LEAVING SPG Apr 30, 2014: Four Points Historic Savannah, Georgia [Master Thread]
Jul 30, 2009, 11:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Fla.
Programs: Starwood life Plt, AA Gold.,Delta . ,Priority Plat,IC Ambassador
Posts: 408
LEAVING SPG Apr 30, 2014: Four Points Historic Savannah, Georgia [Master Thread]
Greetings:
We stayed at this location on May 28. 2009.......I am Plat.
The following from my notes..............
Area seemed fine to us. If you go out, walk across street you can walk down a flight of steps to River Street. All sorts of food sites...Drink spots,we ate at Fiddlers Crab House, sat outside.
Location A, Food C+, service A, price C, short walk to hotel.
The hotel is new:
Location: B+
Parking :12.00 self service, valet 15.00 (in and Out)
Check in: A
Upgrade: B+ Suite (sitting room, bedroom seperate, 2 flat screen,)
Room :A
Price :C (143.00 all in)
Service :A
Internet Free
Note: Walk to River Street 5 min, all down hill (going!!)
We took City tour, 20.00 per person, on off, not bad,pick up at hotel and return you to hotel.
On the whole would return, excellent service, infomation, check in,all contact was great. Info desk in lobby was excellent, wanted to help not sell.
Enjoy..........
We stayed at this location on May 28. 2009.......I am Plat.
The following from my notes..............
Area seemed fine to us. If you go out, walk across street you can walk down a flight of steps to River Street. All sorts of food sites...Drink spots,we ate at Fiddlers Crab House, sat outside.
Location A, Food C+, service A, price C, short walk to hotel.
The hotel is new:
Location: B+
Parking :12.00 self service, valet 15.00 (in and Out)
Check in: A
Upgrade: B+ Suite (sitting room, bedroom seperate, 2 flat screen,)
Room :A
Price :C (143.00 all in)
Service :A
Internet Free
Note: Walk to River Street 5 min, all down hill (going!!)
We took City tour, 20.00 per person, on off, not bad,pick up at hotel and return you to hotel.
On the whole would return, excellent service, infomation, check in,all contact was great. Info desk in lobby was excellent, wanted to help not sell.
Enjoy..........
Aug 3, 2009, 7:43 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 110
In my opinion, it depends on what you want. I've stayed at the Westin on many occassions. I've always had good experiences. The rooms are nice, the pool great, and the food pretty good as well. The downside to this property is that its across the river from downtown. A boat runs back and forth so its not a big deal to me. In fact, I like being away from the madness/panhandling/etc. However, you do have to plan your schedule around the boat. For me, its worth the trouble.
The 4P is a fine property, its simply not as nice as the Westin. The public spaces, the dining, the rooms, etc. are several notches below the Westin. In terms of location, you're in downtown so everything is a easy walk.
In a nutshell, its a decision between more luxury or more convenience.
By the way, if you like pizza make sure to go to Vinny Van GoGo's (spelling?). Its very close to the 4P and pretty good (cash only).
Also, Angels BBQ is good. A real hole in the wall with odd hours.
The 4P is a fine property, its simply not as nice as the Westin. The public spaces, the dining, the rooms, etc. are several notches below the Westin. In terms of location, you're in downtown so everything is a easy walk.
In a nutshell, its a decision between more luxury or more convenience.
By the way, if you like pizza make sure to go to Vinny Van GoGo's (spelling?). Its very close to the 4P and pretty good (cash only).
Also, Angels BBQ is good. A real hole in the wall with odd hours.
Aug 4, 2009, 10:54 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: SPG Platinum, Delta PM MM, Airtain Elite, Hilton Diamond, Avis First, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 99
Pretty Subpar
Stayed here this summer. As a Plat, not only did I not get an upgrade, but I didn't even get an SPG room. I had to chase the front desk just to get my waters.
I have stayed in a number of new/renovated 4 points. Some of them are very, very nice. This 4 Points is the second worst of the bunch beating out the simply dreadful 4 Points LAX.
4 Points Sheraton Durham, NC has the nicest rooms. 4 Points Asheville, NC has decent rooms, good location, and a fantastic steak house.
There are a couple Hilton properties in the adjacent block. I will be staying there or going to the Westin next time.
I have stayed in a number of new/renovated 4 points. Some of them are very, very nice. This 4 Points is the second worst of the bunch beating out the simply dreadful 4 Points LAX.
4 Points Sheraton Durham, NC has the nicest rooms. 4 Points Asheville, NC has decent rooms, good location, and a fantastic steak house.
