First I want to state that we didn't even stay there. We walked in to ask about a reservation made in our name and the individual at the check-in desk was so rude, unhelpful and dismissive that we simply left and found another place to stay. Never in our lives have we been treated this way!

We stayed at Waterside as part of a time share promotion. The room was very clean, very large & very comfortable. The pool is very nice & the resort had daily activities. The staff was friendly. The only downside was it is located 2 long blocks from the beach. Once there the beach was very nice. We had a great relaxing time.

Still at the resort. I must admit that I did have minor reservations around quality of the property and it's location (beach access) prior to coming here. Regarding the unit, we are in a large and expansive 3 br on the 5th floor...decent views with large balconies. Flat screen tv in the living with a decent music system that I could pipe my iPhone loaded music into. Rest is as described by the previous poster.
The place is nice and comfortable for a family vacation. It's not Marriott quality but just a tad notch below more like a 3.5*...furnishings are not dated or cheap but are not luxurious either...Let's just say it was designed on a budget but with money well spent. The photos do not do it justice...it is better in person.

Location is decent. We requested for the 5200 building which makes it a few minutes longer to the pool but that much shorter to the beach. From the unit via Avocet ave is about 7 min of leisurely walk with strollers. About 3 city blocks. coligny plaza is about 2 min/one city block via Avocet. and the whole path is shaded via trees. Coligny has piggly wiggly grocery store and decent selection of restaurants.

the resort has decent pools and activities. The kids are more into beach and pool. Enough gas grills and playground to boot.

I prefer Marriott Barony beach on the island. That said, I would pick waterside over the other marriotts as the little drop in quality more than makes up for the location...access to coligny and beach...

My family of 5 (2 couples, one 17yr old) had a great time at Waterside. We stayed just after high season, from 8/20-8/27. Kids in the south are back in school so it's a good time to go, but you risk hurricane season. We had to cut our trip short by 1 day due to Irene. Here's the bottom line as I see it:
1. VERY spacious units.
2. Some say beds are too hard. My family preferred them as many of us have back problems and need firm mattresses. Perfect for us.
3. Two of the 3 BR's are masters, with king beds, walk in showers and jacuzzi tubs. A REAL 2 master layout. The bedrooms are very separate from one another, which was a great layout. The third bedroom entry is across from the kitchen, has 2 twin beds, and it's own bath, which is also accessible to the main living space. There is a balcony space off the living area. Our view was treetop, so we had a lot of privacy. Again, there is PLENTY of room. Elevators to every floor and covered parking.
4. The kitchen has full sized appliances, and a w/d in an adjacent closet. We cooked in every night except 1. Well equipped. You might want to bring things like a muffin pan, cookie sheet, if you need that. The prep knives were not great, but at least there was enough for serving, cooking and prep. Better than most weekly rental units for sure. Email me if you want more details on this part.
5. We stayed in the 5300 bldg which is one of the closest to the beach (4-5 blocks) and by the children's pool. This is a quiet part of the resort, away from the main pool, but certainly close enough. The children's pool has 2 grills, and a nice place to relax while grilling as it's often deserted after 4-5pm.
6. IMO units are not "dated" as some would say, but furnishings and decoration are basic, clean, in very good condition, and comfortable. It's not the Ritz, so don't expect that.
7. Most accomodations on the island are not that close to things like a grocery store, liquor store, etc. With Coligny basically 2 blocks away, it's really an extremely convenient spot. If you are flying in, you really don't need a car if you're planning on just doing a beach vaca. Just rent bikes. Ours were fine. We used the Bike Doctor. They delivered and picked up as they all do. $22-25 a week depending if your resort has a contract with the bike co. If you don't want to commit, there's a shop literally 2 blocks from the resort. None of the bikes on island have gears or hand brakes as they would be destroyed by the sand. Think the first bike you ever had: push back to brake. But everything's so flat that you don't need gears.
8. Hilton Head is beautiful, very family oriented, no night life, rather quiet but lots to do during the day. Some say there is no surf, and I'm sure that's true at times. We had plenty. We took a long bike on the beach.
9. Hilton Head is HOT and STICKY in late August! Maybe that's why it was quiet. No lines at restaurants, no problems parking at Forest Beach right at Coligny, no traffic, etc. The water is quite warm, and for some from the NorthEast, sometimes too warm. I loved it.
10. I liked Waterside for the units and the location. But the staff at the main building were not the most helpful or friendly. Too bad. Otherwise it would be outstanding. Found out at the last minute as we're running out due to Irene that we needed to strip the bed, and basically clean the unit. Thanks for the heads up before hand! I wouldn't buy here, ever, because of the management. The folks running the kids programs were great though. And I understand housekeeping is great too. I would do this resort only on trade, which is what I did.