Savannah recommendations
 

Hi -- Am looking at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront, the Bohemian, or Mansion on Forsyth Park for 3 nights in late Feb.

Interested in something that is centrally located such that we can fairly easily walk to attractions, restaurants, etc. (w/i a mile or so), is a very nice, classy hotel, and if possible, that appreciates gold members.

Really appreciate any advice! Thanks!

I would highly recommend the Bohemian. Best location of the three and the Bohemian hotels are stunning and fantastic. Marriott is a bit up the river and the Forsyth - while certainly worth a visit for the art and the great bar upstairs - is at the very edge of the historic district.

Skip the traps such as Paula Deens while you're there and be sure to eat at The Pink House - I prefer the tavern area under the restaurant over the formal dining areas.

I am planning a weekend in Savannah with my mother over memorial day weekend and am looking for options. I normally would look to the full-service/autograph hotels, but I want to use my Visa cert and she does not have as high standards as I do.

My options are:
2 nights at Springhill suites downtown
1 night with visa cert
1 night at $159

1 night at Marriott riverfront ($199)
1 night at Residence Inn downtown (visa cert)

I am leaning towards the latter - changing hotels doesn't bother me - but mostly looking for a clean hotel (haven't had good personal experiences at Springhill Suites) within walking distance of tourist attractions.

I'm obligated to trash talk the RI after a weeknight stay there as a plat last year. Hotel was not full, but they put me in one of the "cottages" along with what turned out to be people from a bus tour group. Group returns at 2 AM and whoops it up outside my door for an hour or so; call to the front desk results in zero action. Complaint upon checkout in the morning results in nothing. Email to General Manager results in no reply. Copy of first email to Marriott CS results in 5000 points.

Nice enough property, but not great service. Should have been taken care of that night and apology/points given at checkout. Your experience may vary.

Personally I think switching hotels is not worth it given the inconvenience of timing checkout/moving bags/check-in availability.

If I was on a weekend stay w/ my mother I wouldn't make her switch hotels unless it was to same calibre-type hotel/made sense for the inconvenience of check-out/moving bags/check-in.

FWIW - I've never had problems w/ cleanliness at SHS.

Cheers.

Thanks for the comments - I think we are going to go with the SHS. The reviews on TA aren't the best, but it still seems like the best option.

Even if you don't stay there, get a drink on the rooftop of the Bohemian while you are downtown. Also, the restaurant bill showed up as a hotel category according to my Visa statement, so I think one could use a Marriott credit card for 5x points.

Stayed at the Mansion on Forsyth Park last night. A wonderful property: had a deluxe Forsyth room on the second floor with a view of the park.

Room was fantastic with unique artwork, marble bathroom, jacuzzi tub, and glass stand-up rainshower. Not much privacy in the shower or toilet (glass doors on both); I would not stay there if not alone or with a spouse or partner- would be uncomfortable for sure.

Fantastic service- the best I've ever had at a hotel. Fruit-infused water in the lobby, sweet tea and cookies in the evening, juices in the morning.

My only minor complaint was the pool- very small and shallow. The "water wall" behind the pool didn't seem to be working.

Great location right on the park. Certainly within walking distance of everything in the Historic District; there's also a free shuttle twice an hour that goes between the Mansion and the Bohemian (right on the river). Free parking south of Gaston St. behind the hotel, so I wouldn't pay for valet.

I would highly recommend this property.

One property I would NOT recommend is the Savannah Marriott. Was there several months ago and was not impressed at all.

Can you elaborate why? It would help your fellow FTers.

Cheers.

I stayed at the Savannah Marriott a couple of months ago and it was fine. No upgrades and a basic room but it acceptable. The CL was a bit small but the offerings we just fine. Easy walking on the waterfront to all the restaurants/shops. Staff was ordinary .... Nothing bad but nothing outstanding. Self parking was free and the City was easy to navigate. Overall, okay.

I concur. I stayed there a couple of months back for a business trip so close access to touristy things was not a priority. The staff was friendly and when I mentioned that I was there with colleagues for a business interview, the FD agent upgraded me to a nicely appointed suite which included a large conference/dining table.

Took two trips to the Concierge Lounge, once in the evening and another for breakfast. The food offerings were typical. The space is small but didn't feel overcrowded or overworked. It overlooks the large atrium and offers nice views of the river. While we were there, huge cargo ships passed by on their way to the port which added to the ambiance.

That's an excellent value for Savannah, especially at a riverfront property.

We enjoyed our stay at this property. http://savannah.andaz.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

The entire hotel smelled like a swimming pool, the suite I was given looked old, and very badly furnished (dining room table right in front of the bed).
The staff was not that friendly, breakfast on the weekend in the restaurant was mediocre. The bar/restaurant in the main lobby was not good (everything else had closed early).

Maybe they just had a bad weekend but I really did not have a good stay probably one of the worst Marriotts I've stayed at in the past few years in my opinion.