New Hotels in Savannah 2026: What Opened & What's Coming

New hotels in Savannah are arriving faster than at any point since Plant Riverside District opened. The short answer: the biggest 2026 opening is Recess Hotel & Club, a 221-room hotel with a rooftop pool inside the 1912 Manger Building on Johnson Square. Tempo by Hilton opened off Reynolds Square in spring 2026, and the 44-room Municipal Grand opened on Broughton Street in summer 2025. Two larger projects, a Ritz-Carlton and a Signia by Hilton, are under construction and targeting 2028.

TL;DR: New Savannah Hotels at a Glance

Newest big opening: Recess Hotel & Club, 7 E Congress St, opened in mid-September 2026 with 221 rooms and the Kilter rooftop bar and pool.
Spring 2026: Tempo by Hilton Savannah Historic District, 148 rooms on East Bryan Street just off Reynolds Square, with the Waving Girl Rooftop.
Summer 2025: Municipal Grand, a 44-room boutique hotel at Broughton and Abercorn with the Hot Eye, a basement cocktail bar.
Still fairly new: Hotel Bardo on Forsyth Park (2024) and the AC Hotel on East River Street.
Coming in 2028: the Ritz-Carlton Savannah (168 rooms) and the 444-room Signia by Hilton next to the convention center on Hutchinson Island.
Booking tip: new hotels often run introductory rates and still have soft spots in service. Read recent reviews and book refundable when you can.

What Is the Newest Hotel in Savannah?

Recess Hotel & Club is the newest major hotel downtown. Trade coverage published in early October 2026 reports that it opened in mid-September. It is run by Left Lane, the New York hospitality company that also operates Hotel Bardo.

The hotel fills the Manger Building at 7 E Congress Street. The Beaux Arts building opened in 1912 as the Hotel Savannah and was one of the city's first skyscrapers, so this is a return to its original use.

What's Inside Recess?

Rooms: 221 in total, reported as a mix of standard rooms, suites, and bunk rooms. The bunk rooms are a rare option downtown for friend groups and families.
Le Flâneur: a French brasserie serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Servery: a grab-and-go window in the lobby for breakfast and lunch.
Kilter: a rooftop bar on the 12th floor with a pool the hotel bills as the highest in Savannah.

One thing to know before you book: coverage of the opening says the hotel deliberately skips traditional room service and steers guests toward its restaurants and bars instead. If in-room dining matters to you, look at a full-service property like the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District.

Which Other Hotels Opened Recently?

Tempo by Hilton Savannah Historic District

Tempo opened in April 2026 as the Hilton brand's first hotel in Georgia. It has 148 rooms on East Bryan Street, just off Reynolds Square and a short walk from River Street. The Waving Girl Rooftop serves food with river views, and a Bluestone Lane café sits at street level. It's a good fit if you want a newer, modern room at a mid-to-upper price point, rather than a historic inn.

Municipal Grand

The Municipal Grand opened in July 2025 in a 1960s building at the corner of Broughton and Abercorn that last served as the Broughton Municipal Building. It's the first hotel from Midnight Auteur, a company formed by the founders of the Death & Co cocktail bars. With 44 rooms it books up faster than the bigger hotels. The underground Hot Eye bar is a draw even if you're staying elsewhere. Our Savannah rooftop bars guide covers more drinks-with-a-view spots nearby.

AC Hotel Savannah Historic District

The 170-room AC Hotel by Marriott sits at 601 E River Street, on the quieter east end of the riverfront. Its Lavender Rooftop Kitchen & Bar has wide views over the river. It's one of the closest newer hotels to the Eastern Wharf area and a short walk to the River Street bars.

Hotel Bardo

Hotel Bardo opened in February 2024 at 700 Drayton Street, on the edge of Forsyth Park. It's the former Mansion on Forsyth Park, bought and reworked by Left Lane, and now has 149 rooms and an Italian-leaning restaurant, Saint Bibiana. If you've stayed at the Mansion before, expect a different look and different dining.

What New Hotels Are Coming to Savannah?

Two big projects are under construction. Neither will take guests before 2028, so treat any booking site that lists them for 2026 or 2027 with suspicion.

Signia by Hilton Savannah: an 18-story, 444-room hotel next to the Savannah Convention Center on Hutchinson Island. It broke ground on October 8, 2025 and is expected to open in mid-2028, with a rooftop bar and 38,000 square feet of meeting space. It will be the convention center's headquarters hotel.
The Ritz-Carlton Savannah: a 168-room hotel inside a historic downtown building. Plans include a rooftop bar and pool and a spa. Early reports targeted the first quarter of 2028, and later coverage says the date has slipped toward the second quarter. Expect that to move again.

Until those open, the luxury end of town is still led by established properties like the Perry Lane Hotel, the Andaz Savannah on Ellis Square, and the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront. Browse the full list in our luxury hotels directory.

Is It Worth Staying at a Brand-New Hotel in Savannah?

Often, yes. New hotels tend to have the best mattresses, fastest Wi-Fi, and newest bathrooms in town, and many offer opening rates to fill rooms. The trade-off is that staff and kitchens are still finding their rhythm in the first few months.

A few ways to lower the risk:

Read reviews from the last 30 days, not the launch press. Early reviews tell you whether the rooftop, restaurant, and check-in actually work.
Book a refundable rate. Opening-month construction, noise, and closed amenities are common.
Ask about amenity hours. Rooftop pools and bars may close for private events or in cooler weather.
Check parking. None of the downtown openings sit on a big surface lot. Our Historic District parking guide covers garages and costs.

Local tip: Scout a new hotel before you book a room there. Hotel rooftops like Kilter at Recess, the Waving Girl Rooftop at Tempo, and Lavender at the AC Hotel are a low-cost way to see the property, but policies for non-guests vary and private events can close them. Check each bar's current hours and access rules first, and go early on a weeknight.

Which New Hotel Fits Your Trip?

Groups and families on a budget: the bunk rooms at Recess are the most unusual option in the Historic District.
Couples: the Municipal Grand and Hotel Bardo feel more intimate. Our romantic hotels guide lists more choices.
River Street nightlife: the AC Hotel and Tempo put you closest to the waterfront.
Quiet and green: Hotel Bardo, right on Forsyth Park.
Conventions in 2028 and later: watch for the Signia by Hilton on Hutchinson Island.

Not sure which part of town suits you? Start with our where to stay in Savannah neighborhood guide. For smaller, design-led properties, see our Savannah boutique hotels guide. For the best-reviewed established options downtown, see the best hotels in the Historic District.

Bottom Line

For a 2026 trip, Recess Hotel & Club is the headline opening: a historic Johnson Square building, bunk rooms for groups, and a 12th-floor rooftop pool. Tempo by Hilton and the Municipal Grand round out a strong two years of new downtown hotels, while the Ritz-Carlton and Signia by Hilton won't arrive until 2028. New hotels change fast in their first year, so confirm current rates, amenities, and restaurant hours directly with each hotel before you book. Then browse every option in our Savannah hotels directory.