Perry Lane Hotel
Savannah, Ga.
The newest hotel entrant in a thriving city has raised the bar for luxury in Savannah.
For such a hospitable town, Savannah has long gone without a truly great hotel. It offers a bunch of perfectly good chain hotels, a number of charming bed and breakfasts and inns, a few quite good boutique hotels and several very good but not-quite-four-star hotels.
But with the opening of Perry Lane this year, Savannah finally has that great hotel it’s needed. This 167-room, new build hotel adds to the neighborhood without looking at all out of place. It is thoughtfully designed inside and out, and the quiet, spacious rooms are luxurious without feeling oppressive. Perry Lane has an impressively good fitness center—a hotel imperative for me—and a terrific restaurant, The Emporium, which serves French bistro food with a Southern flair. I’ve had about half a dozen meals there; all have been outstanding, and I’d come to Emporium whether I was staying at the hotel or not. And its Peregrin Rooftop Lounge has a fantastic view of the city and lots of nooks and crannies for visitors to drink and talk and still have a bit of privacy.
Of course, the mark of a great hotel—and the most difficult thing to achieve—is outstanding service, and here Perry Lane really excels. (No easy feat in a town where there isn’t yet a broad culture of top-notch service.) An example that matters to me: Two days in a row, the hotel happily delivered a pot of coffee to my room at 4:30 AM, because that’s often when I work while I’m traveling. (And good coffee, too., which one can’t take for granted even at very fine hotels.) It’s all done with warmth and friendliness, and no unwanted “No problem!” millennial informality. Perry Lane is a game-changer for Savannah’s growing hotel scene. perrylanehotel.com
