South Carolina is one of the most beautiful places in the United States to call home. However, our local weather can be extreme - high temps and thick humidity in the summer and chilly winter weather during cold months. As a local HVAC company in Kiawah Island, SC, we know how crucial it is to have a quality HVAC system in your home and experienced technicians to keep it working correctly.
With more than 35 years of serving the Lowcountry, we are proud to be an active part of our local community. As your neighbors, we are here for all of your HVAC needs, whether you need a new AC unit installed this summer or a heat pump replacement this winter. With a reliable team of NATE-certified technicians and decades of experience in our industry, no HVAC project is too big or small for us to handle.
We offer highly competitive pricing and convenient financing options for all of our clients. At the end of the day, our goal is to make it easy and affordable to live comfortably in your home all year long. We are committed to hard work, honesty, and integrity with every service we offer. If you aren't 100% satisfied with our work, we'll do our part to make it right.
Here are just a few of the reasons why homeowners and business owners in South Carolina trust Action Heating & Air Conditioning:
If you need a trusted AC repair company in Kiawah Island, know that our team is geared up and ready to help you today. While you browse our website, have a look at just a few of our specialties here at Action Heating & Air Conditioning:
Summers in the Lowcountry are hot, humid, and sticky. After a long day at the beach or downtown with your friends, nothing feels better than kicking back on the sofa while your air conditioning cools you off. On the other hand, nothing feels worse than walking into your home and feeling warm, stale air hit your face. Those who know, know - having your AC go out during a South Carolina summer is no joke. With time, a relatively minor inconvenience can turn into a real health problem.
In situations like these, something has probably gone wrong with your HVAC system. If your AC has stopped working in the middle of summer, it's time to call Action Heating & Air Conditioning right away. Our team of certified HVAC professionals has years of experience repairing and servicing AC equipment. It doesn't matter how old your unit is or what brand you bought - we have the skills to get your home comfort system up and running in no time.
Over time, condensation builds up in your AC equipment because of its cooling process. This accumulated byproduct must be drained regularly, or the increased amounts of moisture can damage your air conditioner's components.
Refrigerant is the substance responsible for keeping your home nice and cool in the summer. When refrigerant levels drop due to a leak, it will affect your AC equipment's ability to cool your home. If your HVAC unit isn't blowing cold air, this could be a reason why.
This is a common AC issue in South Carolina and the U.S. in general. Sometimes this problem is fixed by switching your thermostat to "auto." If that doesn't work, you may have a broken thermostat or a wiring issue that needs to be addressed quickly.
It's normal for your heater to produce a slight burning smell if it hasn't been used in a while. However, if you are experiencing a persistent burning smell during the summer months when your air conditioning is on, it could be a serious problem. Turn off your HVAC system immediately and call our office as soon as possible so that we may send out a technician to diagnose your problem.
This fan plays an important role in your AC unit's heat transfer process. When your air conditioning fan breaks, your AC equipment won't be able to cool your home off in the summer when it's needed the most.
One of our goals as a company is to provide HVAC repair services at fair and competitive prices. In addition, we want you to feel confident about investing in high-quality heating and cooling systems without having to worry a lot about the costs. We make sure to provide honest and accurate quotes and we offer a variety of financing options. We want you to get the best bang for your buck, so here are some special offers.
See Our OfferIf you are experiencing any of the problems above, be sure to hire a professional contractor to fix your issues. For your safety, don't ever try to make HVAC repairs on your own unless you are trained. When the time come to have your air conditioning system repaired, our team of licensed AC technicians will handle all of the hard work on your behalf. That way, you can stay safe and have peace of mind knowing you're in good hands.
Your HVAC system works hard all year long. If you have gone years without much maintenance or AC repair, you probably bought a great HVAC unit. However, with constant use and even normal wear and tear, even the highest-quality HVAC systems are prone to malfunctions. Eventually, it will need to be replaced.
If you need an energy-efficient, reliable cooling system for your home or business, you have come to the right place. We have decades of experience installing new AC systems for our clients and can handle any installation project you have. As a Carrier® Factory Authorized Dealer, we have the most top-rated AC systems available in South Carolina.
At Action Heating & Air Conditioning, we know that buying a new air conditioner and installing it can be a huge source of stress. But when you work with us, it doesn't have to be that way. We have made it our mission to make the AC installation process easy and efficient for our customers. That way, they can focus more on living life and enjoying their home while we work hard on their AC install in Kiawah Island.
