Ok, I promised this back in March when I first booked this little getaway for my wife and myself. After reading a few of the horror tales about the Savannah Westin, I almost switched hotels. I'm so glad we didn't.

It didn't start out that great, unfortunately. The desk clerk at check-in (on Sunday, so it was not busy) was a little on the snippy side, and couldn't seem to force a smile. The room we got was specifically for a handicapped person (i.e., no bathtub, lots of rails), which didn't sit well with my wife. After a few calls to the manager (who initially told us there wasn't a vacant room in the hotel) we settled into a nicer room on the 12th floor.

I'm happy to report that every staff member we encountered after that nearly tripped over themselves to be hospitable. The concierge was wonderful, as was the bartender in the lobby lounge. The bellhops and valets were some of the nicest young guys I've ever encountered. The server at the pool even brought me a complimentary beer after mistakenly bringing me the wrong brand -- without being asked.

The rooms are nice, though a little dinged up for such a new hotel (there was a 2-foot gouge in the wall near the bathroom). Try to get a river view room if you can ... the golf course view we had was a little ho-hum. The much-ballyhooed Heavenly Beds the hotel touts were not to our liking. To me it was like sleeping on a sack of sand. The sheets were a little stiff, too, but we slept OK. Another note -- bring your own drinks, snacks, etc. -- otherwise the minibar will kill you. Room service breakfast clocked in at $30 with tip, but it was worth it. Excellent eggs.

The property itself is very, very nice, though I was a little put off by the fact that the fitness center is about a half-mile away, where the Spa is. The hotel looks out across the river to Savannah, and a water taxi runs back and forth on the half-hour. It was nice to be out of the "honky-tonk" of River Street but yet just a 5-minute car ride away from all of it.

We dined at Elizabeth on 37th, which was as spectacularly wonderful as always. We also discovered Belford's, which is down at City Market. Their claim to have the best crab cakes in town is right on the mark -- I've had none better. About $75 for dinner and a drink for 2, a little less than Elizabeth.

We also tried the Hearse Tour, during which you actually ride in a converted hearse that whisks you around all the town's many haunted houses. The tour guide was great and really knew his spooky Savannah stories. We'd highly recommend it -- about $15 per person. Go when it's dark. It was a scream (pun intended).

We'll definitely go back to the Westin Savannah.

Westin has improved a lot over a short time period (1 yr.) There was a time where they stopped doing the water taxis b/c they were so slow. As for crab cakes..the grill beachside on tybee has the best but belford's is a great restaurant. With wonderful management. My friend Mike is a bellhop at the westin and he really likes his job and the people he works with so that usually adds up to great service. Never been on the hearse tour but the walking tours are great as well. Glad you enjoyed our quirky little city. Come back soon!!

Thanks for following up with the review billy2112. I recall your earlier concerns so am glad things turned out well for you--it really is a beautiful upscale hotel, isn't it?

I'm curious about your room--marsh view rather than river view, and a handicapped room initially. By any chance were you there on a Priceline or Hotwire bid? Obviously someone has to get the backside, but it is surprising they were so full this time of year. Sorry about that aspect. The marsh is beautiful though the river view would have been far better.

As for the dings in the wall...you would be astounded at what happens to hotel rooms and how fast it happens. It's disheartening. For that reason, complete renovations normally take place about every 4 years with repairs a never ever ending chore. We recently completed a $10 mil renovation--hard to believe it will have to be redone in 4 more years!! In your room, I assume repairs would have meant filling the gouge and re-wallpapering. Don't get me started! LOL

Anyway...glad the hotel measured up and that the trip lived up to your expectations.

Also glad you liked this hotel - we saw several reviews on other sites that indicated unreliability of water shuttle and so for us we picked another hotel for our short trip. But since our son hopes to attend college in Savannah, this info may be useful to us in future.

I have also just returned from the Westin Savannah and thoroughly enjoyed the property. Check-in was smooth and each employee was very hospitable. Our room overlooked the river and the view was just perfect. I agree that it was a bit difficult to get to the workout facility, but the bellmen run a shuttle back and forth, so I have not complaints at all. The spa is a beautiful facility. I would absolutely not hesitate to stay at the Westin Savannah again.

Sorry for the lateness of this reply ...

We have a relative who works for Starwood, so she got us the "employee rate" at the Westin. It is a bargain, believe me.

To reply to the crab cake post -- ironically, we did eat at The Grill at Tybee Beach after we rode around a while and couldn't find anything else. After initially choosing to seat outside, we watched in horror as a server brought out a tray of plates with food (apparently hot from the kitchen) set it down, and then went to see if another table was OK. In the 2-3 minutes the food was there, the flies had a field day with it. We decided to go back inside to eat.

If I could have gotten over the fact that the carpet deserately needed to be vacuumed, and that
the place smelled like stale smoke
and beer, I
may
have half-enjoyed it. My wife's order was screwed up and the crabcakes I got tasted like very old cooking oil. The server just disappeared after she brought us the food -- I had to get the manager to get us our check. I'm pretty easygoing when it comes to dining out, but the experience at this place was dismal.

We just returned from Savannah and stayed at the Westin. Reviews that I read were mixed, but my wife and I have nothing but nice things to say about this place. Courteous staff and a spectacular view of the river and city!
As for the city itself, we fell in love with it. The fact that there are so many people walking around (especially at night) is great. We took a couple of tours, one of which being a haunted pub tour which was a blast. Ate at Mrs. Wilkes and Lady & Sons- I suggest eating at Mrs. Wilkes and skip Lady. It's the same stuff only on a buffet line. Il Pistachio is nice upscale dining...my wife loved the place.
Overall we were so impressed with the city that we promised ourselves we'd come back!