The Cloister at Sea Island

This was our second stay at The Cloister Sea Island and we thoroughly enjoyed our winter birthday getaway. We stayed in the Blacks Bank River suite again this time in the South Wing. 2024 we stayed in the North Wing suite and we prefer that since the porch gets great warm sunshine while overlooking Blacks Bank River. We enjoyed another delicious dinner in Tavola with our same waiter from 2024 - Ashwanie. We also enjoyed a great brunch at Southern Tide after a great beach walk at the Beach Club. The bar staff at The River Bar was terrific again as wad their lunch and bar menus. The absolute highlight of the visit was our birthday celebration dinner at the gorgeous historical Georgian Rooms. W O W what a treat. We enjoyed great craft cocktails at the beautiful brass topped bar with Trey. After cocktails we enjoyed an amazing dinner in the lounge booth. Our server Gianna was fantastic. We enjoyed a terrific wine thanks to the sommelier. We had surf and turf delicious entrees loaded with subtle flavors. Desert was the highlight with Baked Alaska and a Georgian Rooms Cigar cookie (see photos). Cheers.

I write this review with mixed feelings. Some things were great while others fell well below my expectations and what I believe is Sea Island Resort's standard. My wife and I stayed at The Cloister for a couple of nights over New Years. This was our 4th visit over the last 15 years. First the good. The staff, as we have seen in the past was great. Of particular note, the bartender at the Oak Room in the Lodge. the bellmen, car valets, and all the staff at the golf courses (bags and carts, locker room, proshop and starters in particular). Shortcomings; 1. Front desk. Could not complete what I think are basic tasks. For example, creating a second room key and checking on whether services had been correctly charged to the room. "We'll get back to you" but there was not follow up. 2. Upkeep. We noticed several places where trash had not been picked up and it appeared as though it was not recent. Trash containers were overflowing. 3. Maintenance. The bocce court was in a state of disrepair. The liner under the gravel was exposed in several places. Which made it appear as though it had been abandoned. Regardless of the effect overwhelmed the staff on play, the appearance made it look like nobody cared. 4. Room condition. While I do not expect everything to be brand new, it should be fresh. I noticed that there were bleach spots on upholstery that had been cleaned. Not horrible, but not up to what I have come to expect from The Cloister. 5. Could not get through to the restaurants or the concierge on the phone. Either "no answer" or texting were the options. The concierge said the resort was approx 70% booked, busy but not full! My guess is that the combination of resort guests plus the large number of members/guests there for the holidays overwhelmed the staff. We may visit The Cloister again, but certainly not at peak season. I think they may be stretched too thinly to handle the busiest times.

We have been to quite a few high end resorts. Service here just does not compare. We were here in 2017 and it was lovely. This time the food service and experience were lacking. Our suite at the beach club had a sewer smell coming from sink in living area. It was not resolved and no solutions offered. Then we paid for the beach club family NYE which was a joke. We basically felt like we just didn’t belong. Old Edwards in Highlands , blackberry Farm in Tennessee and Triple creek ranch in Montana all far exceed this place. We won’t return and I won’t recommend.

During the Christmas season the lobby with its grand decorations is warm and inviting. Magical. Evan, team member, made the experience extra special with his patient, kind, and helpful personal skills combined with sense of humor. Shawn, another team member in the Tavola restaurant, created a memorable culinary experience with his refreshingly delightful demeanor, warm smile, and accommodating service.

The Cloister is simply the best! Our hospital group had about 100 people for a meeting and had a great time. The food was excellent and the meeting venues are excellent. The staff is excellent, always pleasant and accommodating. We look forward to returning.