JW MARRIOTT SAVANNAH PLANT RIVERSIDE DISTRICT: REVIEW

Some hotel names can be a bit of a mouthful. And then there’s the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District.

But this lengthy appellation is a fitting one for such a sprawling complex that’s actually one of the largest urban revitalisation projects in the city, housed in what was a 1912 power plant that lay abandoned for decades on the Savannah riverfront. 

It has since been converted and repurposed into a year-round destination for live music, dining, shopping, entertainment, and accommodation in the form of a seriously impressive JW Marriott - the luxury hotel brand owned by Marriott International - which I’m fortunate enough to stay at during my first visit to this historic Georgian city.
 

A striking entrance

Stepping into the main power plant ‘generator hall’ to check in at reception is an experience in itself. The huge lobby space is dominated by a chrome-plated dinosaur skeleton, reminding me of the entrance hall at London’s Natural History Museum with its own life-size welcome dinosaur.

And aptly enough, strolling around the lobby is more like visiting a museum, specifically of the Jurassic era, with various installations encompassing giant geodes and fossils, backlit in a range of brilliant colours along the walls. This place has got room to play with, so why not!

Guests can also learn more about the building’s former life as a power plant which powered Savannah and its environs from 1912 until the mid-‘50s, including a presentation on its eventual restoration into what it is today, via displays and audio clips throughout the lobby. 
 

A night at the museum

After checking in at the front desk it’s time to find my room. There are a total of 419 across the complex, which comprises three distinct buildings, each offering a slightly different aesthetic experience: Power Plant, the centrepiece of the property, whose rooms retain historic architectural details paired with modern-industrial stylings; Three Muses, offering more in the way of soft and sophisticated colours, with views of the Savannah Riverfront, making it ideal for a romantic stay; and finally Atlantic, which is all about a nautical theme and maritime details, inviting guests on a getaway inspired by a journey on a luxury yacht. 

My room sits in this final, newest section, decorated with rich shades of blue, and enlivened by funky geometric lamps and framed sailing-themed modern artworks. There is also a view of the river, with the added value of being a front-row seat to a cargo ship floating past every morning – a sight (and accompanying horn sound) I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. 

Elsewhere around the complex

There is an abundance of bars and restaurants to choose from at the JW Marriott, from Stone & Webster Chophouse, purveying prime steaks, fresh seafood and Southern favourites, to Savannah Tequila Co. which is a stylish cantina offering premium tequila flights with views of the river. Meanwhile, Electric Moon, the hotel's rooftop bar, is one of the best in the city for riverside views and exclusivity.

On the shopping front here, think original artworks, luxury gifts and unique treasures like the ones on display in the lobby, alongside chic women’s fashion and and top-tier men’s clothing.

There is also a rooftop pool lounge for the exclusive use of hotel guests, as well as the Poseidon Spa, one of the premier spas in Savannah, providing signature salon treatments, massages and hair styling.

It’s all very much a resort-style high-end offering here, with everything you could want in a luxury break contained in one idiosyncratic development.

A plum spot in Savannah

Staying at the JW Marriott gratifyingly also puts you at the heart of the action, as it’s walking distance from here to the lively City Market district and anywhere else in town you want to be.

This innovative redevelopment project called for a significant expansion of River Street, which now allows visitors to walk an additional 1,000+ feet along the riverfront, connecting the thoroughfare to the popular East River Street neighbourhood with its centuries-old buildings, also now converted, into antique stores, smaller boutique hotels, seafood restaurants and character pubs.

So you’re really not going to find a much better located upmarket hotel in Savannah, with pretty much everything on your doorstep should you actually want to leave the complex.

Once a long abandoned but iconic power plant, the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District now energises the city in a different way. 

For more information, visit www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/savjw-jw-marriott-savannah-plant-riverside-district
Address: 500 West River Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31401 

ELSEWHERE IN SAVANNAH HIGHLIGHTS

SOMEWHERE TO EAT – Husk

Centrally situated in the heart of the city’s Landmark Historic District, this upmarket restaurant is housed in reputedly one of the most haunted properties in Savannah, although the only spirits I saw there were a superior selection of bottled ones around the chandelier-lit centrepiece bar on the renovated second floor where I sat for my solo fine-dining meal. 

Foodwise, expect flawless, creative takes on Southern speciality dishes prepared with local ingredients unique to coastal Georgia (the chocolate zucchini cake also a superlative dessert highlight), in a vibey and atmospheric venue with few rivals of its kind in the city. www.husksavannah.com 

SOMEWHERE TO DRINK – Service Brewing

Just a short stroll away from the hotel in the opposite direction of the city centre lies this special craft brewery helmed by a former US Army commander, Kevin Ryan, who, in partnership with his designer wife Meredith, has themed the venue on all things military, from stacked shipping containers reminiscent of the one Ryan lived in while serving in Iraq, to the top-drawer beers with names like ‘Rally Point’ and ‘Freedom Machine’. The enterprise has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for local and national organisations that assist veterans and first responders. The regulars there are only too happy to chat to newcomers too. www.servicebrewing.com 

SOMEWHERE TO VISIT – Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters  

This fascinating historic home, built in 1819, is one of the best-preserved examples of Regency architecture in America, as well as of the original slave quarters which housed the enslaved men, women and children who lived and laboured here. Guided tours reveal the complicated relationships between the most and least powerful people in Savannah in the early 19th century, focusing on the art, architecture and history of the home through the lens of slavery. An absorbing, and chastening, experience. www.telfair.org/visit/owens-thomas

For further information on visiting and staying in Savannah, Georgia, go to www.visitsavannah.com