There are a couple Hilton properties in the adjacent block. I will be staying there or going to the Westin next time.
Sep 14, 2009, 12:18 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Lafayette, CO, USA
Programs: SPG Lifetime Plat, AA Gold, UA Gold, DL Silver, HH Gold, Vail Epic
Posts: 9,096
When we checked into the 4P Historic Savannah this weekend, we were told that parking is valet only. Self-parking was not presented as an option. The hotel's webpages on spg.com are unclear about the parking options but definitely omits the $15 price for valet. There are two levels of parking below the hotel.
There were two factors in my choice of the 4P rather than the Westin:
1. Avoid the Westin's ferry across the river. The ride is short, but it's time consuming just because you usually have to wait for the boat.
2. Avoid the Westin's resort fee.
In reality, we were always going to places which were not within walking distance of the 4P. Since we drove everywhere anyway, being within walking distance of the historic district was not an advantage for us on this trip.
The 4P's $15 valet parking is not that different from the Westin's $19 resort fee which includes self-parking. The Westin's resort fee also includes HSIA -- a free perk at the 4P. As a Plat, I'd have gotten 500 Starpoints for checking in rather than the 4P's 250 Starpoints.
I got an upgrade to a top floor corner suite (room 533) that had a view toward the river and bridge but is really a rather industrial view. The bedroom was not very big so did not have any seating, but it was not uncomfortably small.
The room seemed new except for what looked like some red Kool-Aid stains on the living room carpet. The walls are thin, so we sometimes heard voices from neighboring rooms. The street traffic noise was annoying, too.
The room had a refrigerator, coffeemaker, and microwave. Two free bottles of water. Flat panel TV mounted in the bedroom and in the living room. Late checkout was cheerfully allowed.
Upon arrival in the room, a small plate of cheese, crackers, grapes, and sliced strawberries was waiting for me on the counter. A nice gesture!
The breakfast buffet in the restaurant is $10, but I never went in to look at it so cannot comment on its quality.
Suite Living Room:
In the end, parking was not on my bill. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not. It definitely made me feel better about not staying at the Westin. If that's their norm to include free parking for award stays, I certainly didn't get that message at check-in.
This was an award stay using this summer's free weekend awards, so the room cost for me was the same regardless of whether I chose the Cat3 4P or the Cat4 Westin. The cash rate was about the same for both hotels this weekend. If the prices are equal, I'd pick the Westin next time. If I were choosing between standard awards, I'd probably be satisfied with the 4P most of the time for saving 3K Starpoints/night. But the Westin is certainly more luxurious and would be my pick for a special weekend or resort amenities.
Limited free parking on the street is an option sometimes. Don't park where the curb is painted yellow, though. We did see someone get ticketed for doing so. And there are posted days/times when parking is not allowed at all to allow for street cleaning.
OT: For fine dining, we had a great meal at Local 11 Ten just south of Forsyth Park. Unique dishes with seasonal ingredients. Great wine list. It is nearly 2 miles from the 4P and historic district, but on-street parking is usually plentiful in the restaurant's area.
There were two factors in my choice of the 4P rather than the Westin:
1. Avoid the Westin's ferry across the river. The ride is short, but it's time consuming just because you usually have to wait for the boat.
2. Avoid the Westin's resort fee.
In reality, we were always going to places which were not within walking distance of the 4P. Since we drove everywhere anyway, being within walking distance of the historic district was not an advantage for us on this trip.
The 4P's $15 valet parking is not that different from the Westin's $19 resort fee which includes self-parking. The Westin's resort fee also includes HSIA -- a free perk at the 4P. As a Plat, I'd have gotten 500 Starpoints for checking in rather than the 4P's 250 Starpoints.
I got an upgrade to a top floor corner suite (room 533) that had a view toward the river and bridge but is really a rather industrial view. The bedroom was not very big so did not have any seating, but it was not uncomfortably small.
The room seemed new except for what looked like some red Kool-Aid stains on the living room carpet. The walls are thin, so we sometimes heard voices from neighboring rooms. The street traffic noise was annoying, too.
The room had a refrigerator, coffeemaker, and microwave. Two free bottles of water. Flat panel TV mounted in the bedroom and in the living room. Late checkout was cheerfully allowed.
Upon arrival in the room, a small plate of cheese, crackers, grapes, and sliced strawberries was waiting for me on the counter. A nice gesture!
The breakfast buffet in the restaurant is $10, but I never went in to look at it so cannot comment on its quality.
