Review -The DeSoto Hotel, Savannah

Overview 

The lobby of The DeSoto, photo from the hotel website

The DeSoto Hotel in Savannah, GA is an upscale property perfectly situated in the Historic District.  With a contemporary rooftop pool and bar, comfortable guest rooms and competitive rates this is a great option for any visit to Savannah.

The Property 
The lobby of The DeSoto is absolutely beautiful. It's a great mix of historic elements, comfortable, modern style and upscale details. There are outlets for device charging, a small store for convenience items, and 3 restaurants. We were even able to check in early (11:15am!) with the help of a friendly employee.

After checking in we received a text from Ivy, the hotel's automated concierge service. We didn't need anything at the time, but when we received another text from Ivy the next morning we let her know that we needed more conditioner in the bathroom. By the time we got back the conditioner had been refilled. We've never seen this system before, and it was a nice addition to the excellent service we received at The DeSoto.

The rooftop pool and bar was by far our favorite amenity at this property. Recently renovated, the pool area had an upscale, urban vibe. One half of the pool was a foot deep, with lounge chairs for enjoying the water without being fully immersed. The other half of the pool was 5 feet deep with bench seating, perfect for relaxing with a drink from the adjacent cabana bar. The blended drink of the day was $7 and a good size, which we found to be a very reasonable price for the area.

In addition to the pool and bar, the pool area also has outdoor sectional seating around fire pits and several sun loungers. The fitness center is accessed through the pool area. It has a treadmill, bike, elliptical machine and free weights. There is plenty of open space to work out apart from the equipment, which we always appreciate.

We didn't use it, but the hotel offers valet parking for a fee of $34 per night. Our traveling companions on this trip used the valet and had no problems, with quick and friendly service.

This hotel is gorgeous, especially the pool!

The Room
We stayed in a standard double room with a balcony. The room appeared to be recently updated, with modern decor and solid surface floors (the solid floors ensured no mildew smell, something we noticed at other hotels in the area). The beds and pillows were comfy, no back aches or cricks in our necks in the morning! Our balcony had a view of the city and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge.

Our view from the balcony of our room on the 6th floor

The bathroom was lovely, with a large granite counter top and some of the prettiest hotel tile work we've ever seen in the shower and on the bathroom floor. Instead of the standard small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, The DeSoto opts to offer larger pump bottles in the shower. The products were good quality and we liked that they are waste and cost conscious.

We were pleasantly surprised to find 2 complimentary bottles of water and a pack of yummy cookies in the room as well. My only complaint is that there were no bathrobes or slippers, but I may have gotten somewhat spoiled in Cancun. 

Lovely double guest room with balcony at The DeSoto

Restaurants on Site
We ate at two of the three restaurants in the hotel. In the lobby there is Bayou Coffee, which offers regular and "fancy" coffees, along with breakfast sandwiches, fruit, yogurt and breakfast bars. The prices were reasonable and the size of the yogurt and fruit cup were large enough to share.

There is also Edgar's Proof and Provision bar, with indoor and outdoor seating. We went during happy hour and availed ourselves of the $6 well drinks. We split some appetizers and found the food to be good. Service was friendly but a bit slow; we also waited a bit longer than expected for our food. We noticed that there was live music on the patio outside on Saturday night.

The third dining option is the 1540 Room, which is a more upscale restaurant. The dining room and food looked amazing, but was above our price point on this trip. Maybe next time!

The Area
The DeSoto is central to everything in the historic area. We were within easy walking distance to several attractions and many restaurants and bars. The hotel is within sight of a free transit stop, making a trip to the riverfront very convenient. We loved being able to walk right out of the hotel and be in the heart of everything we wanted to see and do in Savannah.

Summary
We actually chose this property because it was the cheapest option in the historic district with a pool and we were overjoyed that it turned out to be so amazing. We loved our time in Savannah and with family in the area, we hope to go back soon. We will definitely be staying at The DeSoto!

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