48 Hours in Savannah: A Design-Lover’s Travel Guide
Hotel Bardo, Savannah, GA. Photo: Hotel Bardo
There's a reason Savannah feels like stepping into a different era. The Spanish moss draping from centuries-old live oaks, the cobblestone streets of the Historic District, the way golden hour hits those iconic squares and makes everything look like a painting you'd want to live inside. But Savannah isn't just resting on its historic laurels. The city has quietly evolved into a destination where preservation meets innovation, where landmark buildings house some of the most design-forward hotels, restaurants, and bars in the South. This is a city that understands atmosphere, with the kind of Southern hospitality that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit. Savannah rewards those who seek out beauty in unexpected places.
We've curated the most beautiful places to stay, eat, drink, and caffeinate during 48 hours in Savannah. These are the spots that prove the city is more than just its past, the places where thoughtful design, exceptional hospitality, and that ineffable Savannah charm come together to create experiences worth planning a weekend around.
Stay
Hotel Bardo
Photo: Hotel Bardo
More than a hotel, Bardo is equal parts urban resort and neighborhood clubhouse, tucked into a historic Savannah icon that's been reimagined as a collection of ephemeral moments and stirring experiences. The guest rooms and suites convey a sense of luxury that's less about the quantity of things and more about the quality of a feeling, comfortably chic and expansively intimate in a way that makes you want to linger. With their commitment to creating exceptional rarity in every detail, Bardo understands that the best hotels feel both singular and familiar.
Municipal Grand
Housed in a landmark mid-century bank, Municipal Grand is a striking boutique property where bold modernist architecture meets warm, inviting interiors that feel more like a Southern living room than a typical hotel lobby. The all-day lobby bar anchors the space with community energy and refined comfort, while a rooftop pool terrace offers views over the city and The Hot Eye, their underground cocktail bar, provides a glossy, low-lit escape for when you want the night to keep going. The design-forward sense of celebration runs through every corner of this property, making it feel less like a place to crash and more like a place to actually experience Savannah's evolving identity. It's modern luxury with soul, exactly what you want when you're spending a weekend in a city that values both.
Photo: Municipal Grand
The Douglas
Photo: The Douglas
A refined boutique retreat housed in a lovingly restored 1853 townhouse in Savannah's Historic District, The Douglas offers timeless Southern architecture with quietly luxurious interiors that feel more like a private residence than a hotel. With only 16 uniquely styled rooms adorned with French antiques, vintage Turkish rugs, and original Murano chandeliers, every detail has been considered to create a warm, residential atmosphere elevated by high-touch hospitality. It's intimate in the best way, the kind of place where you know the staff by name by the end of your stay and where every room tells its own story through carefully curated design. If you want your Savannah weekend to feel like you've been invited into someone's impossibly chic historic home, The Douglas is where you stay.
Coffee & Breakfast
Origin Coffee Bar
Photo: Origin Coffee Bar
Housed in a refurbished early-20th-century building, Origin Coffee Bar is a specialty coffee roaster and brunch spot where modern monochromatic design meets natural light and immersive archways that make the space feel like an oasis in downtown Savannah. The high-tech coffee bar and full-service kitchen baking fresh bread in-house create an upscale yet welcoming atmosphere. It's bright, airy, and exactly what you want from a coffee shop that takes both the craft and the experience seriously. The kind of place where you show up for a quick coffee and end up staying for hours because the space is too good to leave.
Arco Café & Lounge
Perched above Savannah's historic River Street and nestled within a beautiful 1860 Victorian building, Arco greets you with a grand arched doorway that leads to soaring arches and majestic vaults framing breathtaking views of the river. Leave your inhibitions at the door as the space embraces you with its architectural grandeur and that perfect Savannah blend of historic bones and contemporary comfort. The vaulted ceilings and dramatic arches create a sense of occasion even if you're just grabbing morning coffee, and the river views provide a stunning backdrop that makes every visit feel special. It's the kind of spot that proves Savannah's historic architecture isn't just beautiful to look at, it creates experiences you can't replicate anywhere else.
Photo: Arco Café & Lounge
Sunday Sunday
Photo: Sunday Sunday
A Vietnamese-inspired brunch and dinner spot where exposed brick walls and thoughtfully designed interiors create a warm, elevated atmosphere that honors the multigenerational rituals of Sunday meals. Stunning light fixtures and a welcoming space that feels both nostalgic and refined make this a celebration of heritage and community, where Vietnamese classics meet French and American influences in a beautifully reimagined setting. The design strikes that perfect balance between polished and comfortable.
