I was just in Savannah in November. I took an outstanding private walking tour with Bobby Davis. www.exploresavannah.com
He will customize to fit your needs. By the way, I stayed at the Hilton DeSoto which is in a great location, but I wouldn't call it a great Hotel. It was fine for my purposes.

I've stayed at that Hyatt many times and love the hotel! The location is excellent and I've never ever had a service problem with a Hyatt.

As a matter of fact, I stayed there St. Patrick's weekend 2001 and was so impressed with the way the staff handled the crowds and people, I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else.

The Westin across the river is nicer and newer but the water taxi is a bit of a pain.

Such a short season to be so bitter. Have a nice holiday, a prosperous 2005, and if the joy bug comes around, invite it to take a big bite!

Well, I've certainly opened up a can of worms here--and also gotten some good advise. If I hadn't have read the reviews on tripadvisor, I would have no problem staying at the Hyatt based on what I read here-but the majority of the reviews there are very bad-makes it hard to go with it. Are there any real recent experiences at the Hyatt out there? Thanks, again.

Well, laurelee, it's your decision ... at least you don't rush to judgment, lol. I bet it's Hyatt.

lauralee, Scarlett was just there this Spring.

In all fairness, it is a Hyatt and they do have standards to keep. I wouldn't worry.

Fodors advice is only as useful as one's understanding of what people post. Enjoy Savannah, I'm sure whatever you choose will be tops.

Happytravels...that is indeed the case. I am certain you know that despite my past relationship with that hotel, or any Hyatt, I post in as unbiased a way as possible. I've recommended people stay across the river at the Westin depending on their situation, and that others select a B&B; that people avoid some specific Hyatts, and in a specific instance, where someone was torn between our current hotel and one downtown, recommended that they use one of the downtown hotels, rather than ours, as it met their needs better. I have no interest in furthering other Hyatt's and I am not one to be loyal at any and all costs. My aim is to help those in areas I'm familiar with and in as unbiased a manner as possible and I think I accomplish that. You might give it a try one day.

Now...to laurelee, my husband just forwarded me this email he received today from the current GM. I'll do a cut and paste, leaving out only his name. How timely!

On December 13th Hyatt Regency Savannah will begin a $10 million renovation project of its entrance, lobby, guestroom, suites and guestroom corridors .
The hotel will close its doors for the first time in 23 years for the demolition of the lobby. We will reopen on Friday, December 17th.
On December 16th at 1:00 PM, power will be shut down to the building for approximately 4 hours for the testing of back up generators and other necessary maintenance projects.
We are truly exited about our hotel's renovation and how it will provide our guests with a sense of the historic feel of Savannah and the river front while including all the modern luxuries that they've come to expect.
Have a great day.


General Manager
Hyatt Regency Savannah
Two West Bay Street
Savannah , Georgia 31401

"Extreme Makeover of Historic Proportions"
Completion Spring of 2005

OO, I hope they hold off on the opening until after March 17th! LOL!

GT...I know what you're saying! They'll only be closed for a few days, not for the entire renovation. I was going to add for laurelee too, that from my past experience with renovations (I've been through a major one while we lived there and another here) they take out one floor at a time so guests aren't inconvenienced by the work being done. Winter, from Thanksgiving until March is sort of slow in Savannah, and I'm sure they timed it with that in mind.

GoT...I enjoyed reading your remarks about crowd handling during St. Patrick's Day--nice to get feedback! That was a HUGE concern for the hotel each year...to get it right for the guests and the hotel (physically), and it sounds as if they have. My husband started a policy of giving registered guests wristbands to wear the 17th and only those people were allowed in. Prior to that, it'd become an unbelievable zoo.

OO, as one of those guests given a wristband, I was completely floored with the professionalism of the hotel staff and management during all of the St. Patrick's weekend chaos.

St. Patrick's was on a Saturday that year and we were a little worried about all the traffic in the lobby (I traveled with my gay boyfriend and his life partner). At 3PM, they shutdown the hotel to everyone but guests. They had security man at the elevator on River Street and hotel employee riding in the elevator and had security on every floor of the parking garage. The hotel shut down one of the elevators that went from outside the hotel to the main lobby.