Suite Living Room:
In the end, parking was not on my bill. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not. It definitely made me feel better about not staying at the Westin. If that's their norm to include free parking for award stays, I certainly didn't get that message at check-in.
This was an award stay using this summer's free weekend awards, so the room cost for me was the same regardless of whether I chose the Cat3 4P or the Cat4 Westin. The cash rate was about the same for both hotels this weekend. If the prices are equal, I'd pick the Westin next time. If I were choosing between standard awards, I'd probably be satisfied with the 4P most of the time for saving 3K Starpoints/night. But the Westin is certainly more luxurious and would be my pick for a special weekend or resort amenities.
Limited free parking on the street is an option sometimes. Don't park where the curb is painted yellow, though. We did see someone get ticketed for doing so. And there are posted days/times when parking is not allowed at all to allow for street cleaning.
OT: For fine dining, we had a great meal at Local 11 Ten just south of Forsyth Park. Unique dishes with seasonal ingredients. Great wine list. It is nearly 2 miles from the 4P and historic district, but on-street parking is usually plentiful in the restaurant's area.
Sep 15, 2009, 2:17 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DCA/ ATL
Programs: IHG Platinum/ DL Silver
Posts: 134
I stayed at the Four Points Savannah in July and I enjoyed the room we had. Even though I am merely a gold I was upgraded to a suite and there was conference of some sort at the hotel. While the valets are definitely a slacking bunch the rest of the staff was extremely friendly towards me and my young daughter. Other than the location being a little seedy when you travel perpendicular to river street overall I enjoyed my stay. Also, the bedroom had enough room for my daughter's playpen and allowed us to navigate around without banging into the bed or drawers.
Sep 26, 2009, 2:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: UA GS/4 MM, AA Exec Plat, Lifetime Hilton D, Hyatt G, Marriott Titanium earned Ambassador
Posts: 7,553
mini report
I hotel is ok. Using a FWN was given a one bedroom suite. There is only one window so not much natural light. Wifi is very weak so on a signal from the Doubletree.
Went to lunch at Barnes BBQ which was excellent. Had ice cream at a shop near City Market. $4 for two scoops.
I had called the hotel about the hop on off tour. Was quoted $30. Looking around I found Oglethorpe's offered the tour for $15. Walked down to the Savannah Visitors Center to catch the tour. They do offer a pick up service from the hotel. The walk is easy.
Regards from SAV.
Went to lunch at Barnes BBQ which was excellent. Had ice cream at a shop near City Market. $4 for two scoops.
I had called the hotel about the hop on off tour. Was quoted $30. Looking around I found Oglethorpe's offered the tour for $15. Walked down to the Savannah Visitors Center to catch the tour. They do offer a pick up service from the hotel. The walk is easy.
Regards from SAV.
Nov 19, 2009, 4:54 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,948
Stayed here the other night. It is a nice property with an excellent location.
As a Platinum was given a room on the SPG floor that might have been described as a suite but had a bedroom that was so small the door barely opened past the bed. The living area was also nowhere near as big or as nice as the one sc flier had (above). But it was perfectly adequate for my needs and had all the basics, iron, coffee etc and two big television screens and the room was quiet and cosy enough despite the torrential rain and wind outside. The room compared poorly with the one I have the night before at the SAV Airport Four Points but for $95 was still great value in my book. Temperature control was also a little rudimentary compared the airport property but did the job.
Staff were charming. On Tuesday evenings the manager offers great, tasty free snacks in the bar lobby area as a sort of 'meet the customers' thing although when I went down I found the free snacks but no sign of the manager (fine outcome for me, I suppose!).
Another good Four Points experience for me ^
As a Platinum was given a room on the SPG floor that might have been described as a suite but had a bedroom that was so small the door barely opened past the bed. The living area was also nowhere near as big or as nice as the one sc flier had (above). But it was perfectly adequate for my needs and had all the basics, iron, coffee etc and two big television screens and the room was quiet and cosy enough despite the torrential rain and wind outside. The room compared poorly with the one I have the night before at the SAV Airport Four Points but for $95 was still great value in my book. Temperature control was also a little rudimentary compared the airport property but did the job.
Staff were charming. On Tuesday evenings the manager offers great, tasty free snacks in the bar lobby area as a sort of 'meet the customers' thing although when I went down I found the free snacks but no sign of the manager (fine outcome for me, I suppose!).
