The Gastonian

"Two 1868 houses, a garden between them, and a welcome scaled to 17 rooms. You come for the character and stay for the breakfast."

HotelsForKings aggregate 9.2/10, scored on Room & Design, Service, and Location. One editorial opinion, not a user-review average. See our methodology.

Why stay at The Gastonian?

Stay at The Gastonian if you want the most domestic, most personal place to sleep in Savannah and value a real inn over a hotel's scale. The property is made of two townhouses built in 1868 on Gaston Street, at 218 and 220 East Gaston Street, later joined and restored into a single four-diamond bed and breakfast within the Historic Inns of Savannah Collection. The result is a 17-room inn with two staircases, a garden between the houses, and the atmosphere of a private home rather than a lobby, which is exactly what draws couples here.

The reason to choose it over a larger hotel is the combination of history and hospitality. Conde Nast Traveler has named The Gastonian among the top bed and breakfasts in the world, and the recognition tracks with what guests consistently praise: the individually designed rooms, the made-to-order breakfast, and a staff small enough to remember your name by the second morning. For an anniversary or a slow romantic weekend, that intimacy is the product, and no 200-room property can manufacture it.

Which room should you book?

Book a garden-facing room or a suite with a claw-foot tub and a working fireplace for the most romantic setup. Because the inn is spread across two 19th-century townhouses, the 17 rooms are all individual: they vary in size, shape, and outlook, some overlooking the garden or Gaston Street, some tucked into the quieter interior. The rooms with the deep soaking tubs, the fireplaces, and a garden or veranda view are the ones worth requesting by name.

As with any historic house, specificity pays off. If a particular room, a garden view, or a larger layout matters, ask for it directly at booking rather than accepting the default category, and mention any occasion so the inn can prepare for it. The best rooms go first on weekends and through the spring bloom, so book early if your dates are fixed, and confirm bed size and access if those are important to you.

What is the location and neighborhood like?

The Gastonian sits on Gaston Street at the southern edge of the Historic District, about two blocks from Forsyth Park. That position is quieter and more residential than the hotels clustered around the busy central squares, which is its appeal: you sleep on a leafy street under live oaks, with the park and its fountain a short walk away, rather than above the foot traffic of the tourist core. For a couple who wants calm evenings and easy mornings, the location is a feature.

Everything Savannah is known for is within a walkable radius. Forsyth Park is the nearest anchor, the district's celebrated restaurants and cafes are an easy stroll, and the main squares, galleries, and riverfront are a longer but pleasant walk north through the historic grid. The Gastonian works as a peaceful base from which to explore the city on foot, close enough to everything without being in the middle of it.

What are the honest trade-offs?

The Gastonian is a small historic inn, and its charm comes with the limits of the format.

• No hotel amenities. There is no pool, gym, spa, or on-site restaurant, and no room service in the resort sense. The experience is the houses, the garden, and the food service; travelers who want to swim or work out on site should choose a full-service hotel instead.
• It is a walk to the center. The quiet Gaston Street setting that makes the inn peaceful also means the main squares and the riverfront are a walk rather than a step outside. That is a plus for calm and a minor cost in convenience.
• Historic-building quirks. Two 1868 townhouses mean period layouts, stairs, and rooms that vary in size and sound. It is part of the character for most guests, but anyone needing step-free access or a large, uniform room should confirm specifics before booking.
• Parking and price. Historic District parking is street or nearby lots rather than a hotel garage, and rates for a four-diamond inn of this caliber run to real money, so it is a considered choice rather than a budget one.

How does it compare with other Savannah hotels?

The Gastonian sits at #3 in our Savannah ranking, and its natural peers are the city's other historic inns and its design-forward boutiques. Choose between them on the feeling you want: a garden-suite inn, a mansion on a quiet square, a grand hotel with a restaurant, or a modern boutique with a rooftop. Here is how the shortlist compares.

Choose The Gastonian for a garden-side inn near Forsyth Park; choose the Kehoe House if you prefer a mansion on the quietest square, the Mansion on Forsyth Park for a full-service hotel with a restaurant, or the Perry Lane Hotel for a rooftop pool and modern design. All four keep you within an easy walk of the Historic District.

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