It finally made it out of the group text!
Three of my travel besties. One weekend away. A house full of muumuus, mahjong and bubbles, with one of my favorite Lowcountry destinations as our backdrop.
I had been looking forward to returning to Montage Palmetto Bluff for ages. We first visited with our family, staying at the Inn and absolutely loving our time there, so I was excited to experience it this time as a girls’ getaway. Spoiler alert: after doing it both ways, I can confidently say this place checks allllll the boxes for a whole variety of reasons to get away.
Friday: Montage Palmetto Bluff Arrival
I headed south a little early to spend some time with Marme and Daddy-O in Savannah, which made for the sweetest start to my weekend. On Friday morning, I said my goodbyes and headed to the Savannah airport to pick up B. Before we knew it, we were pulling through the gates of Palmetto Bluff and officially settling into vacation mode. Well, mostly vacation mode. :-)
Our first stop was lunch at Fore & Aft, the casual Mexican-inspired spot tucked alongside the Inn pool and lagoon. Tacos, margaritas and a table overlooking the water made for a pretty perfect way to kick things off.
After lunch, we hopped aboard a golf cart with the resort sales manager for a tour of the property. I may have been away with girlfriends, but I am still a travel advisor, after all! I loved having the opportunity to see more of the accommodations and resort before settling into the weekend. I came away with even more thoughts on who I’d send here and where I’d recommend they stay, but I’ll save all of that for my next post.
With a little work behind us, we picked up the keys to both our golf cart and our home for the weekend.
On my first visit to Palmetto Bluff, we stayed at the Inn. This time, the four of us shared a three-bedroom residence near Wilson Village, and it was absolutely perfect for a girls’ trip. We had all the comforts of home, plenty of room to spread out and, most importantly, wonderful spaces to gather together. There is just something about having a living room, kitchen and porch on a trip with friends that makes the whole weekend feel more relaxed.
One by one, the rest of our crew arrived and we settled right into Lowcountry life. We did a little “porchin,” helped ourselves to the cookies, lemonade and sweet tea and even met Brody, the resort’s resident dog who was holding court in the Inn that day.
Eventually, we made our way back to the residence, popped the first bottle of bubbles on the porch and settled in for a long overdue catch-up. With nowhere we needed to be and nothing on the agenda until dinner, we spent the afternoon talking, laughing and simply enjoying being together. It was exactly the kind of slow start we’d hoped for.
For dinner, we headed back to the Inn for Octagon, Montage Palmetto Bluff’s Southern-inspired restaurant. Our residence may have had a kitchen, but that doesn’t mean we were cooking! The menu is rooted in the flavors of the Carolinas, and the beautiful setting overlooking the Inn’s backyard and waterways made it a wonderful choice for our first evening together. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and lingered around the table before eventually making our way back to the residence.
That’s when the mahjong tiles and Ivy Odom’s pound cake came out.
This group first came together through travel, but mahjong has become another favorite way for us to spend time together. We played, talked and laughed well into the wee hours, which is exactly why having a residence rather than separate hotel rooms was so perfect for this particular trip. There was no lobby to leave, no one heading back to her own room and absolutely no reason to stop playing until we were good and ready.
Eventually, we tucked ourselves in for the sweetest of Southern dreams with a whole weekend of Lowcountry fun still ahead.
Saturday: Muumuus, Mahj and Montage
Saturday morning began exactly the way a girls’ weekend should, with no alarms and absolutely nowhere we needed to be. I woke to the most glorious coastal thunderstorm rolling through, and we lingered over coffee and breakfast bites on the porch while the rain came down. It was one of those mornings when doing absolutely nothing feels like the greatest luxury in the world.
Eventually the skies cleared, but we certainly didn’t feel the need to pick up the pace. We pulled out the mahjong tiles for an afternoon game, then hopped in our golf cart to do a little exploring. The golf cart was our transportation all weekend and, honestly, half the fun. We zipped over to RT’s Market, Palmetto Bluff’s charming neighborhood general store, for provisions and a little browsing before making our way back toward the Inn.
We did a little more porching at the Inn, loved on more puppies and eventually took ourselves on a leisurely golf cart tour around the property. Palmetto Bluff is the kind of place where simply riding beneath the moss-draped oaks and looking at the beautiful homes feels like an activity in itself. There was no real destination and no timetable, which was pretty much the theme of our entire weekend.
