Savannah
Southern Belle by Slim Aarons, 1957
Savannah is a coastal city in Georgia city known for its manicured parks, horse-drawn carriages, and antebellum architecture. Its historic district is filled with cobblestoned squares and parks shaded by oak trees covered with Spanish moss. Savannah has retained much of its original structure and charm with a grid laid out in 1733 by General James E. Oglethorpe— earning it the title of America’s First Planned City. Here is our guide to Savannah, Georgia.
STAY
BRICE HOTEL A boutique hotel in the historic district, just off cobblestoned River Street and the Savannah River. A complimentary yoga mat is available for guests in each room. 601 E Bay St, Savannah; bricehotel.com
THE MARSHALL HOUSE An Old World boutique hotel in the historic district in a building dating back to the mid-19th-century. In a past life, it served as a hospital for soldiers at the end of the Civil War. Enjoy a sweet tea on the veranda, complete with wooden rocking chairs and green shutters, or a soak in the antique claw-foot tubs. 123 E Broughton St; marshallhouse.com
MAGNOLIA HALL A private mansion-turned-guesthouse, available by invite only to select members of the SCAD community. 503 Whitaker St, Savannah; scad.edu/life/buildings-and-facilities/magnolia-hall
PERRY LANE HOTEL Set in the Historic District, the rooms are filled with art and vintage wares, and there is a restaurant, bar, and a rooftop pool on site. 256 E Perry St; marriott.com/en-us/hotels/savlc-perry-lane-hotel-a-luxury-collection-hotel
THOMPSON SAVANNAH Facing the Savannah River, this sophisticated hotel features Italian linens and designer toiletries. There are loaner bike and amenitites include an outdoor pool, a polished restaurant, 2 bars and a fitness center. 201 Port St, hyatt.com/thompson-hotels
HOTEL BARDO Stylish Hotel Bardo sits inside the 1888-built Forsyth Mansion, looking out onto Savannah’s largest and oldest public park. It served as a three-star hotel, the Mansion of Forsyth Park, until 2022 when the team at New York–based Left Lane stepped in to refresh and rebrand the space, unveiling the new Bardo in February 2024. While the iconic brick exterior of the two main buildings is largely unchanged, a second white-brick building housing 20 suites is now attached to the back—and a shimmering pool and “carriage house” for workout classes . 700 Drayton St; staybardo.com
HAMILTON TURNER INN Disney lovers might recognize this historic property, which was rumored to be Walt Disney’s original inspiration behind the theme park’s famed Haunted Mansion attraction (it is also said to be haunted). An iconic gem located on Lafayette Square in Savannah's Historic District, it blends Southern hospitality with Victorian elegance. 330 Abercorn St; hamilton-turnerinn.com
THE ALIDA Set along the Savannah River, this upscale hotel has a restaurant and several bars, one of which offers rooftop seating. Like many of Savannah's riverfront hotels, the Alida lives in a converted warehouse and is named for Alida Harper Fowlkes, a beloved architectural preservationist. Its look is a pleasing meld of contemporary glass and steel, mid-century accents, and exposed brickwork—a nod to the past. Inside there are little extras like canapés and snacks every evening in the lobby bar and complimentary Champagne at the reception desk. 412 Williamson St; marriott.com/en-us/hotels/savtx-the-alida-savannah
THE DRAYTON HOTEL Nestled in the heart of Savannah's Historic District, The Drayton Hotel masterfully blends Southern hospitality with contemporary design. Housed in a restored 19th-century building, the hotel offers surprisingly color-drenched decor, with an open, airy lobby full of foliage. Each room is tastefully designed with a chic, modern aesthetic, and features high ceilings, large windows, and luxurious finishes, along with smart TVs and high-end toiletries. The Pendant Terrace is another highlight, offering panoramic views of the Savannah River and the city skyline — an ideal spot for sunset cocktails. 7 Drayton S; hilton.com/en/hotels/savemqq-the-drayton-hotel-savannah
KEHOE HOUSE Even among the plethora of Victorian mansions that line the shady squares of Savannah’s historic downtown, Kehoe House stands out. Its vivid red-brick facade is immediately noticeable, with a grand staircase leading to Italianate pillars and Renaissance Revival flourishes welcoming guests in an evocatively regal manner. Inside, plush drapes, 14-foot ceilings, dark wood panelling, and period antiques maintain a high-society ambience. 123 Habersham St; Kehoehouse.com
THE DOUGLAS Formerly the Ballastone Inn, The Douglas in the Historic Distric has sixteen well appointed rooms, a private bar, and à la carte breakfast by two-time James Beard Award nominee Jacques Larson. 14 E Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah; thedouglas.com
GALLOWAY HOUSE INN It's impossible not to be awed by The Galloway House Inn, a historic mansion with huge, two-story pillars. This is an all-suite property with discrete entrances for every suite, each are filled with antiques. 107 E 35th St; thegallowayhouse.com
THE GASTONIAN A fine example of the Regency-period Italianate look that defines the more decadent side of this town, and the historic inn has an ornate entrance, wrought iron-lined steps, and a towering porch. All of the rooms are individually decorated; some have private balconies and some are duplexes. 220 E Gaston St; gastonian.com
DINE | DRINK
