Disclaimer: Our weekend stay was sponsored by Red Roof Inn. This blog post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2023.
Missy & I just left for a little winter getaway weekend on dog-friendly Hilton Head Island.
More specifically, the Red Roof Inn on Hilton Head Island in SC.
That’s 280 miles from our Fort Bragg, NC home.
Compared to our last 760 mile road trip to Memphis, TN, this one seemed just like a hop, skip and a jump away!
The Red Roof Inn Hotel Chain
Red Roof Inn is a budget-friendly hotel chain.
What I love most about them is their You Stay Happy, Pets Stay Free! policy.
Every property allows one well-behaved dog per room without charging a fee, and many even allow two.
Just call ahead and ask! It’s what I’ve done before when I stayed at a different Red Roof Inn property in Knoxville, TN – they allowed two dogs per room.
This particular property on Hilton Head Island only allows one dog per room.
The Red Roof Inn on Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island
This particular Red Roof Inn is conveniently located in the heart of the island and only 3 miles from the beach at 5 Regency Parkway | Hilton Head Island | SC | 29928 | 843-686-6808.
This particular Red Roof Inn property is a two-story building that was just renovated in 2016 and very clean.
The Lobby
Coffee and tea are available 24/7 in the lobby.
This area also features an ATM, maps of the area, a microwave, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV and a few arm chairs.
The hotel offers free wifi, free local calls, free long-distance calls within the continental US, and free fax service (up to 10 pages).
Check-in is at 4 pm, and check-out is at 11 am.
Outdoor Pool Area
Their outdoor pool looked super inviting, but of course it wasn’t exactly warm enough to hop in yet.
Besides, I didn’t have anyone to watch Missy since dogs aren’t allowed in the pool area and can’t be left alone in your room.
Outside Space
There were plenty of trees and palm trees to pee next to, and lots of new smells to investigate.
Missy particularly enjoyed the greenery around the pool area and watching squirrels race up and down palm trees!
It was conveniently located next to a BP gas station, which I took advantage of right after check out on Sunday to fill up.
The Red Roof Inn on Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island: Staff
The staff was super friendly and gave Missy & I many pointers of what to do on the island.
I especially liked the map of the island and the restaurant guide Fork & Fun because it featured many dog-friendly options.
Maintenance manager David also gave us a secret beach tip for a beach that’s less crowded than others and has free parking.
I didn’t end up checking it out because I was still battling with a cold.
Because of that, I just didn’t have enough energy to head back out to the beach.
However, I made a big not-so-mental note in my island diary because I’ll be back sooner or later!
David also gave Missy lots of lovings and received enthusiastic doggie kisses in return!
Front desk clerk Kathie got Missy kisses as well, and hotel manager Chris exchanged lovings with her too.
The Red Roof Inn On Hilton Head Island: Our Family-Friendly Two-Room Suite
Did you guys know that Red Roof Inns have two-room suite options?
I have to admit that I wasn’t aware of that until Missy & I enjoyed the comfortable stay in one this past weekend.
So far we’ve only stayed in single rooms.
Living Room & Dining Room Space
Our suite consisted of a living room/dining room area along with a bedroom/bathroom area.
They’re separated by a partial wall and glass doors featuring blinds.
Both areas were equipped with a flat screen TV, a phone, a comfortable faux leather arm chair and a 3-drawer dresser.
The living room/dining room also featured a:
- Safe
- Mini fridge
- Microwave
- Coffee table
- Two side tables
- Faux leather sofa bed
- In-room coffee maker
- Dining table with 2 chairs
The fridge was perfect for us since Missy eats raw dog food which needs to be refrigerated!
Bedroom Area
The bedroom was designed around a comfy King size bed that we cuddled up in it Friday night and watched Rush Hour.
It also featured a workspace (perfect for bloggers…just saying!), an alarm clock as well as an iron and ironing board.
Bathroom With Cruelty-Free Hygiene Products
The bathroom was equipped with a hair dryer and a bathtub/shower combo with perfect water pressure and instant hot water!
It also had a vent and cruelty-free hygiene products.
How’s that for pet-friendly?!
I personally loved that detail.
Hardwood-Like Flooring
One of the best parts in my opinion was the hardwood-like flooring throughout.
Perfect to clean up potential doggie accidents, easy to sweep sand away, and so much healthier than wall-to-wall carpeting.
Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island: Shopping
Just like our Red Roof Inn hotel, the island is a dog-friendly one.
Many stores allow well-behaved, leashed pets inside.
We checked out two stores in the Shelter Cove shopping area: Players World of Sports & Art Ware.
Woofgang Bakery & Grooming on Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island
Of course we wanted to check out a pet retail store while on the island and found one within just 0.2 miles to our hotel!
Woofgang Bakery & Grooming is a fun, independently owned dog store that features accessories likes collars, leashes and toys, treats and chews, and a grooming/spa area.
Missy & I were greeted by Shih-Tzu Pepper, the clerk’s pup, who was tiny enough to be walking around on the counter.
