The Cloister

What a spectacular Forbes 5 Star resort The Cloisters is. As first time guests we were greeted with amazing holiday decorations from the drive in, hotel grounds, and lobbies. The Christmas trees and decorations were simply gorgeous. From the car park, valet, to our check-in -- wonderful welcoming staff. Our visit improved with each staff member we encountered. Day One - Check-in and room arrival was splendid. We opted for the River View suite (north wing) which did not disappoint. The gorgeous, vaulted ceiling (3rd top floor) and veranda overlooking Black Bank River at sunset was spectacular. We enjoyed the adult pool and steamy hot tub at the beach club prior to dinner in the River Bar. Our first day at The Cloisters was epic with sumptuous surroundings, gorgeous landscaping, and superb staff. Day Two - We enjoyed the gorgeous Cloisters Spa which had excellent staff, amazing facilities, and wonderful indoor lap pool and hot tub. Both Men's and Women's locker rooms were excellent. The afternoon was spent at The Lodge at Sea Island Club (25 minutes away by hotel driver) with golf, sunset bagpiper, and delicious dinner in the Oak Room. Day Three - spent off resort exploring St. Simon's Island and the Georgia Sea Turtle Rescue Center on Jekyll Island. Another wonderful visit to the Spa followed by the best dinner yet in Tavola. We had an amazing last night dinner, wine, and Sorbet dessert to celebrate our successful trip. Special kudos to the following Cloisters staff who made our stay fantastic; Alvin - valet car park Bruce - bell hop extraordinaire Morgan & Nicole - Beach Club Paul, George, Valencia, Carl, and Ashley - River Bar staff. Viego and Cericka - Oak Room. Ashawnie - Tavola. Jacquetta, Ada Rosa, and Stefany - room attendants. I give The Cloisters Sea Island the highest recommendation possible. We cannot wait to return in 2025.

Another beautiful winter trip to Sea Island. We loved biking and walking and then warming up by the cozy fireplace. The afternoon hir chocolate and cookies in the solarium was great fun. Then we listened to the talent pianist as we waited for our table at the River Club. The meal was scrumptious, and we spent some time in the lounge by the fireplace. Our lovely room was turned down for us with a poem and chocolate on our bedside table.

An extremely overpriced hotel in need of a renovation/refresh with very mixed service and mediocre food. Sea Island is a beautiful property, with great grounds and a nice setting. But the rooms and many of the common spaces are tired in need of a refresh. The standard rooms in June were over $1,300 per night, a very high number that calls for most things, if not everything, to be perfect. Starting with the service and experience. We often had to wait 15-20 minutes for breakfast. When we arrived, they told us it wasn’t possible to eat at any of the restaurants, due to capacity. So I had to complain to the manager to get one dinner reservation on Saturday night. But when we showed up at these restaurants, most tables were empty. At dinner, it often took 15 minutes for a waiter to even stop by. And we had to consistently flag someone for more water, to place an order, or ask for a drink. Throughout the weekend, we were consistently told “no” to anything we asked for. In addition to the restaurants all being booked, most of the activities were completely booked. The food was expensive and not good, to put it simply. Southern Tide was a terrible experience. Our waiter was nonexistent. The seafood wasn’t fresh. And when we went to the Oak Bar, all of our entrees came out cold. It took over 10 minutes to get our waiter and 30 minutes to get our entrees. And on the spaces, everything needs a renovation. The rooms feel very 2000s, the pool and beach chairs all need to be replaced, and the common spaces need updated furniture. For the price they are charging, double the rate of 2019 when we last visited, they need to dramatically improve the value and experience.

The stay here keeps you coming back year after year. The staff is the friendliest and efficient as you will find. The surroundings are beautiful. The atmosphere is relaxing.

The resort would not match an offer we received from them after we booked our reservation. Cleaning standards have definitely declined. The spa is beautiful but my husband's service was completely unsatisfactory. The resort seems to work in silos and we had difficulty getting a complete itinerary of our activities including golf and the learning center.

Few resorts achieve the lofty heights of the Sea Island hotels but fewer still consistently maintain the standard year after year. Excellence in service, comfort, quality and hospitality mark this incredible resort. The highest quality food is wonderfully prepared and beautifully presented. The menu is always innovative and varied yet the hallmark Southern specialties are carefully preserved. Of course the seafood is wonderfully fresh. Every employee consistently recalls your name and pair that with thoughtful service. This is one of the few resorts that can honestly say, “We are world class!”.