We stayed at the Westin on New Years Eve and attended one of the functions at the Hotel on the night. At US$600+ for a couple, you would expect a great night and we were not disappointed. One of our best New Years celebrations ever!

As you would imagine checking in at 4pm, on one of the Hotel’s biggest days of the year, was a bit crazy to say the least but all ran smoothly thanks to the receptionist (a South African lady, who’s name escapes me) she was very pleasant and helpful, and this set the scene for the duration of our stay with all the staff being pleasant and attentive.

Parking was at a premium on the day and I had to circumnavigate the car park numerous times before I eventually got a spot as far from the Hotel as humanly possible. By the time I made it back to the room my wife was considering, claiming on my life insurance. (Not really but it was a fair hike.)

We had a room on the 15th floor overlooking the river, the view across to Savannah was great, especially at sunset. The room was of a high standard and what you would expect from a room at the higher end of the market, although it wasn't the best I have stayed in but by no means disappointing.

I have mixed feelings regarding the NYE function, at the priced charged, I was expecting table service but it was a line up at the buffet affair, although the food on offer was of high quality and there was plenty of it.
I got the feeling that the Hotel was “cutting corners” to some degree, especially with the bar service. Only one bar (a make shift one in the foyer) served spirits and initially they were the cheaper brands of spirit being offered, until someone at the function complained rather loudly, that at a premium price to attend the function, you would expect premium spirits. The management quickly saw the errors of their ways and suddenly there were higher quality spirits available, although being served by only one hurried barman, which meant there was quite a wait at the bar before being served. (maybe two barmen next time?)

The live band that played early in the evening was marginally too loud and it made conversation with anyone over dinner a yelling match, the DJ later in the night had everyone rocking, making for a great night in the end. The fireworks at midnight were fantastic while we sipped on the complimentary champagne, a nice end to a fantastic evening.

With all the minor negatives aside, these were not meant to be complaints but merely observations from someone that has been in the function industry for many years, we did have a great night and met some really nice people, which will make NYE 2011 a memorable occasion for us and our party, which consisted of 8 Australians, 2 French and 4 Americans all of whom, still speak highly of our night at the Westin!

Thank you for a great stay a ripper NYE party!!

My first trip to Savannah, I was excited to stay at a landmark hotel on the river. I was part of a convention of about 250 people. The public areas of the hotel, catering services and the bar and restaurant are top notch. My guestroom had a lovely view of the golf course and inlet (I opted not to pay $20 extra/night for a river view). The location was fabulous with a quick and free ferry ride that allowed Savannah to be explored on foot. The guestrooms were nicely furnished with all of Westin's "Heavenly" accessories, and I've never seen so many electrical outlets in a hotel room - two thumbs up for that. On the down side, the maintenance and housekeeping staff seem to not be quite up to par. Both my iron and hair dryer were barely functional and long past their prime and filthy... sticky, worn decals, buttons about to fall off. The full-length mirror was smudged as though someone wiped it with a greasy rag. And there were stains (coffee, perhaps) on the new carpet. My conference kept me busy from 7am to 10pm so I didn't take time to complain. Also, a couple of peers reported items missing from their rooms, and another said a prescription bottle - not hers - mysteriously appeared on her dresser after a housekeeping visit. All in all, it was a pleasant visit and I would stay again, but I would recommend that the management team reevaluate their housekeeping processes.

The Westin is located across the river from Savannah, but easily accessible by a short drive or take the 2 minute ferry located adjacent to the hotel for a quick trip to the riverfront. My room faced the river and had a small balcony. It provided excellent city and sunset views as well as the active shipping traffic. A nice bonus. The room on the 15th floor was modern and a great size with a wonderful Westin king bed. Internet is included in the resort fee which also included parking. We had a wonderful breakfast at their second floor restaurant and picked up a Starbucks before heading out for the day. The Westin Savannah will be my base of operations for all future trips to Savannah.

The Westin was a good hotel option for our trip to Savannah. We used points and spent New Year's Eve in town. The hotel is very nice (and large). At first we thought it might be annoying to take the water taxi everywhere, but it was actually fun. And the view of the city and river from our room was really pretty, too. It would have been nice if it ran past midnight, but it was still quite convenient. Compared to the rest of the city which is oozing with charm and history, this hotel felt a bit sterile, but it was definitely nice and relaxing...and the golf course looked great, too.