Ballastone Inn — Hotel in Savannah

We arrived on 2/23/17 and made our way up the steps to the hotel. We weren't quite sure what to expect when we opened the door to the house. We were greeted by a young lady who had us follow her up to our room, which was located on the 5th floor. We were told "tea time" is every day around 4:00pm and breakfast is at 8:30am and 9:30am, but must be signed up for the night before. I noticed the smell old houses tend to get and also got a wiff of the perfumes they had spread out all over the place. Being incredibly sensitive to scents, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to stay there for very long without getting a migraine but we continued onward. The room was very humid and hot when we arrived, but we didn't think anything of it and instantly turned on the AC. I set my things down and noticed a used tissue sitting near the bed on the floor and crumbs behind the couch. The bathroom was very outdated and felt like we were stepping into a small/medium sized closet. There was also a couple gnats in our room, which I guess is normal for Savannah this time of year.

We left our things then toured the town. We arrived back at the hotel sometime later in the evening to gather warmer clothes before heading out for dinner. The sounds from outside seemed louder than they should have been. Turns out, our window was half open WITHOUT a screen in it thus letting in bugs. I closed it then we tried turning down the AC more. It would not go past 70 which was frustrating but understandable since hotels sometimes put "holds" on how cold guests can make their rooms. Needless to say, it was not a comfortable sleeping temperature. The AC was also loud and sounded broken or like something was caught in the fan. We went out for dinner then bought a fan for extra noise since the streets were loud with sirens, people chatting, and honking. We also didn't want to hear people walking up and down the creaky stairs in the house or hear them inserting a key to their rooms. It helped some, but not a lot. We talked to the young lady about the AC that night and how this hotel had not met our expectations. We didn't feel the room was cleaned properly (there was also a build up of dust in our lamp) and that we didn't want to stay for the second night. She said she was sorry that the hotel wasn't meeting our needs and that we could talk to someone higher up the next morning, but she didn't think we could get a refund for the night we weren't planning on staying, just a voucher so we could come back at a later date. (Why would we want to travel back after that kind of experience??)

The next day we expressed our concerns to the person higher up, and he didn't offer any remedies other than "we should have let them know sooner so they could have AC fixed, and that our room was checked by cleaning staff and maintenance prior to our arrival." We inquired about getting the manager's phone number and he said, "oh, we really can't give that out. I wish we could convince you two to stay." We also asked about getting the manager's email address and again were told that it wasn't "available" to the public and that we could call the hotel later on if we wanted. He said the manager is aware of our issues and would be sending us an email later that day. We left feeling very unhappy that we had spent so much money on a place that seemed more like a tourist trap to us. Management NEVER sent us an email, even though our information was left. We checked our email later that evening and checked again over the next couple of days.

Looking at some of the reviews on here, it seems like this happens more often than not to tourists. That is a lot of money to lose on our end for an unpleasant experience. I personally could not stay in that house any longer as the scents were too much for me. Getting a migraine was not worth it.

We will not be back and we do NOT recommend you book your stay here.

Traveler from Michigan / Traveler...

Disappointing is an understatement. After reading the great reviews, my wife and I booked two nights at The Ballastone Inn. Derek greeted us, began check-in process, then proceeded to abandon us standing at the desk with no explanation, then someone from the back office strolled out and finished checking us in. Upon entering the room, it was immediately apparent that "Historic" and "dirty" have the same meaning to the people who operate this business. Our shower curtain had mildew, there was a thick coat of dust around the floor boards and crumbs and a bobby pin under the bed. The Bathroom sink was clogged, as well as the tub. The A/C only set to 70, so sleeping was miserable, as it was the month of June and adding to the misery was the loud rumbling of the A/C unit, along with the rock hard bed and bedding that felt like it had not been laundered. Luckily, we had brought along sanitizing wipes, and used half of the container wiping the room down. On one evening, I went to the bar to order a drink, and Derek was there chatting away with another guest. I stood there a moment waiting for Derek, he then walked behind the bar and turned the light out and told me he was closing it down for the night, although, it was five minutes to closing the bar. Derek told me that he needed to get home. I left and went back to the room, and my wife and I decided to walk around the Inn a bit, and we saw Derek sitting at the desk, looking like he had no particular place to be, but just ten minutes prior, he had refused to pour a drink for me, which would have taken all of less than a minute. We noticed that he stayed at the desk another half hour at least and then left. We never had breakfast, as they only offer honey buns that you can pick up at any convenience store, and they also offered boxed cereal. There was a slim selection of Keurig coffee and tea, and no decaf to be found. It could just be us, but we expected more from a B&B charging these prices. Christine checked us out, and since she asked how our stay was, we let her know about the issues and that we were disappointed. Her first response was "you should have told us earlier". For the prices, we do not feel that it is our responsibility to let them know that they should replace the $5 mildewed shower curtain, and run a mop around the floor, and unclog the sink and tub. The last thing that we wanted to do is spend our vacation time waiting on someone to come in and clean, while we are staying in the room. Christine seemed genuinely mortified, and especially interested that Derek had shut the bar down early on me, but then basically told me that I should have pressed him for a drink. Again, this is not professional and I was not there to train them on how to run a stellar B&B. Christine ended our conversation by promising that the owners would be reaching out to us, as she felt that our experience was unacceptable. It's been a full month, and we still have never heard from anyone from The Ballastone Inn. There are too many beautiful and well run B&Bs in Savannah that we have stayed in, we'll be sure to cross this one...

My sister and I stayed at the Ballastone Inn in Savannah for a long weekend in July. I’d never been to the city but had done my research to find what I hoped was the perfect base for our stay. I was not disappointed and if anything it exceeded what I’d even hoped for. I had been drawn to the boutique hotel based on the photos on their website and the fact that I could pick our specific room. It was comfortably filled with gorgeous furniture and fittings that fit the atmosphere of an inn created in an elegant home in the historic district. We enjoyed the sitting area with two comfortable chairs for reading and talking. The bed was very high – there was a small step to get up on it – and the mattress was was extra firm. Next time I go I’ll call when I make a reservation and ask whether other rooms have a mattress that is softer and more to my preference.

The central spaces in the Inn were exquisitely decorated and comfortable. There is a sitting room by the front door that feels welcoming to sit and relax, wait for a friend, or eat breakfast. Continental breakfast was served in the front room with pastries, bagels and cream cheese, granola, yogurt, fruit and juice. My favorite spot was the courtyard. This was a cozy spot for me to go early in the morning to read while my sister was still waking up.

The staff were attentive and Christine, Jim or Derek were always available for recommendations or help. I’m an iced tea addict and there isn’t an ice machine but we could get refills of our ice bucket from the bar. Parking in Savannah’s historic district is sometimes challenging and always has a cost. When Jim checked us in he helped us purchase a parking pass for the city for the first two days. On the third and fourth days the hotel had parking spots available (for a fee) and was well worth it for the convenience.

The location was great and exactly what I wanted, within walking distance of sites, restaurants, and the famous Squares of the district. The Inn is on Oglethorpe which is a main street and there is a trolley stop in front of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace which is just next door. Several restaurants were just a few minutes walk away, we ate at The Collins Quarter, Bella Napoli, and PJ Thai when we wanted to stay close and enjoyed all three.

I loved our visit to Savannah and will be back and will choose...