Eat
Husk
Photo: Husk
Housed in a landmark mansion with porch seating that epitomizes Southern charm, Husk serves ingredient-driven Southern fare and cocktails in a setting that feels like you've been invited to the chicest dinner party in Savannah. The historic architecture provides the perfect backdrop for a restaurant that takes regional ingredients seriously while maintaining the kind of relaxed elegance that makes you want to linger over every course. Whether you're claiming a table on the iconic porch or settling into the refined interiors, Husk proves that elevated Southern cuisine and stunning historic spaces are a combination that never gets old.
Madame Butterfly
An eclectic Korean steakhouse housed in a historic building, Madame Butterfly is where sleek modern design meets dark wood accents and exposed brick walls across multiple floors, each with its own distinct vibe. The first floor features a bright, inviting Japanese Hot Pot dining room, the third floor offers interactive Korean BBQ with tabletop grills bathed in atmospheric red lighting, and the basement houses a karaoke room with private dining for when your night needs a soundtrack. From Rhino Hospitality Group, this chic, funky space blends Asian-American cuisine with creative cocktails in a polished, photo-worthy setting that proves Savannah's dining scene is far more diverse than you might expect. It's experiential dining at its finest, where the space itself becomes part of the meal.
Photo: Madame Butterfly
Saint Bibiana | Hotel Bardo
Photo: Hotel Bardo
Set within Hotel Bardo's historic mansion, Saint Bibiana is a gorgeous coastal Italian restaurant that exudes timeless glamour while maintaining an inviting atmosphere. This Italian restaurant understands the cuisine is as much about the pace and pleasure of the meal as it is about what's on the plate. The setting within Bardo means you're dining in a space that was designed with the same attention to detail and quality of feeling that defines the hotel itself. Whether you're a hotel guest or just in for dinner, Saint Bibiana captures that perfect intersection of special occasion and comfortable neighborhood spot.
Drink
Artillery Bar
Photo: Artillery Bar
A sophisticated speakeasy set in a restored armory, Artillery Bar serves imaginative cocktails and boasts an extensive bourbon list in a space that feels like a well-kept secret even though it's been a Savannah staple for years. The restored armory setting provides instant atmosphere, the kind of historic bones that make every drink feel a little more special, a little more like you've discovered something worth telling your friends about. It's polished without being pretentious, the kind of cocktail bar that proves Savannah knows how to do craft drinks with Southern hospitality. The extensive bourbon list alone makes it worth a visit, but the imaginative cocktails and sophisticated setting seal the deal.
The Hot Eye | Municipal Grand
Just downstairs from Municipal Grand's lobby bar but a world apart, The Hot Eye is low-lit, glossy, and alive, the kind of room where strangers become regulars before the night is over. Crushable cocktails and high energy are their signature, creating an underground escape that feels like you've found Savannah's best-kept secret even though everyone in the know ends up here eventually. Slip in through the back lane, find your way down a flight of stairs, and you'll be in exactly the right place for when you want your night to shift from dinner to something more electric.
Photo: Municipal Grand
Peregrin | Perry Lane Hotel
Photo: Peregrin
Perched atop Perry Lane Hotel, Peregrin is a rooftop conservatory where Savannah's timeless charm meets modern botanical elegance, offering sweeping views of the historic district beneath sprawling skies. With botanical cocktails and international street food inspired by the globe-trotting Adelaide Harcourt, it's a lush sanctuary where architecture and nature intertwine in a way that makes you forget you're on a hotel rooftop and instead feel like you've been transported to some impossibly chic garden party.
Savannah rewards slowness. The kind of weekend where you don't rush from place to place checking boxes, but instead choose your spots carefully and let yourself sink into the experience of being there. These 48 hours aren't about seeing everything. They're about seeing the right things, the places where Savannah's historic beauty and contemporary creativity come together in ways that make you understand why this city has captivated people for centuries. Let Savannah work its magic at its own pace.
Because the best way to experience this city isn't by cramming in every landmark and tourist attraction. It's by finding the spaces that make you want to stay awhile, that remind you why seeking out beauty and good design and thoughtful hospitality matters. Savannah has perfected the art of making you feel like you've discovered something special, even when you're in a restaurant or bar or hotel that everyone knows about. That's the real magic of this place, and these 48 hours are your invitation to experience it for yourself.
All locations featured here are Opulist picks and can also be found when using the "Restaurant," "Bar," "Coffee Shop," or "Hotel" Feature filters while searching for your going out experience in Savannah.
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