New Years Eve in Savannah, Georgia

New Years Eve is a great time to be in Savannah. Especially this year, the weather forecast is in the 60’s! Visit Savannah has put together a list of things that are going on in the Savannah area. I have posted it below.


Sugar Daddy's Food & Wine Bar

5 p.m.-3 a.m., RSVP to 912.335.5835
109 Jefferson St.
Ring in the New Year with prizes every hour ($1 per ticket). Dance Party begins at 10 p.m.; Champagne Toast at midnight.



New Year's Eve at Seed Eco Lounge
Special event from 8pm- midnight…Come and celebrate SEED's New Year's Eve party! We've got great deals on booth reservations and bottle service.
$30 Ticket price includes:
Champagne toast at midnight.
Commemorative NYE2011 champagne glass
NYE2011 SEED t shirt
hors d'oeuvres from leocis
Fast pass
Televised Ball Drop



Dine Like a Rock Star NYE at Alligator Soul

114 Barnard St., 912.232.7899

The Alligator Soul crew still has seats for NYE dinner at this intimate Telfair Square restaurant. Want a romantic evening out AND cuisine that you'll talk about into the next year. Call for reservations; check out the menu here.


Leoci's Trattoria New Year's Eve

$65 per/person ++

Reservations recommended, call 912.335.7027 now!

(vegetarian menu available)

Enjoy an authentic taste of Italy when you join Chef Roberto and the team at Leoci's. To see the full menu, click here.




New Years Eve Riverboat Gala
Dec 31, 2010 7:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Location: River Street Admission: Adult: $164.95 Website: www.savannahriverboat.com Phone: 912.629.4610

New Years Eve Gala Adult: $164.95

Ring in 2011 in style on board the Savannah River Queen! On this cruise you'll enjoy an elegant selection of Captain's hors d'oeuvres during boarding, followed by a buffet featuring: Cold Water Lobster tails, Pan seared grouper fillets with a Pomeroy Whole Grain Mustard Sauce, roasted cornish game hens, and a black angus tenderloin carving station. Also included is your choice of a bottle of wine or champagne, party favors, a front row view of fireworks, and a cash bar. Live entertainment on board. Boarding at 7:30 p.m., Sailing at 8:30 p.m., Returning at 12:30 a.m.


Tybee Island Social Club
Dec 31 6 and 9 p.m. seatings
Location: Social on Tybee Contact: http://tybeeislandsocialclub.com/
Celebrate New Year's Eve Socially! Seating 6p and 9p, Reserve now! 3-course Dinner $65 or $85 with wine pairings. Oyster Bar featuring Vodka & Champagne. Savannah Philharmonic String Quartet during dinner, Trainwrecks @ 11p followed by Fireworks at midnight! Special Cottage Rental Pricing offered by Lighthouse Inn, Mermaid Cottages, Oceanfront Cottage Rentals, and Tybee Vacation Rentals!


Tybee New Year's Eve Fireworks

Dec 31, 2010 Midnight
Location: Tybee Pier & Pavilion Admission: Free Website: www.TybeeVisit.com Phone: 912.786.5444
Ring in the New Year with a bang! Enjoy the show launched from the Tybee Pier & Pavilion at the stroke of midnight.



Rockin' New Year's Eve at the Savannah Theatre
Join the cast of the Savannah Theatre and ring in the New Year will broadway-style music! Date: December 31, 2010 Location: Savannah Theatre, 222 Bull Street Time: 9 p.m. More information: www.savannahtheatre.com / 912.233.7764


New Year's Eve Fireworks on River Street
Head to Historic River Street and toast the New Year in Savannah style! Free and open to the public on Historic River Street over the Savannah River. Date: December 31, 2010 Location: Historic River Street Time: Midnight More information: www.riverstreetsavannah.com / 912.234.0295



City Market New Year's Eve Celebration
Dec 31, 20109 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Location: City Market Admission: Free Website: www.savannahcitymarket.com Phone: 912.232.4903
Ring in the New Year at City Market! It's an outdoor street party and you are invited to join in the fun. Live music starts at 9 p.m. and lasts until 1 a.m. Free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. Be sure to make your dinner reservations at one of our outstanding restaurants.