As evening approached, we changed out of our muumuus and headed out for a walk along the bluff. The light was beautiful, the May River was even prettier and it was one of those quintessential Lowcountry evenings that makes you understand why people fall so hard for this place.
From there, we made our way to Hush, the intimate speakeasy tucked into Wilson Village. The cocktails were fantastic, the service was exceptional and we had SO much fun. Hush specializes in premium spirits and craft cocktails in a cozy speakeasy setting, and it ended up being one of our favorite finds of the entire weekend.
Eventually we wandered over to Buffalos for dinner. Also located in Wilson Village, Buffalos is much more casual, serving American classics in a relaxed setting overlooking the May River. It was exactly what we wanted that evening: easy, delicious and close to home.
We enjoyed Hush so much that after dinner we went right back. Why mess with a good thing?
Eventually we golf-carted our way home, changed into something comfortable and brought the mahjong tiles back out. Once again, we played well into the wee hours of the morning, talking and laughing our way through hand after hand.
One Last Slow Morning
By Sunday morning, we had fully embraced the Palmetto Bluff pace. We slept in a little, drank copious amounts of coffee and lingered over breakfast at the residence with no desire to rush the morning along.
Eventually, though, it was time to pack the muumuus, gather up the mahjong tiles and begin making our separate ways home.
We came into the weekend wanting little more than time together, and that turned out to be exactly what made it so special. There was no packed itinerary and no pressure to see or do everything. We played mahjong for hours, drank bubbles on the porch, rode around in our golf cart, ate wonderful meals and had the kinds of long conversations that only happen when everyone finally gets away from the demands of everyday life.
I’ve now experienced Montage Palmetto Bluff with my family and with girlfriends, and I came away from this visit loving it even more. It can be active or completely relaxing, romantic or family-friendly, polished or wonderfully casual depending on the trip you want to have. For us, it provided exactly what we needed: a beautiful place to slow down and spend a few uninterrupted days together.
By the time we pulled away on Sunday, we’d already started dreaming up ideas for the next girls’ trip. Because apparently once you finally get the trip out of the group text, the obvious thing to do is start another one.
Next up, I’ll share a closer look at Montage Palmetto Bluff itself, including where to stay, what to do, where to eat and why I think it works so beautifully for so many different kinds of getaways.
Planning a Palmetto Bluff Getaway
This is exactly the kind of destination where firsthand experience makes a difference. Having now experienced Montage Palmetto Bluff both with my family and on a girls’ getaway, I can help you think through not just where to stay, but how to make the most of your time here.
- Firsthand experience and expertise to help determine whether Palmetto Bluff is right for your trip, whether you’re planning a family vacation, babymoon, couples’ getaway, girls’ weekend or Lowcountry bachelorette weekend
- Guidance on choosing between the Inn, cottages and multi-bedroom residences based on your group, budget and plans
- Personalized recommendations for length of stay, dining, spa time, activities and how much to plan versus leaving time to simply enjoy the resort
- Help turning a Palmetto Bluff stay into a longer Lowcountry vacation by combining it with Savannah, Charleston or another nearby destination
- Assistance with transportation, arrival and departure logistics, dining and all the little details that bring the trip together
And, when you book your stay with me, you’ll also enjoy these additional benefits:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily breakfast credit of $65 per bedroom for up to two guests per bedroom, available in the restaurant or through in-room dining
- $100 resort or hotel credit to enjoy during your stay
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
The best part? You can enjoy all of these benefits while also having me in your corner to make sure you’re booking the right accommodations and creating the right kind of Palmetto Bluff experience for your particular getaway.
Let’s Travel and My Services
As a Premier Level Advisor with Glass Slipper Concierge, I’m proud to be recognized for delivering the highest level of service, expertise, and personalized care in the industry. I leverage my personal connections and firsthand knowledge to design bespoke vacations for the most discerning travelers. Travel is an investment, and I’m here to ensure you receive the very best value for your time and money. Whether you’re celebrating a major milestone or simply seeking a well-deserved escape, it’s an honor to be part of the memories you’re making.
Click on About to learn more, and Let’s Plan to get started!