Whether you plan to replace a faulty air conditioning system or need a Carrier unit for your new construction home, we have got you covered. We will work with you directly to find the best fit for your home and budget. We are also happy to answer all of your AC installation questions prior to and during your initial service appointment.
Trying to figure out whether your air conditioner needs to be repaired or replaced can be a tricky decision to make. Most people have a hard time letting things go, and that includes AC units. It can be hard to know when to let go of the old and welcome in the new. To help save you time and make your decision a little easier, keep the following signs in mind. If you find yourself saying, "that sounds like my AC unit," it might be time for a new air conditioning installation.
Your air conditioning system works very hard every day, all year long to keep your home comfy and cool. Machines that work hard year-round are going to require maintenance and ongoing services to stay operational.
As a family-owned and operated HVAC company in Kiawah Island, SC, we know better than anyone how expensive it can be to maintain an AC unit. We know that money doesn't grow on trees. We also understand that finding last-minute resources to fix an air conditioning system can be challenging. That is why we offer extended warranties for your new or existing AC equipment. With an extended warranty from Action Heating & Air Conditioning, you benefit from repairs, replacement, and additional services covered under warranty. That way, you can enjoy your HVAC products as long as possible.
There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes."Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the sweet tea at Blackstone's Cafe. Spending hours strolling through The Old ...
There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes.
"Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the sweet tea at Blackstone's Cafe. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridgelines through a primordial wonderland.
Ahead, the best things to do in Beaufort, South Carolina, from local shopping to exploring the restaurant scene to appreciating the area's subdued beauty.
The trail affirms why Hunting Island, a breathtaking 25-minute drive from Beaufort, is South Carolina's most popular state park. With a dozen similar paths and 5 miles of pristine beach, this place leads you back eons in time through an untouched maritime forest with towering pines and ospreys soaring overhead as well as magnolias and saw palmettos tangled with yaupon hollies and wax myrtles in the dense understory. Here you breathe deeper and look more closely. Life slows down, and a sense of awe percolates up.
Take a seat on one of the bench swings at Beaufort's Waterfront Park. Wide and welcoming, they move back and forth in a rhythmic lullaby. You can't help relaxing, especially if you happen to catch a sunset or tune into the soft lapping of the Beaufort River against the floating dock, hearing the jingling clink of pulleys against sailboat masts—a mariner's wind chime.
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards A slice of the sweet life from Beaufort’s upscale Saltus River Grill. Credit: Peter Frank Edwards
Waterfront Park showcases the smart civic planning that makes Beaufort such a delight: The town's best vistas are protected and preserved. There are thoughtful amenities (parking, public bathrooms, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and plenty of green lawn for kids and dogs to play on). Plus it's all conveniently adjacent to an enticing array of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores along Bay Street. What better nightcap than to sit and swing a spell after enjoying grilled scallops or top-notch sushi at Saltus River Grill?
Beaufort is subdued in the best possible way. She has the same deep history and stunning architecture that her nearby sisters, Charleston and Savannah, are celebrated for, but she's fine staying slightly out of the limelight. Wise and mature, Beaufort wears her age like the badge of honor it is. Her Lowcountry aura feels elemental, with more patina and less pomp. Along Short Street at the edge of The Old Point, moss-heaped limbs cradle historic mansions. Beaufort's treescape shouts of grandeur in whatever language oaks speak. Gardens and yards aren't so much manicured as they are magical. It's easy to see why Hollywood frequently comes calling (a stairwell at The Beaufort Inn features posters from major motion pictures filmed here). Longtime resident Pat Conroy was so smitten that he wrote, "When I came to Beaufort I had struck upon a land so beautiful I had to hunt for other words."
Not far from Short Street, the First African Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival gem built by freedmen in 1865, bears witness to Beaufort's African American, Gullah, and Reconstruction-era history. "Robert Smalls was a member here. This document notes his Sunday school attendance and that he put a few cents in the offering plate," says the Rev. Alexander McBride, a jovial former marine and the church's pastor of almost 20 years, pointing to framed, yellowing pages hanging behind the sanctuary. A statue of Smalls, an enslaved crewman who heroically commandeered a Confederate ship and later served as a U.S. Congressman, is less than a mile away at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where a monument to Harriet Tubman is also planned.