New Year's Eve Bash at the Westin
Dec 31, 2010 - Jan 01, 2011
Location: The Westin Savannah Harbor Website: www.westinsavannah.com/events Phone: 912.201.2000
IMAGINE: A Happy New Year! Say it with style at the area's premier gathering:The Westin Savannah Harbor's "Imagine" The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa again is holding a New Year's Bash to ring in the New Year in style! IMAGINE a bright future, a prosperous New Year, health, happiness...and join us in celebration Dec. 31 as we look optimistically towards 2011. Choose from a traditional New Year's party, a delectable dinner, and let the kids have some fun, too! The Westin Savannah Harbor's IMAGINE New Year's Eve celebration is a semi-formal affair and features not only dinner and drinks but also the fun party band Mike & the Mixers, playing all your favorite covers, and a midnight balloon drop. Doors open at 8 pm; band plays 9 pm - 1 am. Stay overnight and pay just *$399/couple for you accommodations, dinner, drinks and entertainment. ("Imagine" event-only is available from *$139 per person.) IMAGINE features: ~ Dinner at various Sumptuous Dining Stations ~ Full Open Bar ~ Champagne Toast ~ Midnight Fireworks ~ Music you know and love played by Mike & the Mixers
http://westinsavannah.com/newyear


Saya Lounge presents our 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Party
Dec 21, 2010 at 9 p.m.
Location: Saya Lounge
We are rolling out the Red Carpet and we want YOU to walk it, work it and look your best. . .we will catch you on camera. We have been sold out every year so get your tickets early.This is a ticket only event and $25 will get you the following:
*guaranteed admission throughout the evening- televised ball drop- light appetizers provided, complimentary champagne will be pouring at 11:40- complimentary coat check- gift bag for the ladies
Doors open at 9pm. Doors open to the public at 12:30am. Mash Up King of the South, ATL based DJ Xtreme will be spinning all night. Please email info@sayalounge.com for "Table Service Area" packages
 

New Year's Eve at Ele

Friday, December 31 at 10:00pm - Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 2:00am

Location:Ele Restaurant General admission: $20 VIP: $35

Join us for FOOD, MUSIC and FUN~Endless Energy. ~VIP guests can sit at any table and enjoy bottle service. ~Hor d' oeuvres 10pm - 11:45pm + Champagne Toast for VIP. *Dress code is strictly enforced. No Hats, or athletic wear.
 

The Melting Pot for New Year's Eve
Special packages for New Year's Eve celebration starting at $60/person. Check our website (meltingpot.com) for complete details. 912-349-5676 for reservations


New Year's Eve Party & Dance - Live Music by THE 8-TRACKS
Friday, Dec. 31 from 8pm till Saturday, Jan. 1 at 12:30am
Location: Tybee Island's American Legion Post #154General Admission: $20 per person (Tickets available at the Post's Bar)...Light Hors D'oeuvres and Champagne provided / Cash Bar / "Bring your own snacks"
THE 8-TRACKS are one of the premiere party bands in the area, and play an unusually wide range of both well-known and obscure rock, country and soul tunes from the 1950s - the 1990s
Website: http://www.tybeetyme.com/american_legion/
Phone: (912) 786-5356

Savannah Fun Tours

As you might know, Savannah Lodging is the brand which represents the Hampton Inn Historic District, Holiday Inn Express, and the Mulberry Inn. Because we have numerous properties in Savannah our sales team is scattered throughout Bay Street. So, during the holiday season our director of sales plans a whole day of “team building” for us. Since this is my first year on the team, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard stories from the past, but I had no idea what I was in for.



The day started with all 8 of us meeting in the lobby of the Hampton. The only clue we had into what we were doing was “make sure you wear warm clothes and your walking shoes.” Done. Soon after a lady named Kathleen Anderson came in looking for us, she was with Savannah Fun Tours. We were going on a scavenger hunt all throughout Savannah.


