The Gastonian — Hotel in Savannah

We are currently staying at the Gastonian with today being our last full day. Though this is a five-star review, I want to add a few caveats up front. If you prefer a full service hotel, in-room amenities like a coffee pot, or soundproof walls, this place may not be for you. The Gastonian is composed of a couple historic buildings dating to 1868. Though maintained well, they do have original moldings, doors, etc. It is not soundproof, there is some oddity in light switches, floors that creek, and the water pressure isn’t going to blow your socks off.

Now, why five stars? First, the pictures online do not do justice. We were shocked to discover we were at the Gastonian when we pulled up because the structure before us was better than what we saw online. You simply cannot capture the height of the ceilings, fireplace mantles that stand over 6ft tall, fireplaces that still work, gas street lamps, an outdoor sitting area, and so many intricate details scattered throughout the place. As previously stated, it is an old structure that is maintained very well.

Second, the people. Maybe it is southern charm, but the employees are amazing. Service may be a touch slow at times depending on how busy they are, but you are not forgotten, and once it is your turn you have 100% attention. And everyone seems to know the history of the Gastonian, the nuances of how things work, they know who you are based on either room number (or just stay more than one night and they remember you), and it seems like everyone is a chef. I have never stayed in lodging with such kind regard for the customer. There is so much to see around Savannah I would love to come and stay other places, but feel the standard we received here may be hard to top.

When planning our trip we initially thought we may venture out for breakfast. However we soon discovered the breakfast is really good here. You can either have it delivered or eat in the parlor. We did both, but I actually enjoyed it in the parlor. We met other people all of whom had various stories of Savannah and it helped guide our trip a little more day-to-day. That said, I didn’t have anything for breakfast that was bad. Whether it was cinnamon roll pancakes or an omelet; or the diet altering honey biscuits, I enjoyed every meal here.

Finally, I will circle back to how I started this review. The fact that you don’t have a coffee maker in room is not a huge issue. You can always stop by the parlor for coffee, tea, water, pop/soda or other needs you may have. And to be honest, the coffee you get there is substantially better than any in-room coffee I have experienced. The water pressure isn’t bad and the water could get really hot if that is what you prefer. It just isn’t like a fire hose that you may find in some other lodging options. I have certainly visited friends who have worse water pressure and heating issues. As for the sound, some of this will be dependent on who else is staying at the Gastonian. We found the crowd to generally be older (I am 42 and most staying were older than myself - though there were a few young couples as well). By 10PM everyone was either heading out for tours, drinks, or going to bed. I wasn’t awakened in the middle of the night, it is just worth noting that if you are planning for a down day, then you will experience some slamming doors and will hear people walking on the hardwood floors.

Overall I would highly recommend staying here. Our experience has been great and it has greatly contributed to what I would consider one of our...

My husband surprised me with a trip to Savannah. He is a romantic and wanted to pick an elegant bed and breakfast. Two years ago, we stayed at the Hamilton-Turner which was amazing and thought of booking there again but he wanted to try something different this time that put us in a different location downtown.

Pros - The room was very nice, elegant and cozy. The bed was very comfortable, which I appreciate very much. We travel several times a year and have slept on many uncomfortable beds.

The common sitting area is decorated so pretty. It is nice that food and drinks are offered in the evening.

The staff was friendly, especially the evening staff. Kennedy was absolutely amazing. She is attentive and very good at her job. The gentleman who works with her (I wish I could remember his name) was also wonderful.

The hors d'oeuvres were very tasty, as was the peach pie.

The location was excellent!

The majority of the guests were older. Although, we are in our late 40s, we prefer being amongst older folks. They are pleasant, friendly, interesting, experienced and quiet in the evening.

Cons - We checked in Sunday evening in time for the dessert and wine hour. Kennedy was kind enough to offer us the hors d'oeuvres that were served earlier. I also had a glass of wine. Unfortunately, something I ate or drank caused me to have extreme stomach pains at 4:00 a.m. I become very sick for the next two hours. My husband and I barely slept. Fortunately, I packed a natural medicine that instantly kills bacteria and viruses. I drank a few doses of this and the trips to the bathroom stopped. However, my stomach wasn't feeling well for the duration of my surprise trip, which put a damper on it. I wasn't able to full enjoy any meal I had. I opted out from having anymore drinks, dessert or hors d'oeuvres at the Gastonian for the remainder of our stay.

The next night, looking forward to sleep due to feeling drained from the night before, the young couple next to us decided to have a loud argument at 12:45 a.m. This woke us up. It went on for about 20 minutes until my husband decided to go over and tell them to stop. I wasn't able to fall back asleep until 3:00. It is not the hotel's fault this couple fought but the issue is the room we stayed in is in-between two rooms with connecting doors to both rooms, making it very thin. I could hear exactly what our neighbors on either side were saying.

The shared balcony is not a good idea. Being we were in the middle room, we had to keep our curtains drawn for privacy after I was in my night gown when the neighbor stepped out onto the balcony.

The breakfast was pretty bad. B&Bs are known for having amazing breakfast. The Gastonian is the only b&b that was not up to par. The food was very bland, nothing special about it. This was disappointing since I was looking forward to the breakfast.

The exterior of the building is pretty dirty, it needs a good power wash. The room we stayed in could use some extra care as well. Some of the furniture and baseboards were pretty dirty/dusty.

Overall, both my husband and I were not thrilled with...

My husband and I booked the Honeymoon suite (or Caracalla room) for our honeymoon stay here in Savannah. The room was amazing! The pictures on the website didn't do it justice. Huge with beautiful details. We used the giant soaking tub every night we stayed (keep in mind there is no shower in this room) and enjoyed it so much. The staff was friendly and attentive. There's complimentary water and sodas. We also had breakfast delivered to our room every morning and the food was fabulous! They have afternoon hors d'oeuvres and wine and evening desserts which we checked out a few times during our stay. Our housekeeper did an excellent job. The view is gorgeous. We had our own balcony and utilized it several times during our stay. Parking is limited so it can be difficult to find a space. However, if at any time your vehicle needs to be moved for another guest who is blocked in, the staff will do that for you so you won't be disturbed. The only reason I'm giving it four stars, is because of some of the lack of communication and organization during our stay. Upon arriving I was told my husband had the one and only key to our room (he arrived before me since we were getting married that afternoon) so I had to leave our door open when I left the room so I wouldn't be locked out. I felt uncomfortable because my belongings were in the room. After speaking with one of the staff members, he informed me that there were two keys and went and got me the second one. We also weren't told when we arrived or even beforehand, that we needed to bring a spare key for the staff in case they need to move our vehicle. Luckily we always bring a spare set and we found out on our second day when we asked the front desk how it worked with moving vehicles during the night. A bottle of champagne was delivered to our room for another honeymoon couple by mistake with a handwritten card. We found out when we opened it and it was addressed to someone else. We returned the card and champagne to the front desk and explained the mistake. When our champagne was finally delivered, it was a printed generic card with no names and after seeing the other couples, I was a little disappointed we didn't receive one when we were also on our honeymoon. These may be small things, but I think it would have made our stay more enjoyable if those little details weren't overlooked. Especially given the price we paid to have the honeymoon suite. Other than that, our stay was great, the food delicious and the staff was wonderful. So I'd...