CITY RETREA

This striking 149-room retreat sprawls across the historic Forsyth Park with graceful confidence, a modern sanctuary woven seamlessly into Savannah’s renowned charm. Debuting in 2024, Hotel Bardo reimagines Southern hospitality through a contemporary lens, offering spaces that are airy and refined, with terrazzo floors, bespoke furnishings, and artful accents that nod to the city’s creative pulse. Each morning, draw back the velvet drapes from your suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows to bask in golden park views before drifting downstairs for a cortado in the garden courtyard. From there, the possibilities unfold: sweat it out in the sleek Club Bardo fitness studio, plunge into the resort-style pool (complete with private cabanas and craft cocktails), or linger over wood-fired coastal dishes at Saint Bibiana, the hotel’s signature restaurant. staybardo.com

BLUSH HOUR

Housed in an 18th-century Georgian mansion painted its signature rosy hue, The Olde Pink House is Savannah’s most storied dining destination, where Southern tradition shines under vintage chandeliers. Inside the 105-year-old restaurant, intimate candlelit rooms and cozy fireplaces set the stage for a menu that celebrates Lowcountry classics, from she-crab soup and shrimp ’n’ grits to pecan-crusted chicken. Downstairs, the atmospheric cellar tavern invites guests to sip craft cocktails amid brick walls and vaulted ceilings, a favorite haunt for locals and visitors alike. With its blend of history, charm, and culinary excellence, The Olde Pink House is a rite of passage for anyone visiting Savannah. theoldepinkhouserestaurant.com

PASSWORD PLEASE?

Congress Street Up, Savannah’s hidden gem of a speakeasy, feels like stepping straight into the 1920s. Tucked atop the American Prohibition Museum, this cocktail lounge recreates the glamour and secrecy of the era with vintage furnishings, sexy dim lighting, and bartenders in suspenders shaking and stirring with finesse. The menu leans heavily on the classics think expertly balanced Old Fashioneds, frothy gin fizzes, and rum-forward daiquiris, crafted with the precision of a bygone age but also ventures into creative territory with riffs that nod to Savannah’s coastal character. Bring your flapper attitude and sip to the city’s history. americanprohibitionmuseum.com

SODAS AND SCOOPS

Leopold’s Ice Cream is a local legend. Founded in 1919 by three Greek immigrant brothers, the shop still uses the original recipes that made it famous over a century ago. Step inside and it feels like time travel: the marble counters, retro soda fountain, and neon marquee are pure old-school Americana. The menu is just as nostalgic, with hand-scooped flavors like Tutti Frutti (a Leopold’s original) and Lemon Custard alongside classic malts, banana splits, and hot fudge sundaes. Long lines often spill down Broughton Street, but that’s part of the experience locals and visitors alike agree it’s worth the wait. leopoldsicecream.com