Before you jump to conclusions, this was not your ordinary scavenger hunt. We were given a list of clues that would lead us to landmarks throughout the city, and different actions to perform and document with pictures. Each landmark/activity was designated a point value, and it was your teams goal to collect the most points. The catch was that you could only attempt 15 clues on the list.

"Sassy Sales Team"

On a mission!

First stop: The Olde Pink House

Stop #2: getting samples at Leopold's Ice Cream :)

Stop #3: a visit with Mr. Johnny Mercer

"I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause"

The lucky guy who offered to dress up in women's clothing for our hunt (such a good sport)!

Our team, “Sassy Sales Girls,” came in second place (out of two teams). That is okay though, we had so much fun running around the city together and asking random strangers to take pictures with us. I would definitely recommend Savannah Fun Tours to any group coming to Savannah and looking for something different to do.

Photos from my visit to the Jepson Center

Here they are as promised, pictures from my visit to the Jepson Center for the Arts. I hope you enjoy, I know I did!


A nice perk about visiting a Telfair Museum, is that with the purchase of one pass you can visit three different museums.
I enjoyed lunch at the Jepson Center’s restaurant, Café Zeum, which I would highly recommend. The food was delicious! I would suggest getting a Panini with a cup of Tai Tomato Soup. Yum :)

Entrance to the Jepson Center for the Arts

Atrium

Museum Store

Modern Masters Exhibit

Another great exhibit (my personal favorite)!

Cafe Zeum (oh so good)!



“What is the most weather friendly thing to do here in Savannah?”

The weather today in Savannah was my inspiration for this post. It is currently 74 degrees here in the hostess city. Which sounds perfect for our many visitors, but when you add rain to that equation it can literally dampen many plans. This was brought to my attention upon arriving to work this morning. A tour and travel group filled the lobby, all waiting to see if the weather would clear so they could walk the city. This got me thinking; “what is the most weather friendly thing to do here in Savannah?”



Well, you can go with one of the obvious tours that the city of Savannah offers, or you could take a rain check and reschedule on a sunnier day. I encourage you to take your tour indoors. Specifically, visiting one of Savannah’s many beautiful museums. I was given great advice via a recent twitter post (thank you Visit Savannah), on which museums to visit: The Jepson Center, Owens-Thomas House, The Davenport House, and Ships of the Sea just to name a few.


It doesn’t look like this rain is going to clear tomorrow. I think I am going to take my own advice, and pay a visit to a museum. Don’t worry, I will post some pictures for you soon after!

Happy Holly Days!

The holidays are always a busy time of year; filled with parties, shopping, decorating, and trying to tame your in-laws. It is easy to get caught up in all of these things. Some people worry for months about making decorating their house perfectly, or finding just the right present for someone. It may sound cheesy, but what really matters is who you are with and the time that you spend together.


This year, instead of playing referee between family members, you should take them to Savannah Holly Days. The Holly Days begin the Friday after Thanksgiving with a kick-off event that the whole family will enjoy. The kick-off event is a two day party spread out between Broughton Street and Reynolds Square. On Friday November 26 there will be a wine tasting in Reynolds Square and skating under the stars on Broughton Street (between Lincoln and Abercorn Streets). The cost for wine tasting is $20.00 per person, skating is $5.00, and both activities will be held from 6:00-9:00 pm.

On Saturday November 27 there will be even more activities for your family to enjoy. Ice skating, synthetic snow in Reynolds Square, children’s activities on Broughton Street, glass blowing and ice carving demonstrations, live entertainment, and even Santa Claus will be there! For $15.oo per person you can enjoy all of these activities. Visit http://www.savannahhollydays.com/ for more information on the kick-off event.

