The Romance of The Douglas
I don’t have a painted portrait with wind-touseled hair beside a magnolia tree, but I hope you get the idea
It was a deep, late summer afternoon when I pulled up to The Douglas in Savannah, GA. There was a line of overheated and slightly red-faced girl scouts lined up at the Juliette Gordon Low house right next to it, and as I exited the driver seat, their happy, trilling voices filled the sidewalk. A smiling valet helped me with my bag and up the staircase to the front desk, the door closing to a quiet calm after the heat and the sun and the excited children.
Afternoon light filtered through old windows as I made my way up the staircase to my room, settling in for a bit before the aperitivo hour for hotel guests only at the private bar and living room on the main floor. I was back in town, traveling solo in a city that has been a part of my creative imagination for more than 25 years. (Humble brag: Sometimes I don’t really even need a Google map).
Through the visits, I’ve professionally watched this port city slowly grow and change and embrace its uniqueness. From my vantage point at The Douglas last summer, I realized that it has finally arrived into a shining moment.
Savannah is a siren to me right now. There are so many independent restaurants where creative people are doing beautiful, delicious things that they are passionate about. That make the city’s vibe pristine but so down-to-earth welcoming. Add to that the rise of SCAD into a world class art school that keeps talent in town post-graduation, and well, my relocation-lust (it’s worse than wandering, trust me) is activated and I find myself looking at rental listings.
Part of that is because I really love the idea of getting to know a place, but it’s also because through the years, Savannah lodging for me has always been big hotels or creepy inns on the ghost tour where I get absolutely no sleep.
That’s all changed. The Douglas is my new, number one recommendation in town. I’ve never stayed in a place quite like it.