Join Tabernacle Baptist Church for Worship at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays and for a prayer meeting and Bible study at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Both churches are worthy stops, along with the Penn Center, the first Southern school for formerly enslaved people, across the bridge on St. Helena Island. Each place gives a deeper insight into the region's vibrant and enduring African American and Gullah Geechee culture.
Providing an overview of Beaufort's past, Capt. Henry Brandt of Coastal Expeditions offers a boat tour that cruises through the area's Native American, Spanish, and French history; Union occupation; and a view of Camp Saxton's tabby ruins, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in South Carolina—all interspersed with musings on estuary ecosystems and the fecund marvels of pluff mud.
"You don't fully experience Beaufort until you see it from the water," Brandt claims. After watching dolphins curl and glide from the boat's bow and admiring the town's steeples rising in the background, I absolutely believe him.
tabernacle1863.org; 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901penncenter.com; 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island, South Carolina 29920coastalexpeditions.com
Anchorage 1770 Boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion with fine dining at the Ribaut Social Club ; 1103 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
The Beaufort Inn Historic main inn plus several cottages clustered around a courtyard beaufortinn.com; 809 Port Republic St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Rhett House Inn Historic Greek revival mansion that's been a favorite of movie stars rhetthouseinn.com; 1009 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Blackstone's Café Classic diner-like options blackstonescafe.com; 205 Scott Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Red Rooster Cafe Extensive breakfast menu, whether you like it country, continental, Lowcountry, or Tex Mex facebook.com; 2045 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29901
Lowcountry Produce Kitchen Locally sourced salads and sandwiches and a legendary tomato pie lowcountryproduce.com; 302 Carteret St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Chapman's Grocer Grab-and-go items plus beer, wine, and snacksinstagram.com/chapmans_grocer_beaufort; 208 West St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Plums Waterfront dining featuring soups, salads, and sandwiches plumsrestaurant.com; 904 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Saltus River Grill Fine dining with fresh local seafood, Southern fare, steaks, sushi, and a well-curated wine list ; 802 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Old Bull Tavern Gastropub featuring a lively bar scene and a lamb shank that does not disappoint oldbulltavern.com; 205 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Breakwater Restaurant and Bar Seafood, steaks, and seasonal dishes with Southern flair breakwatersc.com; 203 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Paninis on the Waterfront Stone-baked pizzas, paninis, seafood, and pastas paninisonthewaterfront.com; 926 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Wren Bistro & BarModern-American food with low country hospitalitywrenbeaufort.com; 210 Carteret St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Cabana22 Coastal-chic boutique cabana22.com; 819 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
The Chocolate Tree Confections such as fudge, truffles, and peanut brittle facebook.com; 507 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
The Beaufort Candy Shop Classic candies and sweet treats of every kind; 103 West Street Extension, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906
Lisa Rivers Fine Art Gullah-inspired art, prints, and gifts lisariversart.com; 917c Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Cassandra Gillens Art / Gullah Art in De Woods Paintings, posters, and gifts; 711 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906
Good Aura Sustainable clothing and jewelry boutique shopgoodaura.com; 221 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Monkey's Uncle Toys, fun, and games for children of all ages monkeysuncletoys.com; 909 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902
Hunting Island; St. Phillips Island; southcarolinaparks.comPat Conroy Literary Center; Coastal Expeditions; Reconstruction Era National Historic Park; nps.gov/reerSpanish Moss Trail; Craven Street en route to The Old Point to explore historic neighborhoods
Condé Nast Traveler editorial staff were not involved with the creation of this content.Before the island awakens, the gentle roar of the Atlantic Ocean steadies its harmony along the shoreline. The rustle of pampas grass drifts through the air, blending seamlessly with the cool serenity of the misty ocean breeze. Sunlight quietly warms the world-class fairways and meandering waterways, while ospreys eye up the salt marshes, anticipating their morning catch.This is Kiawah Island at its most intimate. A paradise where the...
Condé Nast Traveler editorial staff were not involved with the creation of this content.
Before the island awakens, the gentle roar of the Atlantic Ocean steadies its harmony along the shoreline. The rustle of pampas grass drifts through the air, blending seamlessly with the cool serenity of the misty ocean breeze. Sunlight quietly warms the world-class fairways and meandering waterways, while ospreys eye up the salt marshes, anticipating their morning catch.
This is Kiawah Island at its most intimate. A paradise where the day begins not with noise, but with possibility.
