Spending The Night at Savannah’s Perry Lane Hotel During a Hurricane Has Its Perks

The hurricane began as we arrived in downtown Savannah, Georgia. My husband and I had reserved a night at the Perry Lane Hotel a block from picturesque Forsyth Park. We’d planned on some Broughton Street shopping, sunset drinks at Peregrin, the disco-style lounge at the top of our hotel, a fancy dinner out at the restaurant-of-the-moment, and maybe even late-night carousing at Pinkie Master’s, my favorite dive bar. But the weather forecasted other plans.

Dark clouds were already gathering as we checked in, admiring the checkered marble foyer flooring. Our concierge informed us that Peregrin would be closed due to the hurricane. My husband and I exchanged glances. The concierge went on to inform us that free champagne was available in the lobby at anytime and that the hotel’s downstairs bar, The Wayward, made hand-crafted, complimentary drinks (both alcoholic and booze-free) every evening. We smiled.

As we passed the cozy library, a group of women in fascinator hats began laughing, holding cups of tea aloft. I peeked in to see Tipsy Afternoon Tea in full swing and vowed to return with my mom and sisters.

Our room was spacious and felt modern, a rarity in historic Savannah, with leather headboards, modern light fixtures, and deep grey walls. I exclaimed over the fancy shampoo while my husband checked out the minibar. When room service brought chocolate-covered strawberries, I joked that I never wanted to leave.

It was a good thing I felt that way, because — spoiler alert — until we checked out the next day, we never left the hotel.

Outside the glass panes of our oversized windows, we began to hear heavy thunder and rain. The TV news announced that we were in the path of Hurricane Elsa, and we called the front desk. Luckily, there were reservations available at Emporium, the Perry Lane Hotel’s fine-dining restaurant just off the lobby. Wary of getting lost in Savannah in a crazy storm, we canceled our other plans.

After a gorgeous dinner at Emporium (and way too many delectable desserts), Perry Lane’s marketing manager Andrea Locorini gave us a tour of the hotel’s vast art collection, which was curated by NINE dot ARTS and celebrates artists with connections to the Savannah College of Art and Design. I especially enjoyed “Masks” by SCAD Alum Stephanie Howard, “The Duke” by Josh MG Yates, and a wall-sized Kyle Millshap mural.

The Perry Lane Hotel, explained Locorini, was designed as if it were the home of a fictional muse named Adelaide Harcourt, an imaginary grande dame of Savannah who had traveled the world and furnished the space with her eclectic travel mementos and family heirlooms.

We ended the night playing pinball and enjoying hand-crafted drinks at the Wayward Bar, where the modern art includes a repurposed thrift store purchase depicting a landscape with “GAME OVER” printed over it by James Bit.

Late that night, as the storm raged, I woke. In my pajamas, I crept around my hotel hallway, admiring the photographs “Orphus” by Frank Relle and “River Road: Milepost 16” by Holly Andres, feeling as if I were allowed to roam a museum of precious art all alone. It was magical.