Yay! Conde Nast readers say Hilton Head is best island in U.S. for 4th year in a row
We’re No. 1!
Conde Nast Traveler’s readers named Hilton Head Island the best island in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, even though many were just dreaming of traveling during a quarantine this year instead of actually hitting the beaches.
More than 600,000 readers — a record number, Conde Nast said — voted in the survey.
Hilton Head’s fans outnumbered those of Maui, Oahu and Lanai, Hawaii. Kiawah was fifth, and Isle of Palms ranked seventh in the magazine’s listing.
Marco Island, Amelia Island and Longboat Key, Florida; and St. Simons/Little St. Simons, Georgia, rounded out the top 10.
Conde Nast gave a shout out to the variety of activities that Hilton Head offers travelers. “This is the kind of getaway that satisfies all travelers — you could spend a weekend beach-bumming (pick your spot on 12 miles of pristine sand), shopping locally-made handicrafts, eating out at restaurants that compete with those in major cities, or sweating it out on a bike trail, paddleboard, or golf course,” the magazine said.
It also specifically recommended The Inn and Club at Harbour Town, which was ranked 9th among the top resorts in the South.
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort was 10th in the same list, and Bluffton’s Montage Palmetto Bluff was 13th.
The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport got some kudos of its own. The airport’s “town-square inspired layout” and inviting benches pushed it to No. 1 among the Best Airports in the U.S.
Earlier this year, readers of Travel + Leisure named Hilton Head the 3rd best island in the continental United States. Hilton Head had topped that list for the previous four years.
Coronavirus limited travel for much of the last year. For a time, the Hilton Head closed beach access points and parking lots and asked tourists coming from hot spots to self-quarantine. Several rental companies and resorts stopped taking reservations. Restaurants either closed or adapted to a take-out model.
The Island Packet reported that the total estimated economic impact loss from March 8 to July 11 was $310 million in Beaufort County, according to the Office of Tourism Analysis at College of Charleston.
On Oct. 2, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster loosened restrictions on restaurants, allowing them to return to 100% capacity.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 1:14 PM.
