Review: Municipal Grand Savannah: First In

Why book?

If you want the best of both worlds—proximity to Savannah’s must-see historic spots and a luxe retreat with excellent dining options.

Set the scene

This midcentury building once housed a bank but now it’s a decidedly more exciting place. Its midcentury modern decor honors the building’s era with preserved original elements, like gray granite walls and blue mosaic tiles, mingling with modern touches like curved soft green banquettes and soft pink club chairs. When you enter Municipal Grand, the first thing you notice is how prominently the Municipal Bar fills the space and sets a festive tone. The afternoons and evenings are high energy, with Bossa nova and jazz tunes pumping overhead, making it feel more like a fête than a ho-hum lobby bar. A prime location on Broughton Street brings in a mix of locals and tourists alike: You’ll see chic women who seem part of the SCAD crowd toasting alongside tourists in shorts who wandered in by chance. Sun Club, the rooftop pool and lounge, channels Palm Beach with striped lounge chairs and tropical foliage: It’s more laidback than the bar, and where you’re more likely to see kids splashing about in the pool. In the evening, it’s a killer spot to look down Broughton and catch the sunset.

The backstory

Municipal Grand is the first hotel by Midnight Auteur, a partnership between New York cocktail bar Death & Co. and the Ramble Hotel Denver (where the famed New York cocktail bar has an outpost). The idea is cocktail-anchored boutique hotels where guests, both those staying there or the ones just stopping by for a drink, can have a sense of revelry any time of day in the lobby bar and social spaces. The party continues in the guest rooms, where you’ll find minibars that go beyond the standard mini bottle offerings—there are full-size elect spirits, bar tools, and glass ware.

The rooms

That sense of tropical-meets-midcentury-modern continues in the guest rooms with elements like plush green headboards, mushroom-shaped lamps, floating nightstands, sherpa accent chairs, and botanical artwork. Given that you’re staying on one of the busiest streets in Savannah, you forget all about that in the room which feels more like a sun-filled sanctuary. The hotel doesn’t have a spa, but that’s okay: the showers lined in zellige (hand-made Moroccan) tiles gave me all the extra relaxation I desired.

The most supreme of the room offerings is the patio king suite which opens up to a terrace furnished with comfy yet chic seating. It’s an ideal spot to enjoy a morning cup of coffee or an early evening apéritif. Although, some may prefer the king suite with an in-room freestanding bathtub that plays into that cheeky '60s vibe.

Food and drink

The mornings at Municipal Bar gently ease you into the day with breakfast bites like Carolina Gold rice porridge studded with carrots, currants, and coconut while the thick hash brown will cure you of your ailments from the night before. The poolside menu is tight and gives you just what you need: refreshing drinks and snacks. After a long drive from Atlanta to Savannah, the sun club spritz, a blend of vodka, mango, chilies, and lime, along with the crudité served with a whipped herb yogurt dip revived me. (And my six-year-old felt fancy sipping the passionfruit soda.)

Municipal Bar shines in the evening when happy hour (3:00-5:00 p.m. daily) rolls into dinner. I kicked off my meal with their signature hashbrown and caviar treat—it’s a bite-sized version of the one at breakfast topped with egg yolk as well as the caviar—before moving on to their other bites. You could order entrees here, the manager raved about the steak frites, but the small plates are so creative and bright, it’s easy to make a meal of them. And I did, opting for the herb-smothered flatbread, Persian cucumbers served atop creamy straciatella cheese but covered in a spicy buffalo sauce, and tangy sourdough gnocchi with squash and sheep’s milk cheese. Though the space clearly caters to adults, kids are still welcomed with their own menu and crayons—my daughter enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich.

Of course, you can’t go to a bar helmed by Death & Co. and not try a cocktail. The classics all have unique twists, like the delicious Royale, a play on the French 75, with peach aperitif, calvados, lemon, and sparkling wine. If I had dined with another adult, I’d push us to order one of the family style drinks, like the martini service for two. The zero-proof drinks are given just as much attention here as the boozy ones. I particularly enjoyed the salted paloma, with grapefruit cordial, vanilla, and seltzer. A little sweet, bitter, and bubbly—an ideal combination. (Hot Eye, the basement cocktail lounge, looks to be seductive and is set to open fall 2025)

The neighborhood/area

Broughton Street sits in close proximity to historic landmarks like the historic Lucas Theatre, several squares, River Street and shops like the Paris Market. It’s busy, but in an exciting way. If it’s not too hot, you could easily never drive your car (or get in an Uber) for the duration of your trip. Though, the Dot Express Shuttle is always a great, free option in a pinch. The hotel makes a great jumping off point to must-see spots in Savannah, like the Telfair Museum, Chippewa Square (made famous in “Forrest Gump”), and the Book Lady bookstore. On a temperate day, the walk to Forsyth Park would be enjoyable.

If you’re traveling with an ice cream-loving kid like I was, the hotel is directly across the street from the famous Leopold’s Ice Cream. There will be a line, but it moves quickly and it’s worth it for the old fashioned ice cream shop experience.

The service

Service is relaxed yet attentive. The restaurant staff makes sure guests find a table at Municipal Bar (which was packed even on a Monday) and the front desk greets you with a refresher upon check-in. The housekeeping staff particularly stands out with their attention to detail—I had piled up my kid’s snacks and when I came back to the room they were nicely arranged on wooden platters on the coffee table.

For families

Sometimes I shy away from boutique hotels when traveling with my daughter because I’m nervous that she’ll disrupt the ecosystem, as opposed to a busier box hotel. That’s not a concern at Municipal Grand which welcomes young ones whether it’s little treats for them, kids’ menus with actually delicious food, and a pool that doesn’t frown upon splashing around.

Eco effort

There are various sustainability efforts made around the property. It started with Lynch Architects who preserved and protected as much of the original building as they could which landed the hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. It continues with filtered water in carafes and boxes, one hundred percent biodegradable coffee capsules in the rooms and high efficiency plumbing and mechanical systems.

Accessibility

There are elevators and ADA compliant rooms.

Anything left to mention?

I was awestruck by the art throughout the hotel and could tell a lot of thought and consideration went into its selection. Midnight Auteur worked with local artists and photographers, like Emily Earl who captures striking photos of Savannah’s nightlife on a Polaroid ProPack. My personal favorite was the green and white watercolor by UGA grad Kate Roebuck called “Hold Tight” hanging in the Municipal Bar—it looks like two seashell eyes watching over you.

Also, while the bar gets quite buzzy in the evening and you can’t just hang out in the lobby, the mezzanine is a lovely place to perch at a table and comfy chair while overlooking the fun below.