunes - and they are brand new and fabulous - so if you're looking for class *at a higher price*, stay there!)

We loved our condo (A 304). The A building is not an oceanfront building, but the ocean views from our condo were fabulous! The condo was very clean and had everything we needed for our stay. The kitchen was small, but well equipped and supplied (kitchen soaps, paper towles, etc). The bedroom and bath were both quite large and all our linens and towels were provided. It was great to have a washer and dryer and we appreciated the internet access, too. The screen porch was wonderful and accessible from both the living room and bedroom. It was amazing to fall asleep and wake up to the sight and sound of the ocean waves!

Wild Dunes was great.....clean, beautifully landscaped and all the people we met were very nice. It felt like a very safe place, too. We walked on the big, beautiful beach every day and collected a great variety of shells (didn't find any shark's teeth though).

We booked our stay through Island Realty and they were a pleasure to work with. Everyone we talked to was very pleasant and helpful. And they were running a great special for the winter months, so we got a great rate, too!

All in all, our condo at Port O' Call provided a great start to our South Carolina vacation!

First some information about Port O Call Generally:

As others have mentioned, Port O Call is a section of the gated resort community of Wild Dunes. Each unit of Port O Call is individually owned, and either rented by the owner, or a property management company. Wild Dunes is a large development, and Port O Call is just one small part of it. However, Wild Dunes is also an older development, which means its well landscaped and beautifully designed. The Port O Call section is in a quiet part of the development, away from the restaurants, tennis courts, etc. It's bracketed by the ocean on one side, and the golf course on the other. Port O Call consists of 7 buildings, each 3 stories tall, with a total of 9 condos per building. Buildings B & F are the ones that are directly on the ocean. They have the ultimate 180 degree views, with nothing between you & the beach. The other buildings may have ocean view, but they are set further back, and the view may be interrupted by landscape or the other buildings. All of the Port O Call units are one-bedroom, with a small kitchen, bathroom, breakfast nook, living room, washer/dryer & screened porch. The top levels also offer a rooftop balcony. Some old reviews mention that the beach eroded, but that has been repaired. There's a large beach area in front of the condos.

Next a review of Resort Quest:

We rented our unit through Resort Quest. Their website was easy to navigate, with an availability calendar that's kept up to date. I was able to book online, and since it was a last-minute trip, I got a great rate. Within 1 hour of booking, I received email confirmation of the reservation, along with all the information I needed in terms of maps, directions, what's provided in the condo, and what they recommend we bring with us. Their office on Isle of Palms is open 7 days/week, which is nice if you need anything. The DVD player was broken in our unit, so we were able to stop by the Resort Quest office & pick up a replacement.

Finally, a review of the specific unit we rented (B-302):

We really lucked our with our rental. It was a top floor, oceanfront unit. Some of the other reviews mention that the carpet in their unit smelled. The unit we rented (B-302) has tile & laminate flooring, so there's no carpet to worry about. (Smart owners!) The furnishings were comfortable. The apartment is bright & clean. The views are amazing from every room, but especially the bedroom. I've never woken up to an endless ocean view before. That combined with the sound of waves crashing as we fell asleep, made for a heavenly vacation. We also were able to access wireless internet while there, so we could check email or google local information when needed. We enjoyed meals on the island at the Sea Biscuit (breakfast), Long Island Cafe & Morgan Creek Grill. We cooked many of our meals as well, and it's worth leaving the island & going to the Piggly Wiggly instead of the local Red & White supermarket. The Piggly Wiggly is just a 5 minute drive, with much better selection & prices.

Overall, I'd give our vacation a 5-star review. We loved it all!