Another good Four Points experience for me ^
Nov 20, 2009, 2:03 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,948
Didn't have my laptop with me to try it, I'm afraid. The free business centre computers worked fine, though, and there are other similar hotels nearby that you might be able to get a signal from.
Feb 12, 2010, 5:09 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,948
A follow-up to say I had a second good stay here. Still couldn't answer about the wifi but they did not say they had received any complaints about the signal. They put me in the same room - the suite, but with the tiny bedroom - and it was just fine for the rate ($109, I think). I also had the same refrigerator, coffeemaker, and microwave.
The front desk manager of this hotel sent me a handwritten postcard with a very personalised note after my second stay to thank me for being a guest. Since Starwood is in the habit of somewhat insincere corporate messages, I thought it was refreshingly individual and another nice touch from a pleasant property ^ Certainly it was better than the let's-hold-hands Sheraton "message" I once received.
The front desk manager of this hotel sent me a handwritten postcard with a very personalised note after my second stay to thank me for being a guest. Since Starwood is in the habit of somewhat insincere corporate messages, I thought it was refreshingly individual and another nice touch from a pleasant property ^ Certainly it was better than the let's-hold-hands Sheraton "message" I once received.
Apr 7, 2010, 4:13 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ATL
Programs: SPG Platinum | HHonors Gold | AA Gold
Posts: 79
Miserable experience for this Platinum
Just completed a two-night stay here, and would not recommend it to anyone. The only highlight was the valet service (competent, quick, and not surprisingly, outsourced).
Among the low-lights of the stay:
-- The "heated swimming pool" listed on their official hotel page, and captioned in the pool photo, is not heated. As this was an important booking criterion for this trip (bringing along my wife and 7-month old daughter for a city break), I would have walked if it were not a prepaid Better Tomorrows booking (live and learn). Conveniently, they changed the web page copy this morning, but forgot to change the photo caption (and Google cache always remembers).
-- Zero recognition of Platinum status. Though I booked through spg.com, no mention was made of status, and I was handed the keys to a regular king room. It was only after I asked about the choice of platinum amenity did the clerk check my status, and offer to upgrade to a one-bedroom suite.
-- The suite was in poor condition. In the bathroom alone, there were half-used amenities, mold on the tub caulk and dark colored spatters on the vanity wall (blood? something else?). For a property having opened just 2.5 years ago, this was troubling.
-- 4pm late checkout not honored (!). I called the Platinum Concierge two days before checking in to confirm, and the PC said the front desk was telling him it was "upon availability" (it is a confirmed benefit, from this thread). The PC left a message for the GM, who was asked to follow up with me to confirm -- he didn't. After confirming with a front desk staffer after the first night I would check out at 3pm, it seemed OK. The morning of checkout, the entire front office team towed the "upon availability" party line, saying they were sold out and needed me out of the room. I called Corporate Customer Service for intervention, and the agent called me back after a long conversation with the manager on duty to say they finally relented (?!?) and would honor late checkout. The CCS agent said their conversation was so troubling, she was opening an internal case to address this situation. We ended up being so perturbed by the whole debacle that we checked out at 1045am -- with the front desk being very brusk, borderline combative.
In summary: avoid room 233, wait until at least June to swim, and be sure to check out before 11am (lest you be charged).
Among the low-lights of the stay:
-- The "heated swimming pool" listed on their official hotel page, and captioned in the pool photo, is not heated. As this was an important booking criterion for this trip (bringing along my wife and 7-month old daughter for a city break), I would have walked if it were not a prepaid Better Tomorrows booking (live and learn). Conveniently, they changed the web page copy this morning, but forgot to change the photo caption (and Google cache always remembers).
-- Zero recognition of Platinum status. Though I booked through spg.com, no mention was made of status, and I was handed the keys to a regular king room. It was only after I asked about the choice of platinum amenity did the clerk check my status, and offer to upgrade to a one-bedroom suite.
-- The suite was in poor condition. In the bathroom alone, there were half-used amenities, mold on the tub caulk and dark colored spatters on the vanity wall (blood? something else?). For a property having opened just 2.5 years ago, this was troubling.
-- 4pm late checkout not honored (!). I called the Platinum Concierge two days before checking in to confirm, and the PC said the front desk was telling him it was "upon availability" (it is a confirmed benefit, from this thread). The PC left a message for the GM, who was asked to follow up with me to confirm -- he didn't. After confirming with a front desk staffer after the first night I would check out at 3pm, it seemed OK. The morning of checkout, the entire front office team towed the "upon availability" party line, saying they were sold out and needed me out of the room. I called Corporate Customer Service for intervention, and the agent called me back after a long conversation with the manager on duty to say they finally relented (?!?) and would honor late checkout. The CCS agent said their conversation was so troubling, she was opening an internal case to address this situation. We ended up being so perturbed by the whole debacle that we checked out at 1045am -- with the front desk being very brusk, borderline combative.
