The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa is closing its doors today for a $50 million top-to-bottom renovation, with the oceanfront property not expected to welcome guests again until mid-April 2027. The closure means temporary layoffs for hundreds of resort employees, even as the project promises five new dining concepts, an adults-only pool, and an expanded spa when the doors reopen.
A Five-Month Shutdown With Big Plans Attached
According to The Island Packet, the renovation will bring five new dining venues, a redesigned events lawn, a dedicated adults-only pool, expanded spa facilities, and new meeting and event spaces to the 420-room resort. The property, which includes 32 suites, sits along the Atlantic Ocean. That outlet reports the resort will temporarily close today, November 2, with reopening anticipated in mid-April 2027.
General manager Markus Krebs framed the investment as a reimagining of the guest experience rather than a simple refresh. “We are making a meaningful investment across the property, from the public spaces to dining and wellness,” Krebs said, per the Island Packet's report. The work follows a $13.8 million renovation completed in early 2024 that expanded the resort from 416 to 420 rooms, as reported by the Post and Courier.
Hundreds of Workers Temporarily Laid Off
The closure comes with a significant employment impact, though reports differ on the exact scale. The Island Packet puts the number at about 200 employees affected by the temporary closure, while the Post and Courier cites a figure of 219 employees tied to a state WARN notice. That higher number matches the filing itself: the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce lists a temporary closure affecting 219 workers at the resort in Beaufort County.
Those jobs aren't gone for good. Affected employees will be recalled once renovations are completed, according to WTOC, which reported on the layoffs tied to the closure.
New Dining Concepts Replace Resort Mainstays
Guests returning next spring will find an entirely reworked food and beverage lineup, detailed in a report from Travel Daily News International. The report says Cordelia's will anchor the lobby with light bites, shared plates, and cocktails while overlooking the ocean. Breakwater Provisions will handle coffee and tea service, while Saltwater Social is set to serve Lowcountry cuisine and Port House will offer a more refined dining experience. Shoreline will round out the lineup with counter and poolside service at the resort's pools.
Adults-Only Pool and Expanded Wellness Campus
The renovation's signature amenity may be Stillwater, a new adults-only pool and poolside retreat described in the same report. The existing Shoreline pool and Tide Pool will continue to welcome guests of all ages, preserving family-friendly options alongside the new adults-only space.
The Heavenly Spa by Westin is being reimagined as an expanded wellness campus combining treatments, fitness, recovery, and reflection areas, per the same account. Plans call for a thermal circuit featuring an expanded infrared sauna and new cold-plunge shower systems to complement existing steam showers, along with a Tranquility Garden for wellness classes and guest relaxation. The spa will grow to 11 treatment rooms total, with signature services inspired by the Lowcountry region.
Meeting Space and Event Lawn Upgrades
Beyond guest amenities, the resort is updating roughly 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, according to the same report. The work includes new boardrooms, meeting spaces, and enhancements to the Grand Event Lawn, aimed at serving corporate and association groups, retreats, destination weddings, and social events.
Part of a Broader Hilton Head Investment Wave
The Westin project is one piece of a larger hospitality building boom across the island. According to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, the resort's current renovation follows more than $47 million in previous capital investments at the property. Elsewhere on the island, the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort completed a $26 million property-wide renovation, and the Beach House Hilton Head finished an $11 million transformation featuring a reimagined Tiki Hut and redesigned pool complex, the chamber reports. Developers also broke ground in June on the Wave South Forest Beach project, expected to open in spring 2027, while a separate $40 million effort known as Project Harmony aims to expand hospitality offerings on nearby Daufuskie Island.
The investment wave comes as tourism remains a major economic engine for the region. Hilton Head Island tourism generated an estimated $3.95 billion in economic impact for Beaufort County in 2025, up 6.2% from the prior year, and supported an estimated 31,604 jobs, according to the chamber's tourism impact report. Hotel occupancy on the island held steady through the summer, reaching 75% in July with average daily rates of $304, the Island Packet reported in its coverage of summer hotel performance. Still, overall visitation dipped slightly, with an estimated 2.67 million visitors coming to the island in 2025, down 5.9% from 2024.
