Tl;dr – Six Senses South Carolina Islands is scheduled to debut in 2026, and the resort will extend across three of the sea islands.
The other day, when writing about the Four Seasons coming to Charleston, I teased another big luxury opening headed for South Carolina. IHG will open the Six Senses South Carolina Islands in 2026. We’ll see if that timeline stays as-is. The lack of progress reports available leaves me doubtful, but nevertheless, this is an exciting project, so let’s take a look!
Six Senses South Carolina Islands
It’s unclear how many guestrooms the resort will have, but we do know the general plan for the resort’s orientation.
Hilton Head Island will serve as the “main welcome hub and entry point to the resort and residences, offering a bespoke restaurant and retail outlet. As a gateway to life on the water, it will also serve as a convenient embarkation point for Six Senses guests and residents to hop aboard a hybrid yacht or electric boat to begin their adventure with a ride on the beautiful Intercoastal Waterway.”
Daufuskie Island will serve as the centerpiece of the resort. This island is where you’ll find most (if not all) of the guestrooms and suites. It’ll also be home to the resort’s all-day restaurant specialty eatery and bar, beach club, pool grill, and pop-up programming.
Guests can enjoy ‘water sports, sailing, and fishing.’ Adventures continue on land to encompass Daufuskie’s culture, including studios to showcase local artistry.’ Though it’s not part of the resort, guests can also access (possibly for a fee) a nearby championship golf course, as well as a farm with ‘highlights including heritage livestock and equine therapy.’
Two themes will reign supreme at the resort – eco-consciousness and wellness. The Six Senses Spa programming ‘will include yoga, meditation, mindfulness, visiting practitioners, and a personalized longevity approach that fuses scientific advances with ancient wisdom worth remembering.’
As for Bay Point Island – this will be the location of the residential villas.
My Take
Hilton Head is a popular destination, and I can easily see this resort becoming an immediate fan-favorite. For one, it’s right on the intercoastal waterway so any big-time boaters can travel along the US Eastern Seaboard (Heck, you could travel from the Gulf if you’re about it) in calm waters to the resort and know that you’ll have a place for your boat. While it doesn’t sound like my scene, with golfing, fishing, and water sports at one’s fingertips and the added component of Six Senses service and wellness offerings, surely, this hotel is going to be very successful.
Six Senses is to IHG as the Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties were to Marriott Bonvoy a few years ago, in that not all of Six Senses participate in the IHG Rewards loyalty program. As the Six Senses brand is due for some outsized growth over the next five years it only make sense for a renewed push to full incorporate the luxury brand into the IHG Rewards One program.
