The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Wide-plank walnut floors, hand-painted wildlife murals on the staircases, and limestone fireplaces big enough to stand in announce that this is a different order of Lowcountry resort. The Sanctuary sits on a barrier island inside a private gated community, with ocean-view rooms done in coastal colonial style and a Grand Lawn that rolls straight to the beach. It holds a Forbes Five Star, and the staff make the hospitality feel less like a script and more like a favor.