We believe that employees are our most important resource and our success depends upon creating and retaining a staff capable of delivering an exceptional experience to every customer, every time.
We are looking for someone to work breakfast and lunch. Experience preferred but training available.
Above all, you must be motivated and have a positive attitude and a passion for food. A full-time position is available. If this sounds like you and you want to progress your career while ensuring that standards, preparation and presentation of food exceeds the expectations of our guests, we would like to hear from you.
We are looking for an experienced and creative Line Cook to join a small team in our busy kitchen.
We are seeking a mature professional with strong culinary skills and high food presentation standards for this hands-on role.
To be successful you must have the following attributes:
Above all, you must be motivated and have a positive attitude and a passion for food. A full-time position is available. If this sounds like you and you want to progress your career while ensuring that standards, preparation and presentation of food exceeds the expectations of our guests, we would like to hear from you.
Performs professional nail, foot, and hand treatments such as manicures and pedicures toguests. They possess in-depth knowledge of nails, including a fundamental knowledge of foot and hand massage techniques and careful application of polish, grooming, cleaning, and cutting. They utilize this knowledge and excellent sanitation and cleanliness skills nail service offerings. Nail technicians must keep up to date with the latest nail products, techniques and trends. They must demonstrate, promote, and sell spa/salon retail products. They must follow all company policies and procedures.
Provide hair styling, cutting, and possibly color services to guests. May provide nail services, waxing, and skincare services to guests. Assess guest needs, inquire about contraindications, and examine skin, hair, or nails to evaluate condition, appearance, and appropriateness of scheduled service. Cosmetologist must keep up to date with the latest hair products, techniques and trends. They must demonstrate, promote, and sell spa/salon retail products. They must follow all company policies and procedures.
We are fun, upbeat, and have a great atmosphere in which to work. We are looking for an energetic and positive massage therapist to join our team.
Qualifications:
Due to our size, cancellations affect us significantly; therefore, we adhere to a strict cancellation policy. Reservations may be canceled without penalty up to 7 days prior to arrival. Reservations not cancelled by 3 p.m. (7 days prior to arrival) will be charged in full.
Check-in time is 3 p.m.; checkout is 11 a.m. We are happy to store your luggage if you arrive before 3 p.m. or wish to depart later than 11 a.m.
Inside, The Willcox is a smoke-free environment. Please retire to the porch to indulge in a pipe, cigar, cigarette or vape.
Children are always welcome at The Willcox. Pack and Plays are available at no charge. Call ahead, and one will be set up in your room when you arrive.
Well-trained and quiet pets are welcome. If your favorite pet is joining you, a $100 charge will be added. All pets must be on a leash while on property and please make sure pets are secure in their crates when you leave your room. A credit card must be presented at the time of check in to guarantee against damages or soiled carpets/soft goods in the room. Damages will be billed on a case-by-case basis.
The pool is open to guests spring, summer and fall but closed in winter. A lifeguard is not on duty, however, so swimming is at your own risk. If you require assistance getting in and out of the pool, please notify the front desk.
The comfort, well-being and safety of our guests has always been our top priority. In addition to local, state and federal guidelines within our industry, we have implemented additional cleaning and sanitation protocols through the entire hotel and installed the REME HALO in the HVAC systems in public areas of the hotel. The HALO-LED is an in-duct, whole building air purification system that is both zero ozone compliant, mercury free and is intended to proactively treat every cubic inch of air-conditioned space, reducing airborne and surface contaminants.
If you have any questions about our health and wellness protocols or have a specific request, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@thewillcox.com or 803-648-1898.
Note: Room rates are subject to all state and local taxes, currently at 12 percent. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Maximum number of guests per room is two adults and two children.
The Willcox offers a picture-perfect setting where timeless elegance and Southern grace shine through every image. From bridal portraits to fashion editorials and lifestyle photoshoots, our historic property provides a story-rich backdrop that elevates every frame. With warm hospitality and seamless coordination, our team ensures a relaxed and inspiring experience—so you can focus on capturing your vision beautifully.
Summer in South Carolina means long, sun-drenched afternoons—the perfect time to lose yourself in a good book. Whether you’re lounging by the pool or cooling off under the porch fan, these summer reads will keep you turning pages all season long.
This season, we find ourselves inspired by the sweetness of honey and the many stories, like Larry Boyd’s at the beginning of this newsletter, that are woven into this special ingredient. In our effort to find the best honey cocktail, we reached out to our dear friend and designer, Tom Bossard. Tom has built a home in Kenya that has quickly become one of the country’s premier destinations.
Perched high on the Siria Escarpment with sweeping views over the Maasai Mara and Northern Serengeti, Tom’s home, called Manzili Mara, is a private, exclusive-use retreat for those seeking a safari at their rhythm.