In summary: avoid room 233, wait until at least June to swim, and be sure to check out before 11am (lest you be charged).
Jul 12, 2011, 9:51 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 4,906
Had a one night stay Sunday. As a plat, I was upgraded to a suite which was nice but certainly nothing spectacular. Everything was clean and pleasant. We walked past the breakfast buffet on our way to River St. Monday morning and the woman working insisted we take cold water with us, which she quickly retrieved. We ended up eating the buffet and it was a standard 4 Points buffet, $10 per person. It was something like 220 degrees out so no problem with the pool not being heated. I did have to chase down a maid to get towels for the pool, though, as there was only one ready. I've not been to the Westin, and at $84 vs $199, I probably never will.
Jul 13, 2011, 12:23 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
For the value and the location to one side of the hotel, it is certainly quite nice. However, the neighborhood is far from nice (the "projects" are one block away). Our suite had a distinct musty odor in it ... we literally had to buy candles to masque the smell. You definitely get what you pay for, but the location is much better than any other Starwood hotel in the area (unless you want to be away from Historic Savannah). We were visiting a friend who lived off the main park, so I definitely wish we were a little closer... it was definitely a little too much walking during such humid weather (a town in Georgia in the summer when it is still raining ... blah!)
Jan 14, 2013, 9:46 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SMF
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, SPG LTP
Posts: 1,526
My wife and I spent a couple of nights here at the very end of 2012. The exterior of the hotel is cute and very similar to about half a dozen other hotels throughout the historic area that appear to have popped up in recent years.
As the previous poster mentioned, the hotel is right on the edge of where most people would want to be...a block over is some housing projects (half of which were boarded up). It didn't present any issues--just kind of dictates which direction you want to head.
Service was universally friendly from the valet to the front desk to the lady we kept seeing in the elevator and halls, but had no idea what her job was.
We were offered points or continental breakfast. The valet joked that we should ask for a bottle of wine and the FD agent mentioned he could probably do a couple of drinks, but we just took the points. There is no shortage of good dining in Savannah so it would be a shame to waste a meal at a Four Points. At the suggestion of the FD agent, we ate one morning at B. Matthews, which is about a 10 minute walk. Excellent food and a great value. I had fried duck and waffle for $9.
No upgrade, but the hotel was pretty full. Our room was painfully small...not much different than what I've had at the FP hotels in Manhattan, though the bath was normal sized. Our room also wasn't as clean as I would have liked. Nothing awful, but some hair on the bathroom floor, grime in the bathtub, etc. The bed was probably the least comfortable hotel bed I've had in recent memory. I looked into moving to the Westin across the river, but they were booked up so we sucked it up.
In summary...
The good:
Location
Friendly Staff
Efficient Valets
The bad:
Tiny, dirty standard room with uncomfortable bed
On a return trip, I'd probably try the Westin and deal with the ferry.
As the previous poster mentioned, the hotel is right on the edge of where most people would want to be...a block over is some housing projects (half of which were boarded up). It didn't present any issues--just kind of dictates which direction you want to head.
Service was universally friendly from the valet to the front desk to the lady we kept seeing in the elevator and halls, but had no idea what her job was.
We were offered points or continental breakfast. The valet joked that we should ask for a bottle of wine and the FD agent mentioned he could probably do a couple of drinks, but we just took the points. There is no shortage of good dining in Savannah so it would be a shame to waste a meal at a Four Points. At the suggestion of the FD agent, we ate one morning at B. Matthews, which is about a 10 minute walk. Excellent food and a great value. I had fried duck and waffle for $9.
No upgrade, but the hotel was pretty full. Our room was painfully small...not much different than what I've had at the FP hotels in Manhattan, though the bath was normal sized. Our room also wasn't as clean as I would have liked. Nothing awful, but some hair on the bathroom floor, grime in the bathtub, etc. The bed was probably the least comfortable hotel bed I've had in recent memory. I looked into moving to the Westin across the river, but they were booked up so we sucked it up.
In summary...
The good:
Location
Friendly Staff
Efficient Valets
The bad:
Tiny, dirty standard room with uncomfortable bed
On a return trip, I'd probably try the Westin and deal with the ferry.