We browsed their goodie selection and purchased a bully stick, venison treats, and a few cookies from their cookie bar.
Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island: Breakfast at Watusi’s on Hilton Head Island
Sunday morning we decided to give Watusi’s a try.
They serve breakfast all day long and have a fairly large, dog-friendly patio with two water bowls.
I had a huge chai latte and french toast with crispy bacon while Missy enjoyed the bully stick we had purchased at Woofgang’s the day before.
My portion was humongous, so I only ate half and took the leftovers to go.
I really enjoyed their dog-friendly patio, but I wasn’t too impressed with their french toast. It wasn’t bad, but nothing out of the ordinary.
In all honesty, I compared it to the phenomenal french toast & crispy bacon I had had the previous weekend during my trip to San Diego, CA at a place named Kono’s.
That one is hard to beat!!
We got to Watusi’s at 9:30 am which was the perfect time to get an awesome spot on their patio, by the way.
There was only one couple sitting outside who said hi to Missy.
They were fellow dog owners who missed their two Weimaraners.
When we left, just about 45 minutes later, the patio was filling up rather quickly and people started to stand in line to get a spot inside.
Kroger Grocery Store
I loved the Kroger Grocery Store located just around the corner from the dog-friendly stores in the Shelter Cove shopping area.
Obviously Missy wasn’t allowed in there because it’s a grocery store and she’s not a service dog.
Since Saturday morning was cool with temps in the low 50s, she was fine hanging out in the car while I grabbed some breakfast.
The latter consisted of a chai latte from the in-store Starbucks, and several french croissants from the bakery section at Kroger’s.
Which brings me to the one aspect I didn’t love about the hotel.
They only serve free continental breakfast during peak season (from Memorial Day through Labor Day).
Since we were there in early February, there was no breakfast at the hotel.
I didn’t let it bum me out too much though and enjoyed the visual overload of yummy goodies at Kroger’s instead.
Honestly, you don’t have to dine out anywhere if budget is a concern.
Kroger’s is a well-stocked grocery store featuring a salad bar, freshly-made Sushi bar, decadent cakes in the bakery section, wines, beers, sodas…you name it, they carry it.
If I didn’t have a cold, I would have bought a nice bottle of red wine and enjoyed it in the hotel.
Shelter Cove Community Park on Dog-Friendly Hilton Head Island
I ended up having the breakfast I bought at Kroger’s on a park bench at Shelter Cove Community Park, just around the corner from Kroger’s.
While I had my breakfast, Missy had a few treats and some water on the bench right next to me.
There’s an impressive view of a swamp, but we didn’t see any gators.
Too bad, I would have liked to see some in their natural habitat.
Folly Field Beach Park on Hilton Head Island
There are several beaches on this island, and we checked out the one at Folly Field Beach Park.
The Parking Area
There’s parking right in front of it, but it’s not free. It’s not outrageously expensive either at $1 per hour.
You need to have cash though.
Good thing I always have quarters in my car!
The Beach Area
We paid for an hour and spent those 60 minutes walking up and down Folly Field Beach.
We practiced a little obedience, took a few refreshing sips of water, and just enjoyed the breeze.
There are restrooms and a hose right by the parking lot, and we used the hose to wash off Missy’s paws.
I wasn’t too concerned about the sand.
After all, that was obviously also in the parking lot and was going to end up in the car either way, but I did want to wash the salt water off her paws.
Poop Bag Stations
It’s a good thing that we always carry plenty of poop bags when we’re out walking because the poop bag station right by the beach entrance was completely empty.
And of course Missy had to poop on the beach!
Just FYI, the two poop bag stations at Shelter Cove Community Park were fully filled.
Beach Rules For Dogs
The beach rules for dogs were pretty straight forward.
Dogs are allowed on the beach at all times during off season between October through March.
They either need to be under voice control or leashed. The rules vary for peak season (see picture below).
As always, they need to be picked up after, but that’s really a no brainer.
I tied Missy’s filled poop bag to her Ruffwear Front Range harness until we came by a trash can.
Thankfully, there are several on the beach.
Missy stayed leashed because her recall isn’t 100%.
There were quite a few dogs on the beach, either leashed or under voice control!
I was impressed.
Every time someone called their dog back, they obeyed right away.
Any Cons?
Like I said before, this Red Roof Inn only serves free continental breakfast during peak season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
It was a bit of an inconvenience, but the breakfast I got from Kroger’s more than made up for it.
Also a reminder that this particular Red Roof Inn is firm on their 1 dog only per room policy.
Red Roof Inn On Hilton Head Island: Bottom Line
We give this Red Roof Inn location 4 enthusiastic paws up! It’s pet-friendly and located in the heart of the island.
Most importantly, it’s also budget-friendly with room rates starting at $79.
Our two-room suite was $104.99 per night. Update 2023: These days, it’s $129.
Have you stayed at a Red Roof Inn Hotel or explored the island?
As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post!
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