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The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa will close on November 2, 2026, for a hotel-wide renovation that its own state filing says will last at least five months and may run longer. The 420-room oceanfront property at Two Grasslawn Avenue is staying shut for the whole project, according to an August 27 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice signed by general manager Kimberly Wilson and reported by The Post and Courier.
Anyone holding Thanksgiving, Christmas, or winter golf dates at this Westin needs a new room now, not after the gates lock. Start with the live Hilton Head Island lodging map and treat November 2 as a hard stop unless the hotel publishes a shorter window in writing.
- Close date: November 2, 2026, per the resort’s WARN notice.
- Duration: At least five months, and the hotel says it may last longer.
- Staff: 219 employees face temporary layoff on November 3, with recall after the work.
- Booking readout: ResortPass currently lists the property closed through April 16, 2027.
- Unknown: The filing does not describe the renovation scope, and the hotel has not issued a guest advisory beyond the notice.
The WARN Dates Travelers Must Use
This is not a rumor from a booking glitch. South Carolina received a federal WARN notice on August 27 from the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa. WTOC summarized the same document: the hotel closes November 2, layoffs take effect November 3, the project is expected to take at least five months, and the building stays closed while the work is underway.
Wilson’s notice, as quoted by The Post and Courier, says the renovation “is expected to take at least 5 months, but may last longer, during which the hotel will remain closed.” It also says the notice was given at the earliest possible time based on available information, and that employees will be told promptly if conditions change. That last clause is the traveler hedge: the close date is firm in the filing, the reopen date is not.
Do not wait for a Marriott.com banner. The official Marriott overview page still reads like an open resort, and a 403 block on that URL is not a clearance. Use the WARN dates until the brand posts a guest notice with a reopen day.
What the Closure Means for Booked Stays
If you already hold a Westin Hilton Head reservation on or after November 2, call Marriott Bonvoy and the hotel before you spend more on air or a second property. The WARN notice is a labor filing, not a guest email, so it does not spell out refund, rebook, or points rules. Those sit in the rate terms you accepted. Screenshot your confirmation, ask for a same-island Marriott move if you need one, and get the answer in writing.
Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, and January golf packages are the first collisions. Hilton Head’s value season is November through March, which is exactly the window this oceanfront block is leaving. A 420-room Marriott flag going dark for five months is not a rounding error on an island that already mixes villa inventory with a short list of large resorts.
Day passes disappear with the hotel. ResortPass, which sells pool, spa, and cabana access at this Westin, currently states the property “will be closed from November 2, 2026, through April 16, 2027, for a hotel-wide renovation.” Treat April 16 as a booking-channel readout, not a promised first night back. The WARN language is weaker and more honest: at least five months, maybe more.
Hilton Head Inventory Without This Oceanfront Block
Two Grasslawn Avenue sits on the Atlantic side of the island, with beach, three outdoor pools, and the Heavenly Spa by Westin as the usual draws. When that campus is closed, those amenities are gone for hotel guests and for day-pass buyers. Neighboring beaches and golf clubs still operate, but they are not a substitute for a 420-room resort with meeting space for up to 1,000 people.
Planners should rebuild the stay from the Hilton Head things to do list and then pick lodging that is actually open. Sonesta, Omni, Marriott’s other Hilton Head flags, and villa programs in Palmetto Dunes or Sea Pines are the realistic substitutes. Confirm each property’s own renovation calendar. A 2024 project already expanded this Westin from 416 to 420 rooms after a $13.8 million refresh, so a second shutdown so soon is a reminder that “recently renovated” is not a guarantee of winter availability.
KSL Capital Partners announced in September 2025 that an affiliate had bought the resort. The Post and Courier notes that Beaufort County records showed a sale of the nearly 14-acre site. Ownership change does not, by itself, tell guests what is being rebuilt. It does explain why a large winter closure can land with little public design detail.
How Long Closed, and What Is Still Unknown
Five months from November 2 lands around early April 2027 if the schedule does not slip. ResortPass’s April 16, 2027, end date is a little later than that simple math, which is why it should be labeled as a seller’s calendar, not the WARN. Orbitz and other OTAs have shown slightly different end dates. None of those sites is the hotel’s signed notice.
Unknowns that still matter: the renovation scope, whether rooms, spa, or meeting space come back in phases, and whether any beach or pool access remains for non-hotel guests. The Post and Courier reported that resort staff did not respond to a request for comment and that the notice gave no information on the nature of the work. WTOC said it had reached out and was waiting. Until the hotel publishes a guest FAQ, assume the entire campus is dark.
If you are booking a 2027 spring trip, hold a cancellable rate elsewhere and recheck in January. If you need a November 2026 conference block, this Westin is out. If you only needed a spa day, look at other island spas rather than hoping Heavenly Spa stays open inside a closed hotel.
Nearby Access Changes on the Same Island
Hilton Head already has another dated closure on the books this fall. Islanders Beach Park, a public beach access a short walk from this Westin, is separately closed from September 8, 2026, through May 2027, as Deep Arrival reported in the Islanders Beach Park closure file. That park project is not the hotel renovation, but it is the same stretch of shore for people who picked Grasslawn for walk-to-beach convenience.
Stack those two facts and the north-end beach plan gets tighter: a major resort dark from November 2, and a nearby public park access down through May. Build the trip around open parks, open hotels, and a backup indoor day. Do not assume the Westin’s beach deck, cabanas, or spa will quietly stay available for locals while rooms are gutted.
The next useful document is a guest-facing Marriott notice with a reopen date. Until that lands, the WARN dates are the ones that should sit on your calendar: close November 2, staff layoff November 3, closed at least five months, maybe longer.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a Westin Hilton Head stay on or after November 2 | Call Marriott now, get refund or rebook terms in writing, and move the stay. |
| Need Thanksgiving or Christmas on Hilton Head | Book a different open hotel. This Westin will already be closed. |
| Wanted a spa or pool day pass this winter | ResortPass lists the campus closed through mid-April 2027. Pick another property. |
| Are planning spring 2027 | Keep a cancellable backup. The WARN says the work may last longer than five months. |
November 2, 2026 is the close date. Do not check in, and do not count on a last-week stay that overlaps that night.
November 3 is the staff layoff date in the WARN notice. Service will already be gone by then.
Five months is the minimum closure, not the maximum. Reopen is unconfirmed; booking sites currently show dates into April 2027.
When does the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort close?
November 2, 2026, according to the resort’s WARN notice reported by The Post and Courier and WTOC. The hotel remains closed during renovations.
How long will the Westin Hilton Head stay closed?
At least five months, and the notice says the work may last longer. ResortPass currently lists the property closed through April 16, 2027.
Will spa, pool, and day passes stay open?
No. The hotel says it will remain closed during the project, and ResortPass is already marking the campus closed for the same window.
What should I do with an existing reservation?
Call Marriott Bonvoy and the hotel, ask for written refund or rebook terms, and move the stay to an open Hilton Head property before you add nonrefundable flights.
