The Alida
With a record 14.1 million annual visitors in 2017, Savannah is making good on its nickname, the Hostess City. Last year, a bevy of new design- and chef-driven restaurants and increased nonstop flights from major markets helped this pretty port town in Georgia snag its largest group of conventioneers ever (20,000 attendees of the National Beta Club). At the same time, the arrival of the 167-key Perry Lane, a Luxury Collection Hotel, designed and developed by New York-based Flank and AvroKO and managed by Denver-based Sage Hospitality, kicked off a run of new hotel projects. Among the forthcoming batch is a lodging concept from retailer West Elm (still in the early stages of development), a Thompson (being crafted by Studio 11 Design), an Aloft (currently under construction), and the highly anticipated redevelopment of an old waterfront power plant that will house a 402-room JW Marriott, set to open in 2020.
The Alida > The latest from ownership company Rockbridge, the 173-key Alida is inspired by self-made local legend Alida Harper Fowlkes, who early on recognized the significance of Savannah’s architecture and restored 10 historic homes during her lifetime. “We truly envision our hotel as the gracious host to Savannah, honoring the city’s past while also pushing it forward just as Alida did in her day,” says Rockbridge CEO Jim Merkel. In the lobby, sofas and chairs upholstered in slate wool, olive velvet, beige linen, and British tan leather hug sun-splashed nooks. The two F&B venues, Trade Room bar and Rhett restaurant, feature similar textures and metallic accent pieces but with rich sapphire and emerald tones. Clad in natural oak plank flooring, the 173 guestrooms exhibit a “found quality, so they feel curated and not overly matched,” explains Jennifer Kleen, owner of Atlanta firm FODA Design, who spearheaded the guestroom design. Handknotted rugs, decorative lighting, bronze accents, and skirted desk chairs lend a bespoke vibe. “The brief was to bring that residential feel to the hotel,” she says, “and to connect what Alida did to how the property is enhancing the experience of the waterfront and revitalizing it.”
The Alida
The Windrose > Situated in Savannah’s historic market district, the Windrose is a romantic, hospitality-infused retelling of domestic life. Local architect and SCAD dean of architecture Christian Sottile of Sottile & Sottile partnered with Charleston, South Carolina-based design firm Basic Projects on the four-story apartment hotel housed inside a circa-1870s masonry structure. Inspired by Savannah’s maritime past, old sailing and captain oil paintings in wooden frames contrast contemporary travel shots from Charleston photographers Lindsey Shorter and Elizabeth Ervin. “I love the feeling of mixing new and Old World materials and décor, which is [quintessentially] Savannah, with its deep-rooted history and progressive art scene,” says Basic Projects cofounder Kate Towill. Adding a top-floor mezzanine level to the space, the 12 units vary from more traditional hotel rooms to loft-like abodes with full kitchens. Bringing together vintage and new furnishings and ceramics, the cozy timeworn quarters provide “a place to rest your head while not sacrificing comfort or our usual thoughtful design touches,” says Towill. Here, red clay and ocean blue hues pop against white walls and wood floors. Continuing that homey feel, the Windrose will welcome a restaurant in June.
The Windrose
