The three-pearl Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Head is a hotel for budget-minded business and leisure travelers who don't mind being a 20- to 30-minute drive from Hilton Head Island. This basic property stays true to many standards of the chain, including the porte cochere that is common among suburban Hilton Garden Inns. The lobby is attractive with a lot of glass, a high atrium surrounded by fabric covered columns, colorful chairs, and contemporary pendant and drum lights. Breakfast is served here in an open dining area that includes a communal table (a nice touch for solo travelers). There is a gas fireplace with plush seating and all day free coffee and lemon-infused water. But the hallways are gloomy with dark carpeting and dim lighting. In addition to business and Hilton Head Island travelers, the hotel is popular for those visiting Parris Island, the United States Marine Corps recruit training center. 

The Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Head is actually in Blufton, South Carolina, just before the bridge to Hilton Head Island. It's on a busy road, and some guests describe entering and exiting off this thoroughfare as harrowing. The hotel is 30 minutes by car to downtown Hilton Head. The Coastal Discovery Museum is an eight-minute drive away, while Tanger Outlets is nine minutes away by car. It is an 11-minute drive to Hilton Head National Golf Course, a 17-minute drive to Old Town Blufton, and 18 minutes by car to Shipyard Plantation, an 800-acre resort. Coligny Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean, is a 20-minute drive away. In 22 minutes guests can reach Harbour Town Golf Links by car. The U.S.M.C. Recruit Depot on Parris Island is a 45-minute car ride away. It's about a 25-minute drive to Hilton Head Airport. 

Rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Head are spacious and quiet, but they're also generic and dark due to earth-toned paint, dark wood furniture, and dark-patterned carpets and draperies. Upgrades in the furnishings and carpets are needed. Several past guests have also noted uncomfortable mattresses. Amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers with paper cups, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have walls covered in dated beige-patterned wallpaper and granite vanity sinks. They're outfitted with hairdryers and Neutrogena toiletries. Fiberglass shower/tub combos are separated by curtains. Be aware that some past guests have reported issues of mold in the bathrooms or around the ceiling vents. 

The best feature of this chain hotel is its outdoor pool and whirlpool, which faces the back of the Hilton Garden Inn and is shaded by pine trees. It's a quiet spot with loungers and umbrella tables. Another notable feature is the hotel's small fitness center; though it's in a narrow space, it's relatively well equipped with treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise balls, and Nautilus machines. There's also a 24-hour business center with two computers and a printer; Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. A meeting room, with audio-visual equipment for rent, has space for 250 people. 

The hotel serves breakfast (for a fee) in its bright lobby, where guests can also find free coffee and infused water throughout the day. Room service is offered during limited hours. There is also a pantry with take-away food for sale. Parking is free in a lot under the hotel and there are some outside parking spots. The hotel also has a coin-operated washer and dryer, and laundry service is available for a fee.