MRS. WILKE’S DINING ROOM A line gathers each morning at 107 West Jones Street, and you better be in it. At 11 o'clock, the doors of 107 open, and the lucky lunch crowd finds seats at one of the large tables-for-ten shared by strangers, and soon filled with family-style platters of fried chicken, cornbread biscuits, sweet potato souffle, black-eyed peas, and okra gumbo. 107 W Jones St; mrswilkes.com
THE OLDE PINK HOUSE Southern cuisine is served in this rose-colored Colonial mansion dating from 1771. Live music is played in the cellar tavern after dinner. 23 Abercorn St; theoldepinkhouserestaurant.com
CLARY’S CAFE You might recognize Clary’s from Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The drugstore-turned-restaurant serves Southern classics including eggs, biscuits, and gravy for breakfast and black bean soup or fish sandwiches for lunch and dinner. 404 Abercorn St; claryscafe.com
LEOPOLD’S ICE CREAM Founded in 1919 by three brothers who moved to the States from Greece, Leopold’s is a Savannah staple— serving ice cream cones, sundaes, and old-fashioned fountain sodas. 212 E Broughton St; leopoldsicecream.com
HUSK Chef Sean Brock’s second location, after putting Charleston on the food map with his original restaurant. 12 W Oglethorpe Ave; husksavannah.com
THE WYLD An alfresco restaurant with panoramic marsh views, offering fresh May River oysters, and crab cakes. 2740 Livingston Ave; thewylddockbar.com
COTTON & RYE Known for pork, this restaurant serves up daily seasonal specials. 1801 Habersham St; cottonandrye.com
THE GREY Housed in a renovated bus station, serving charcuterie plates and smoked brisket with a signature gin gimlet. 109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd; thegreyrestaurant.com
ZUNZI'S A South African–inspired takeout spot serving boerewors, sausages served on French bread with gravy, onions, and mustard. 236 Drayton St; zunzis.com
SANDFLY BBQ Housed in a retrofitted 1938 Streamliner offering a sampling of pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, smoked chicken, sausage, and ribs. 8413 Ferguson Ave; sandflybbq.com
THE COLLINS QUARTER An Australian cafe serving lighter options including avocado toast and biscuits. 151 Bull St; thecollinsquarter.com
ARTILLERY A chic cocktail bar with a signature drink called “Artillery Punch”— a lethal combination of rum, brandy, rye whiskey, and gin. 307 Bull St; artillerybar.com
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
TYBEE ISLAND The beach is just 15 miles from Savannah’s historic district, and Tybee Island offers a smattering of local seafood restaurants, parks, bike trails, playgrounds, and water sports. visittybee.com
WORMSLOE HISTORIC SITE A former plantation and the 18th-century estate of English pilgrim, Noble Jones, located on Isle of Hope, 20-minutes from downtown. A mile-long corridor of large oaks laden with Spanish moss leads up to the oldest standing structure in Savannah. 7601 Skidaway Rd; gastateparks.org/Wormsloe
GHOST TOUR According to legend, Savannah is a haunted city. Take an evening stroll around the squares to learn more about the past. Make sure to stop at the Bonaventure Cemetery and the Mercer-Williams House. ghostcitytours.com
TELFAIR MUSEUM One of the oldest public art museums in the U.S., originally opened in the 1880s in a renovated family mansion, which has since expanded into three separate buildings displaying a 4,000-piece permanent art collection— a mix of 18th-21st century pieces from America and Europe. The Jepson Center in the Telfair Museum complex includes a small collection from such luminaries as Jasper Johns, Richard Avedon, and Frank Stella as is the original Bird Girl statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. telfair.org
SCAD MUSEUM OF ART Located in a rehabilitated and landmarked former railway depot with a permanent collection of African-American art, including works by Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence’s Genesis Creation Sermon series. 601 Turner Blvd; scadmoa.org
LANE CONTEMPORARY A gallery by Susan Laney featuring SCAD graduates Ansley West Rivers and Menghan Qi, and photographer Jack Leigh. 1810 Mills B Ln Blvd; laneycontemporary.com
CITY MARKET An 18th-century open-air marketplace. 219 W Bryan St; savannahcitymarket.com
SHOP
THE PARIS MARKET Inspired by the Saint Ouen Flea Market outside of Paris, this boutique by globetrotting owner Paula Danyluk offers soaps, hand towels, jewelry, kitchenware, vintage items, and everything in between. 36 W Broughton St; theparismarket.com
SHOPSCAD A gift shop offering personal creations from SCAD alumni, faculty, and students including apparel, jewelry, decor, and gift items. Housed in historic Poetter Hall, the shop also sells fine art by emerging artists including Juan Sepulveda, Katrina Schmidt-Rinke, Marcus Kenney, and Dan VanLandingham. 340 Bull St; shopscad.com
JERE'S ANTIQUES Hundreds of pieces are sourced from the U.K., Belgium, Holland, and France with a vast selection of chairs housed in the attic of the 33,000-square-foot warehouse. 9 Jefferson St; jeresantiques.com
PERIDOT A treasure box helmed by the ever-traveling and ever-elusive Kevin Johnson. His discerning eye falls on the unexpected, from Tagliapietra Murano vases to a Biedermeier birch chest sourced from author Tom Clancy’s estate. He’s particularly drawn to “anything you can put an orchid in,” from mid-century pottery to a 500-pound Chinese brazier. 10 W Liberty St
GUTSTEIN GALLERY Emerging artists and their contemporary works are for sale across sculpture, printmaking, painting, ceramics, and installation. 201 E Broughton St; scad.edu/calendar/exhibitions