Vacationing in Savannah over Thanksgiving? Don’t feel like fighting the super market crowd, then slaving over a hot stove all day? Whatever your circumstance, you can find many alternatives for your traditional Thanksgiving meal right here in downtown Savannah. Most options offer the usual holiday fare and are reasonably priced. It is up to you, as a Thanksgiving connoisseur, to choose which restaurant or hotel’s culinary style your family will enjoy.


The Olde Pink House is one of Savannah’s most recognized restaurants not only for its rosy hue, but also for its delicious food. The Olde Pink House is offering a revised three course menu for lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Guests may choose from holiday classics like Turkey, or opt for the nontraditional Flounder if they choose. That is the beauty of choosing to eat out over Thanksgiving; everyone can be happy. The Olde Pink House is offering their special Thanksgiving menu for lunch (12:00-3:00 pm) for $38.95 per person, and dinner for $42.95 per person. For reservations, 912-232-4286.
If your family is looking for something like “momma used to make” then I would suggest The Mulberry Inn’s famous Thanksgiving lunch. The lunch is served buffet style, which offers maximum consumption for those family members who take their Thanksgiving eating “seriously.” It doesn’t hurt that the Mulberry’s food is “seriously” good. This year they are offering not only traditional turkey and dressing, but also oven roasted prime rib and seafood augratin. Are you hungry yet? The Mulberry Inn is offering two Thanksgiving lunch seatings at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Reservations are required, 912-238-1200, and the cost is $29.95 per person.  Preview the menu at http://scribd.com/doc/40633703.

If you are looking for a little more “up-scale” dinning experience then you might want to take your family to the Westin Savannah Harbor. This hotel boasts spectacular views of the Savannah River from a different perspective, literally. While you watch the boats pass by, you can sip a glass of champagne (which is included in the price of the meal.) The Westin is offering Thanksgiving lunch from 11:00 am-3:00 pm, at $54.95 for adults and $18.95 for children under 18. For reservations, 912-201-2000.

Whether you are a tourist, local, food slob, food snob, time saver, or just plain cannot cook it doesn’t matter on Thanksgiving. What matters is that you had a day filled with good friends, loving family, and great food! Wherever you may choose to eat.

Explore Savannah's History

As Georgia's first city, Savannah has a rich history that dates back to it's founding in 1773. From historic homes to Civil War forts, a trip to Savannah is not complete without a visit to one of these historic sites.

• Trolley Tours: The best way to experience all of Savannah and her rich history is to take a trolley tour of the city. There are several different tours that cover a variety of subjects. For the food lover, check out the Paula Deen Tour. If you want to learn about the history of Savannah, check out the Historic Overview Tour or the Land and Sea Tour. Check out the different packages Savannah Lodging offers and get the most out of your Savannah vacation.

The Mercer Williams House

• Historic Homes: Savannah has several historic homes that showcase the Hostess City's southern charm. The Mercer Williams House was made famous by the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and has since been converted into a museum. Girl Scouts of all ages will enjoy a visit to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, where they can learn more about the founder of the Girl Scouts.

Roundhouse Railroad Museum (Image Via Coastal Heritage Society)

• Coastal Heritage Society: Take a trip back in time at the Savannah History Museum, Roundhouse Railroad Museum, and Old Fort Jackson. The Coastal Heritage Society has been devoted to preserving these historical sites and offers several activities for families and children. The Savannah History Museum showcases Savannah's history from it's founding to modern day. Check out Forrest Gump's iconic bench and one of Johnny Mercer's Oscar awards. The Roundhouse Railroad Museum features seven different railroad structures and offers several tours for student groups. Visit the Coastal Heritage Society's website for more information.

Old Fort Jackson (Image via Coastal Heritage Society)

• Experience the Civil War: Savannah is home to several forts that date back to the Civil War. Fort Pulaski, Old Fort Jackson, and Fort Screven served to protect the port city of Savannah and are now open to the public to explore.
  

Off The Beaten Path

(Image Via Get Outdoors Georgia)

If you are looking for some adventure during your Savannah vacation, the Hostess City offers several opportunities for exploration.

