Andaz Savannah

The Andaz Savannah is the Historic District's most convenient full-service base: 151 lifestyle rooms on Ellis Square, a rooftop pool terrace, and the 22 Square kitchen downstairs. Book it for walkability and social energy, not for the antique-inn intimacy that Savannah's converted mansions do better.

Independent review. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you, and we never accept payment for placement.

Is the Andaz Savannah a good base for the Historic District?

Yes, and it is the most practical one downtown if walkability is your priority. The Andaz faces Ellis Square, one of the central squares in Savannah's grid, and the position is the whole argument for the hotel: City Market's restaurants and bars are around the corner, the River Street waterfront is roughly a five-minute walk downhill, and the first cluster of the district's famous squares begins at the front door. Part of Hyatt's Andaz lifestyle brand, the hotel occupies a contemporary building at 14 Barnard Street that reads as modern Savannah rather than a reproduction of the antebellum houses nearby, a choice that ages better than the faux-historic competition. For a first visit to Savannah, when you want to cover the squares, the market and the river on foot without a car, this is the address that saves you the most walking.

What are the rooms like, and which should you book?

The rooms are comfortable, contemporary and larger than Savannah's inn average, with 151 rooms and suites across the building, including 37 suites. Expect Hyatt Grand Beds, clean-lined lifestyle decor rather than four-posters and florals, and, in many categories, a balcony. That balcony is the detail worth chasing. Request an Ellis Square-facing room on a higher floor for the view over the square and the district roofline, or a pool-terrace-facing room if you want quiet over the streetscape. The suites add a separate seating area and a wet bar, which makes the larger suite the natural pick for a couple marking an occasion or for a small group that wants a room to gather in before heading out. If you are a light sleeper, ask to be placed away from the Ellis Square side on a weekend, because the square and the market carry noise late into the night in season.

What about the rooftop, pool and 22 Square dining?

The social heart of the hotel is upstairs and downstairs at once. On the roof, an outdoor pool terrace with a fire pit doubles as a cocktail and coffee spot with open views over Ellis Square, and it is one of the more usable hotel rooftops in a district where most historic inns have none. At street level, 22 Square is the hotel's kitchen, serving modern Southern cooking built around regional produce, and it functions as much for walk-in Ellis Square foot traffic as for guests, which gives the ground floor a neighbourhood feel rather than a sealed-lobby one. Add a fitness centre and a complimentary yoga session to the amenity list. None of this reaches destination-restaurant or full-spa territory, so treat the food and wellness as convenient rather than as reasons to book, and plan your best dinners out in the city.

Who is the Andaz Savannah best for?

It is best for travellers who treat the hotel as a launch pad rather than the destination. For an anniversary, the Ellis Square position and the rooftop give couples an urban, social version of a Savannah trip, with the city's most active dining scene at the door, which suits pairs who want energy around them rather than a hushed garden suite. For a bachelorette or bachelor weekend, the Andaz is the most logistically sensible pick in the district: the rooftop terrace is a natural group base, City Market's bar concentration is a short walk, and the hotel handles multi-room blocks smoothly. Business travellers and solo visitors get the same benefit, a central address with a real restaurant and a gym. The common thread is that you want to be in the middle of things, on foot.

What are the honest cons?

The Andaz trades intimacy for convenience, and that trade will not suit everyone. This is a 151-room hotel with lifestyle-brand consistency, not a personal, owner-run inn, so if the Savannah you are picturing is a candlelit converted mansion with a dozen rooms and a host who knows your name, you will feel the difference here and should book one of the historic inns instead. The central location that makes the hotel so walkable also makes it the loudest option in the district, with square and market noise on weekend nights, so a low or street-facing room can disappoint. Parking is valet and priced like a downtown hotel's, which adds up over a multi-night stay. And while 22 Square and the rooftop are pleasant, neither is a reason to travel, so do not expect the dining or spa depth of a resort. Our counter-recommendation: if you want quiet and antique character over location, book The Gastonian or The Mansion on Forsyth Park; if walkability wins, the Andaz is the right call.

How does it compare to other Savannah hotels?

Within our Savannah ranking the Andaz sits at #4 with an aggregate editorial score of 9.1 out of 10, and it earns that place on location and rooftop rather than on rooms or dining. Against its neighbours, it is more social and central than the design-led Perry Lane Hotel, whose own rooftop pool and Lafayette Square setting make it the style pick, and more urban than the garden-suite intimacy of The Gastonian. Choose the Andaz when your priority is walking to City Market and River Street and having a rooftop to come back to; choose a mansion inn when the room itself, and the quiet, is the point. For the full field, see all of our Savannah hotels.

Read next

Other Savannah hotels