Once known as Siriatom House, the property has been thoughtfully reimagined by Tom and his partner Vanessa Roumeguere, honoring the original vision of the late, remarkable Anthony Russell. Built in traditional Maasai style using mud walls, stilts, timber, and thatch, the house was shaped by the hands and hearts of the local community.
The five-bedroom home offers year- round comfort and soul with two expansive luxury suites and three smaller en-suite cottages. Inside, you’ll find cozy lounge areas with fireplaces, treetop terraces, an indoor dining room, and forest-shaded decks perfect for long, lazy lunches.
What best defines this creative collaboration is a shared philosophy: crafting small-scale, story-rich spaces rooted in culture, design, ecology, and community. This is more than a place to stay—it’s a place to gather, to breathe, to return to yourself.
Located just 20 minutes from the Mara Triangle, with front-row views of big game country, Manzili Mara offers one of the most intimate, elevated safari experiences in East Africa—including the rare chance to walk with rhinos next door at the Partakilat Rhino Conservancy.
To book your stay at Manzili Mara, please contact reservations@manzilihouse.com. Until then, Tom has shared this traditional Kenyan cocktail with us, which will be available at The Willcox all summer long.
Follow Manzila Mara on Instagram at @manzilimara.
Summertime in Aiken brings bright colors and beautiful birdsong right to our doorsteps. During this time of year, Hitchcock Woods is not only home to our native, year-round birds, but also to a host of birds migrating from South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
We recently spoke with Jay Keck, Industry Habitat Manager at the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, about the birds you can see in the woods and beyond this summer. He explained how, with prescribed burning, Hitchcock Woods is creating a multi-layered habitat, combining a “prairie-like open understory habitat” with tall trees that make it hospitable to a multitude of bird species.
Keep an eye out for the white-eyed vireo, a small songbird with yellow accents, white-striped wings, and a song that sounds like the words, “Quick, give me the beer check.”
Or, peek through the trees for glimpses of the blue grosbeak and indigo bunting, two deep blue birds from tropical reaches. And, of course, look for the birds that live with us all year round, like the screech, barn, and great-horned owls perched throughout Hitchcock Woods.
Watch this video for a brief tour of the birds who grace Hitchcock Woods in the summertime.
For the past fourteen years, Aiken High School’s GEM Program has helped young women reach their fullest potential. It all began in 2011 when Linda Strojan, then a guidance counselor at the high school, co-founded the program for an inaugural class of about twenty-five girls recommended by teachers and guidance counselors.
She and others involved in GEM wanted to give the girls skills they might not have learned at home, focusing on etiquette, communication, selecting a wardrobe, and applying to college. “The goal of the program was to connect mentors in our community—successful women—with these young women who needed a role model,” Linda shares.
Today, the program has grown to include around fifteen topics, addressing everything from financial literacy to exercise, nutrition, resumé writing, and more—all with the goal that their students will grow to lead successful, happy lives.
As the impact of the program increases, local organizations are stepping in to support all GEM represents. Once a year, the GEM girls visit The Willcox for a special dinner where they use a number of their learned skills. For the evening, they select appropriate attire for the occasion, use their best etiquette at the table, and afterward, write thank you notes.
Pearl Friends, a local fundraising group led by Flo Holford, now has a scholarship fund for GEMs. And each year, they give graduating GEMs a set of pearl earrings they can wear to their graduation ceremony and beyond.
“They are smart,” Linda says of the GEMs. “They are creative. They are enthusiastic. They want to succeed, and we hope we give them the way to do that.”
If you would like to become involved with the GEM Program, please email GuideEncourageMotivate@gmail.com or fill out their mentorship application form.
Larry Boyd of Boyd Valley Bees met us by a grassy field in the early afternoon. A heavy rain had finished just hours ago, and the sun was out with a vengeance. Nearby, several hives hummed in waiting.
This is just one of many fields scattered around Aiken where Larry keeps his 125 colonies—an amount he has amassed over the past decade of beekeeping. Alongside his father, he started as a hobbyist in 2015, growing from a starting point of three hives between the two of them. Three years ago, Larry decided to take the business full time—harvesting more Boyd’s Valley Honey than ever before.
Flavored by plants found naturally in the valley, two species stand out in Larry’s honey: tulip poplars and blackberries. Tulip poplars give his honey its signature dark amber coloring and depth of flavor, making it an excellent ingredient for cooking or mixing into drinks like coffee, tea, and cocktails.
In fact, you may have already tasted Boyd’s Valley Honey at The Willcox. Our chef uses his honey as an ingredient in many of our dishes, from a Brussels side to a Ham & Burrata starter.