• Skidaway Island State Park: Located 15 miles southeast of downtown Savannah, this state park offers camping and picnicking under Spanish moss-draped live oaks. Follow trails that lead through maritime forests and salt marshes. Also keep an eye out for wildlife on this barrier island. Visit their website for more information on campsites and events. (Image via Georgia State Parks)
  

• Wormsloe Historic Site: The colonial estate of Noble Jones, one of Georgia's colonial founders, is located on Isle of Hope, only 10 miles southeast of the historic district. Walk down scenic nature trails lined with Spanish moss-draped live oaks and explore the living history area and museum showcasing colonial Georgia. For more information visit their website.

• Oatland Island Wildlife Center: A visit to Oatland Island allows you to catch a glimpse of varied wildlife in natural exhibits. Many of the animals found at Oatland Island are native to Georgia and the Barrier Islands. Oatland Island offers several activities for children, so make sure to check out their website for the latest events. Located only five miles from the Historic District, make sure to check it out during your next visit.

• Wilderness Southeast: If you are looking to explore the Savannah Wildlife Refuge, Wilderness Southeast offers group and private tours by walking, paddling, and boating. Explore Savannah's freshwater rivers, cypress swamps, rockeries, and estuaries. For tour information and costs, visit their website.

• Little Tybee Island: For the adventurer at heart, grab your kayak or boat and venture over to Little Tybee Island. Located off the south coast of Tybee Island, Little Tybee is a pure uninhabited nature preserve only accessible by boat. Explore Little Tybee's beautiful beaches, forests, and wildlife. For a great adventure, camp out on the island! Visit Tybee Island's website for more information.
  

The Mulberry Inn: Now Pet Friendly!

Savannah Lodging is making it easier for you to travel with your four legged friend! The Mulberry Inn, our boutique hotel located on Washington Square in downtown Savannah, is now pet friendly! With a $75 non-refundable deposit per stay, two of your canine companions can join you on your next Savannah vacation. Each pet that stays at the Mulberry Inn will receive a bed and dish to use during your stay and a complimentary leash and collar as our gift to you! If you would like to purchase the bed and dish, you may do so at check out. Savannah offers several grassy squares and pet friendly restaurants to explore. If your dog loves the beach, take a day trip to Hilton Head Island and enjoy the Atlantic Coast's beauty and charm. For more information on our pet policy, contact the Mulberry Inn and view our Pet Policy Agreement.

We would love to feature you and your dog on our blog! Make sure to send us a picture of your visit to the Mulberry Inn to SavannahLodgingBlog@gmail.com and you may be featured on our blog!

When the Sun Goes Down, The Fun Begins: Savannah Nightlife

Savannah is a city known for its southern hospitality and historic charm, but it is also offers a diverse nightlife scene. There are several restaurants, clubs, and theaters within walking distance of all three of Savannah Lodging’s hotels. River Street and City Market are the heart of Savannah’s nightlife and offer something for everyone. River Street has several shops and restaurants, ranging from seafood to pizza, and offers great views of the Savannah River. Walk alongside the river on the cobblestone streets and enjoy the beauty and excitement that Savannah has to offer. River Street also offers several festivals throughout the year. St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, and Oktoberfest are all celebrated on River Street. Stop by on the first Friday of every month for First Friday Fireworks on the River. A few streets down from River Street is City Market, which features over 30 local shops, restaurants, art galleries, and bars. “To Go” cups allow you to explore the historic district and river front while still enjoying your beverage. For a scare, check out one of the ghost tours that the city offers. Walk around the city by candlelight or take a ride in a hearse and learn about Savannah’s haunted history. The Savannah Theatre and Lucas Theatre for the Arts offer musical and theatrical productions ranging from Broadway to Southern Rock. For more information on Savannah’s nightlife visit the following websites:
http://www.riverstreetsavannah.com/
http://www.savannahcitymarket.com/
http://www.hearseghosttours.com/
http://www.savannahtheatre.com/
http://www.lucastheatre.com/