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.
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.
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.
A weekday breakfast and weekend brunch features the must-order maritozzi, traditional Roman brioche buns with whipped cream fillings.
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.