“Every three to four years, the tulip poplar takes a break,” Larry says. This leaves the honey with a much lighter color and taste, gleaned primarily from blackberries and wildflowers that grow near the hives.
In beekeeping, no two days are ever alike. One of Larry’s favorite parts of the job derives from its ability to surprise. “When you graph a new queen, you don’t know what color she’s going to be,” Larry says. “It’s just like Christmas.”
In this video, learn about Larry’s philosophy on beekeeping, favorite moments from his journey, and tricks of the trade that he shares with new beekeepers.
Every spring, the earth begins a mesmerizing journey of rebirth—from leaves sprouting bright green from their limbs to creatures reawakening from their long slumbers. As we experience this beautiful season, now’s the perfect time to reawaken your own interest in reading with these gripping historical accounts, adventurous novels, and non-fiction that grapples with our tangled connection to nature.
Atmosphere
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
From the beloved author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo comes a novel set in the 1980s Space Shuttle program, following Joan Goodwin, a reserved professor who joins NASA’s astronaut training after a lifelong obsession with space. As she bonds with fellow candidates and discovers love, Joan’s life is forever altered by a mission gone wrong.
Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Acclaimed, award-winning poet and essayist Nezhukumatathil explores the emotional, cultural, and environmental connections food evokes through personal reflections and vivid storytelling, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Fumi Nakamura.
Shadow Men: The Tangled Story of Murder, Media, and Privilege That Scandalized Jazz Age America
by James Polchin
In this true story, the 1922 murder of Clarence Peters by wealthy heir Walter Ward, claimed to be in self-defense, sparked a media frenzy that exposed the Jazz Age’s moral decadence, social inequities, and the origins of modern media voyeurism.
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
by Zoë Schlanger
Schlanger, an award-winning science reporter, explores the remarkable intelligence and adaptive abilities of plants, revealing their capacity for communication, memory, and complex survival strategies, while challenging our understanding of consciousness and intelligence in the natural world.
Memories of the Lost
by Barbara O’Neal
After her mother’s death, artist Tillie Morrisey experiences unsettling fugue states triggered by a mysterious painting and discovers hidden truths about her past, leading her to a seaside village in England where she seeks answers, while also grappling with grief, love, and her own identity.
Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A searing novel about four women— Chiamaka, Zikora, Omelogor, and Kadiatou—navigating love, regrets, and self-discovery, Dream Count explores the nature of happiness, the complexities of relationships, and the choices that define us, with sharp insights and emotional depth.
Kava Haven launched just last year, a nonalcoholic spirit with relaxing qualities that is quickly becoming a favorite for cocktails and mocktails alike. This lemony spirit is practically made for the springtime, pairing beautifully with so many flavors of the season. Below, see our double recipe for a Kava Haven Lemon Drop you’ll love. Both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of this cocktail are available here at The Willcox.
The Kava Haven Lemon Drop
Non-alcoholic
Alcoholic
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed martini glass.
Equestrian culture here runs deep in our veins, tracing back to our forefathers’ pastimes of athleticism and leisure on horseback. With trails, tracks, and training fields around every corner, it’s no secret why Aiken is called the “Horse Capital of the South.” This spring, there are countless ways to participate in Aiken’s equestrianism, from horse shows to polo to races.
For a full listing of equestrian events happening in Aiken this spring, check out Aiken Horse’s Calendar of Events.
On the last weekend in March, visit the Horse Show Grounds at Hitchcock Woods to see the equestrian talents of riders of all ages. Every day offers something new, with the fiercest competition taking place on Friday, followed by Family Day on Saturday, and Foxhunter Day on Sunday. Attendees may bring a picnic lunch, purchase concessions, or reserve a catered lunch ahead of the event.
Held at Bruce’s Field in the Aiken Horse Park, this multi-day horse show will support Aiken Equine Rescue—a cherished local nonprofit that provides for retired racehorses and horses who were ill-treated by their previous owners. Take advantage of this perfect opportunity to support a good cause and enjoy a day in the sunshine!
Every Sunday at 2pm and 3:30pm, the Aiken Polo Club is hosting competitive matches at the historic Whitney Field. General admission costs only $10, and attendees may tailgate by the field or enjoy an open bar and catering in the VIP Pavilion for a fee. This Sunday afternoon tradition is a staple for Aiken’s families and community!
Aiken Hounds is continuing their tradition as the oldest drag hunt in the country with their Spring Hunter Pace event this April. In teams of two to four, riders and their horses will take to the Hitchcock Woods from 9:30 to 11am. Registration is open both to adults and youths, including a boxed lunch for all participants who register prior to April 2nd.
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