Approximately 21 miles from Charleston, the unspoiled, private island is where nature, sport, and luxury intertwine. Experiences range from spa treatments, tennis, fine dining, and pickleball to naturalist tours, kayaking, and championship golf. It’s more than a destination. It’s an oasis of Southern hospitality, sun-warmed paths, and towering palms that stir the senses—and make you feel worlds away.
A leisurely drive under canopies of Spanish moss-draped live oaks leads to the entrance of The Sanctuary, the property’s acclaimed crown jewel. Enveloped with subtropical surroundings, this aptly named haven is bestowed with South Carolina’s only Forbes Triple Five-Star rating for dining, accommodations, and spa. The reasons why are apparent.
Sincere welcomes are a constant here. As is a serenade of rolling surf, pristine sands, and far-reaching landscapes, all framed by expansive windows. This is where the journey begins. The unplugging. The clarity. The serenity.
Inside The Sanctuary, grand staircases positioned at either side of the lobby lead the way to world-class accommodations anchored by 255 exquisite guest rooms and suites. Décor throughout is refined without sacrificing Southern charm. Luxe amenities create an environment that is both exceptional and endearing—whether traveling solo or with family.
The botanical solitude of the Forbes Five-Star spa is a source of endless bliss. Think trickling water fountains, the calming aroma of essential oils, detoxifying mineral-based massages, and holistic facials. Expect no pretense. Just pure, award-winning renewal and rejuvenation.
Seven resorts across the Palmetto State have been ranked among the top 20 in the South by the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.From oceanfront escapes to serene Lowcountry retreats, these South Carolina resorts made the ranks for their hospitality, scenery and world-class amenities — with more locations on the list than any other southern state.There were 757,109 travelers who participated in the 38th annual survey, casting votes between April 1 and June 30, 2025. Results are based on a five-po...
Seven resorts across the Palmetto State have been ranked among the top 20 in the South by the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
From oceanfront escapes to serene Lowcountry retreats, these South Carolina resorts made the ranks for their hospitality, scenery and world-class amenities — with more locations on the list than any other southern state.
There were 757,109 travelers who participated in the 38th annual survey, casting votes between April 1 and June 30, 2025. Results are based on a five-point scale and averaged to a percentage to determine final scores. The awards recognize excellence across a wide range of travel categories, including hotels, resorts, cities, and airports.
Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway or a family-friendly vacation, where you stay matters just as much as where you go.
Here are the South Carolina resort destinations that made the ranks and how each location scored.
This oceanfront resort blends luxury with Lowcountry charm, offering pristine beaches, world-class golf and spa experiences all nestled within a barrier island setting.
Located just outside Charleston, Wild Dunes offers a relaxing beach atmosphere and easy access to historic charm, complete with golf courses, bike trails, and upscale accommodations.
Set along the Atlantic Ocean, just steps away from the beach, this resort features oceanfront dining, three pools, and a full-service spa, making it a top pick for both relaxation and recreation.
This boutique waterfront resort combines coastal elegance with Southern hospitality, all just a short drive from the city.
Famous for its iconic red-and-white lighthouse and scenic bike trails, Sea Pines offers an immersive experience in nature, golf, and coastal living on Hilton Head’s southern tip.
With spacious suites, beachfront access, golf, trails, and tennis courts, this resort provides a relaxed yet upscale atmosphere ideal for both couples and families.
Tucked between Hilton Head and Savannah, Montage Palmetto Bluff delivers Southern charm and luxury with a rustic twist in its moss-draped oaks, gourmet dining and homes on the water.
The other top resorts in this ranking by Condé Nast readers include:
The Sanderling Resort in Duck, North Carolina
The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia
The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia
The Swag in Waynesville, North Carolina
The Cloister at Sea Island in Sea Island, Georgia
Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee
The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina
Blackberry Mountain in Walland, Tennessee
The Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina
The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Savannah, Georgia
The Lodge at Primland, Auberge Collection in Meadows of Dan, Virginia
Condé Nast states that the Readers’ Choice Awards survey is administered via a secure platform from cntraveler.com and includes a range of criteria relevant to each category.
Categories range from cities, resorts, hotels, and more. For a candidate to be voted on in a respective category, it must meet a minimum number of responses and achieve a qualifying rating to be eligible.
Results are based on a five-point scale and averaged to a percentage to determine final scores.
The rankings aim to highlight places and experiences that travelers value most and serve as a guide for future travel planning.
To view the full list of top resorts in the South and other awards from Condé Nast readers, click here.