Riding up the elevator to the lobby, the elevator stopped at one of the parking decks and two young men got on. Hotel employee asked to see wristbands, young men said they had not received them yet (we were given very definite instructions), hotel employee walkie-talkied police and escorted young men off elevator into the arms of the police for tresspassing.

We could not beleive what a sea of calm the hotel was! Being a former hotel manager, I understand the magnitude of this task.

As a matter of fact things went so smoothly, Jay, who is a college professer that teaches Hospitality Management, uses this Hyatt as an example routinely.

My hat is off to Hyatt Savannah for a job well done.

For anyone who has never spent St. Patrick's in Savannah, it is the second largest St. Patrick's gathering in the nation.

What a wonderful story GT!! I'll print it off to share with my husband tonight, who will be delighted to read it. Thanks so much! There was War Room strategy surrounding the event, as I'm sure you can imagine, with weeks of planning and co-ordination until it all fell into place properly.

I really hated St Patrick's Day...first year was curious to see it, then after that couldn't wish it away fast enough. Years like yours where it fell on or near a weekend, it was two or 3 days of madness...a la Mardi Gras--(where he got his first experiences with crowd control as his first two hotels, Royal Sonesta and Royal Orleans, were both in the Quarter.)

Our son was home for his Spring Break, arriving the 17th, the first year we lived there. I still laugh at his comment: "That's the first time I've ever seen adults as drunk as kids in the dorm on a Saturday night". As a veteran of Saturday nights in the dorm, I knew exactly what he was saying!!

Regarding 3/17 in Savannah - the college my son attends purposely scedules Spring Break that week so students will not be in Savannah that week. He vows to spend at least one St. Patrick's Day in Savannah during his 4 years (I suggested it be the year he is 21 and of legal drinking age)

laurelee - please take it upon yourself to research other properties on tripadvisor and on this site. This thread is going nowhere - you have a couple of posters that have had experiences with the Hyatt and the Hampton but they are boring hotels that could be located anywhere. Look into some of the local b&b's as I suggested previously. There are better options in Savannah than chain hotels. I am not against chain hotels - I did a two week trip to the old south last July - most of the places we stayed at were chain hotels. However, in Savannah, there are many good upscale well situated options that are better than what people are promoting here.

Hi laurlee,
If you decide that you want to look at B&B's , there is one B&B that we were considering. It is called the Planters Inn. It is right next to the Old Pink House, where you must go for dinner

http://www.plantersinn.com/

It was while we were having dinner there, that we learned about the candlelight tours. They sound great and I love getting to wander into other peoples gardens
They are amazingly friendly and hospitable in Savannah. We were walking, saw a man with his dogs, *very old dogs* and I made a remark to him about the dogs. We ended up standing and visiting with this man for almost an hour, invited in to have tea, it was heartwarming and made us like the city even more.

Scarlett, your link is for Charleston's Planters Inn, which has a great reputation, and you really need to go to Charleston. Here's one for Savannah's: http://www.plantersinnsavannah.com/default.htm

I haven't been in it, but have stayed at the Gastonian, which is beautiful (but has changed ownership since we stayed). Have looked at Foley House rooms on Chippewa Square--really nice and I love that square--of the B&BS, that's probably my favorite, but the square has as much to do with it as anything else. Have looked at Ballastone and Kehoe House too, also good, but I did all this 8 years ago, and there are undoubetedly new guys on the block and I don't know how my favorites have held up. Kehoe wasn't a favorite actually--rooms were good but atmosphere seemed "stiff".

Although I enjoy B&B's, DH doesn't. It doesn't have a thing to do with his profession, but a privacy issue, and the fact that he doesn't want to go to breakfast and make small talk with anyone...perhaps because he has to in his job, he doesn't want any part of it when he's on his own time.

Whoops! Thank you OO, yes, the Planters Inn on Abercorn St, next to the Old Pink house. Which btw- provides their room service..good enough reason to stay there

I know, I do want to go to Charleston ~

Thanks for all your advise-I'll just need to make my decison now-always a difficult thing for me when it comes to lodging! Can't wait to see Charleston and Savannah for the first time....