Georgia’s Hotel Bardo Savannah breathes vitality into a heritage building with a lifestyle concept comprising wellness, destination dining and a members’ club. Olivia Palamountain reports
New York City-based real estate development firm Left Lane has transformed a 19th-century Southern Gothic building in the heart of Georgia’s Forsyth Park into Hotel Bardo Savannah.
The sprawling, two-acre lifestyle resort features 149 guest rooms, including 50 suites, a coastal Italian restaurant called Saint Bibiana, a holistic fitness and wellness spa named Saltgrass, the Camp Bardo kids’ program called and membership and social club, Club Bardo.
Left Lane, known for its transformation of historic properties, plans to expand the Bardo brand to high-growth secondary markets, including Pittsburgh, PA and Providence, RI, within the next five years.
“We’ve thoughtfully transformed one of Savannah’s most historic and treasured assets, bringing together the best creative talent spanning design, brand, food and beverage, wellness and programming to make the adventurous feel at home,” says Jon Kully, managing partner, Left Lane.
The resort’s design language brings together old and new, with Left Lane’s “riot clash” aesthetic mixing traditional Savannah styles with a contemporary vision that includes multiple artworks by local artists.
Guest rooms and suites evoke a feeling of warmth and serenity, with a subtle design sensibility and a clean palette of natural materials and textures.
Some suites offer chef’s kitchens and dedicated living rooms, while the Family Suite features a separate bunk room with two twin beds and a powder room. Rooms start at US$450 per night, available to book here.
The launch of Hotel Bardo also debuts Saltgrass, a holistic gym and wellness spa concept offering grounding massages, restorative facials and a dynamic athletics programme.
The brand’s exclusive membership club, Club Bardo, provides members with access to a private lounge, preferred room rates, priority reservations, access to the pool and fitness facilities, and other perks.
Hotel Bardo Savannah offers a diverse array of dining and drinking experiences, each with its own unique atmosphere and culinary offerings.
The Green Room, the resort’s lobby bar, serves as a warm and inviting living room-style space offering creative cocktails such as Spy vs. Spy (tequila, elderflower, and celery) and Least of Your Worries (rum, kumquat, and makrut), paired with bites including salt cod and fried caper crostini.
Saint Bibiana, or St B, is Hotel Bardo’s signature coastal Italian restaurant, which transforms simple, high-quality ingredients into dishes such as Sicilian arancini with saffron risotto and tomato stewed pork, and dover sole piccata with lemon, capers and Italian parsley.
A weekday breakfast and weekend brunch features the must-order maritozzi, traditional Roman brioche buns with whipped cream fillings.
The restaurant also hosts the Cooking School, home to interactive workshops and a guest chef series.
Bar Bibi, the pool bar, is the cheeky younger sister to Saint Bibiana, serving cocktails and a casual coastal Italian menu of bright salads, crudo and pizzettas from an exposed brick oven.
Club Bardo, the resort’s exclusive membership club, features a private lounge above Saint Bibiana and a menu of juleps, punch bowls and playful plates like caviar and chips, burgers and a signature club sandwich.
Event spaces at Hotel Bardo Savannah are versatile, with indoor/outdoor opportunities and flexible layouts.
The Carriage House, which opens to its own Event Lawn, pays homage to the former mansion’s original use as a private home in the late 1800s, while the Ballroom, which opens to The Courtyard, accommodates weddings and events for up to 200 guests.