Nestled in Savannah’s Historic District, the Kimpton Brice Hotel has completed a full-property refresh.
The renovations included the hotel’s lobby, guestrooms, corridors, meeting rooms, pool terrace, garden, and onsite restaurant: Pacci Italian Kitchen + Bar. The first full renovation since the hotel’s inception in 2014, the redesign by Los Angeles-based architectural design firm Forchielli Glynn, in collaboration with Kimpton’s in-house team, builds upon property’s storied history—including as a former livery stable, cotton warehouse, and Coca-Cola bottling plant—while maintaining its gracious Southern hospitality spirit.
“The vision we created for the Brice is a modern European sensibility while retaining the soul and depth of the history of the building that connects the Brice to Savannah and the community,” says Diana Martinez, head of design for IHG Luxury & Lifestyle Americas. “We strived to maintain a sense of wonder—ethereal, dreamy, and magic—while also contrasting with the classical heritage details rooted in traditional qualities found in Southern homes.”
In the lobby, guests find a communal sofa, cozy seating, fringe chairs, gold accent fixtures, and iron-rod artwork symbolic of historical gates and entryways to Savannah estate homes. Various seating layouts create meandering pathways encouraging flexible socialization, like a custom cane settee in a tranquil literary corner with books and objects on display, along with a movable beverage cabinet that will transform to a convivial afternoon social hour station.
The revamp of the 145 guestrooms, which include 25 suites, pays homage to traditional qualities of Southern homes, reimagining them with contradictory elements—hard and soft, colorful and quiet, tailored and lush. A color palette of gray and white speaks to the city’s history, connecting to its native brick color with the infusion of green and fuchsia hues linking to the Secret Garden and ethereal elements found throughout the squares and residences surrounding the area.
Serving Italian-inspired Southern cuisine, Pacci Italian Kitchen + Bar offers rich textures, charcoal wood furniture, and a neutral color scheme. The eatery comes to life with refreshed menus and a revived interior, featuring all new furniture that takes cues from coastal Italian towns.
With accents of bright summer shades, the refreshed concepts for the Pool Terrace and Secret Garden differ slightly from the rest of the hotel, while creating a thread of continuity through a black and white base palette. The pool area now features chaise lounge chairs, tables, and umbrellas, and the Secret Garden has more designated areas for outdoor dining, including bench seating, and a cocktail area with a concrete communal table and nearby firepit.
“Creating these moments of playful yet elegant discovery has been the most rewarding for me personally, having worked on the original Brice hotel project,” adds Martinez. “Reimagining and breathing new life into this very special and unique place and honoring its heritage has been a true privilege.”
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