Savannah B&B Review: Eliza Thompson House

Background:

On my first trip to Savannah, Georgia, I wanted to get a taste of a bed and breakfast. I haven’t really stayed at one before, so I was excited to try one out. After one night at the Andaz Savannah, I checked into the Eliza Thompson House for a two-night stay. My friend that I was traveling with had stayed here before and had a good experience, so I trusted their judgment. Savannah is a very cute city, but very hot + humid in the summer. Perhaps I would prefer to return in the spring or fall.

The Eliza Thompson House is part of the Historic Inns of Savannah, which is a collection of boutique hotels and B&Bs in the Historic District of the city. Each is unique and original, and all were built in the mid to late 1800s. Built in 1847, the Eliza Thompson is the oldest inn in the Historic Inns of Savannah Collection. The hotel is adults-only and offers 25 rooms in various configurations.

TAKEOFF POINTS:

Date of Stay: July 2023
Room Type: Garden Courtyard King Room
Pros: Very cute setting, convenient location, and food throughout the day
Cons: Furnishings need a revamp and service could be more personal

Booking + Rate:

We booked a non-refundable rate that came out to be around $260 a night including taxes and the amenity fee. We booked a room with a queen bed overlooking the gardens. To our surprise, rates dropped right before our arrival, so we called to see if we could move to a larger king room and the hotel was more than willing enough to upgrade us to the Garden Courtyard King. This is why one should always check on prices, as you never know if they drop!

Note: there is an “Amenity Fee” of $35 per night that includes breakfast for 2, wine reception/hors d’oeuvres, deserts, Wi-Fi, and refreshments in the parlor. Looks like even B&Bs have jumped on the whole “resort fee” game.

Pre-Arrival:

At around 7 am the day of arrival, we got an email asking us to fill out a form with any requests and our estimated arrival time. We put in at 2 pm, which is 2 hours before the standard check-in time. It would have been great if the room was ready by then, but no worries if not. Noon came around, and we didn’t receive any update from the hotel. So, I decided to call in to check. The representative who answered the phone said sorry and that we would have to wait until 4 pm. That’s fine, but it would have been nice if they replied to the form to give us a heads-up. This is something the pre-arrival team can work on.

Arrival:

We got to the Eliza Thompson House right at 4 pm, and a few guests were trying to check-in as it is the official check-in time. We were helped by a friendly associate and were told to wait in the parlor/lobby. She let us know our room was almost ready, and that she would help complete the check-in paperwork from the parlor.

The parlor was cute, but the furniture could use an update. The sofas would creak when you would sit on them, and they didn’t feel too stable. There was a fridge that had complimentary bottled water, Coke, and Sprite. Also, there was a Keurig Machine and teas. All of these were available all day which was a nice touch.

Another feature that I liked and found cute was the fact that they had postcards in the parlor and they would provide the stamp so you can mail a souvenir to friends and family. I think it’s a great amenity, and advertising for the hotel too. A win-win! Essentials like sunblock and bug spray were also available to use complimentary.

We didn’t have to wait too long, and then the associate walked us to our room. The room was a “Garden Courtyard King Room” located on the top floor (3rd). The courtyard that it overlooked was quite pretty and gave a New Orleans feel.

On the way to the room, the associate let us know that the rooms don’t have mini-fridges but if we needed to use a fridge, there is a communal one in the main building near the reception. I thought this was odd, as I haven’t stayed at a place that provided one like that.

Once you enter the room, the bathroom is on the right, and the room is on the left.

In the room, there was a large king-sized bed, two nightstands, and a dresser chest. The nightstands had new charging ports that supported both USB and power plugs which were perfect to charge your devices. The mattress was comfortable, and the pillows were decent. Thankfully, the AC also worked well in the room as the July Savannah heat was in full force. There is a ceiling fan above the bed as well. 

There are two armchairs and a small table, plus a closet equipped with a safe and iron/board, and two robes. The room was a bit dated but goes with the B&B theme. It would have been nice if the TV was a little bigger, and if they provided slippers.

There wasn’t a coffee maker, but that would have been a nice touch. No welcome amenity either (for comparison, the Andaz Savannah gave these delicious chocolate treats from the local Savannah Candy Kitchen).

Bathroom:

The bathroom was on the smaller side but was adequate. While there wasn’t much counter space, they had built-in shelves that helped with storage. The toiletry brand provided was EcoWell H2O. For a four-star level boutique inn, I would hope for a bit higher-end toiletries. They missed the mark here, as Savannah has so many local toiletry brands. Perhaps they should offer local toiletries from Savannah Bee Company. That would make for a much better upscale B&B experience.

There was a standup shower and the water pressure was sufficient. The TP was good quality (Angel Soft) but the tissues were rough and low quality.

On the first night, I noticed a hair dryer was missing. So, the next day I asked the reception and they funnily had a hairdryer waiting at the desk as they knew there was one room missing one. I was in the “lucky” room!

Breakfast:

A full breakfast is included in the amenity fee and served each morning in the courtyard from 8 am to 10 pm.

Waiting in the room each day is a breakfast sheet. You pick your selections, then turn in the sheet to the reception and reserve your breakfast time. I really like the a la carte style, and the two main entrée choices changed each day. On the first day, the entrées were between Bananas Foster French Toast or a Southern Strata. For the second day, it was a Squash Quiche or Waffles. Additionally, if you don’t like the entrée choices, the chefs can also make eggs any style.

For the first morning, I tried the Southern Strata but didn’t enjoy it too much as it was cheesy. So, the next day I did eggs any style and enjoyed it a lot more. I liked the bacon and potato sides, and the fruit to start.

Overall, I liked the breakfast a lot, and the service was quite good.

Location:

The Eliza Thompson is perfectly situated on the quiet Jones Street in the heart of Savannah’s Historic District. It’s a quick walk to Forsyth Park and just a 20-minute walk to the touristy River Street. There are a lot of cute restaurants and shops in the local area.

Parking at the hotel is limited to street parking. A parking pass is $15 per day.

Amenities:

The Evening Wine and Hors d’oeurves Reception are served from 5:30 pm to 7 pm in the parlor. The menu is posted in the parlor on the day of. On the first day, there was Feta & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms and a Spinach Dip with Crackers. The mushrooms were delightful!

For the second day, BBQ Chicken Bites and a Cucumber Tomato Salad were offered. It’s a small snack, but a nice touch.

Additionally, there is Evening Dessert and Sherry served from 8 pm to 9:30 pm in the parlor. On our first night, they served a Blueberry Cobbler, and on the second night a Yellow Cake with Buttercream Icing.

Since we had a late flight on the last day, we inquired about a possible late checkout. They only offered to extend for one hour from 11 am to 12 pm. Every hour helps, but the property seems just as strict as big hotels (if not stricter). I get it if the hotel is fully occupied, but online more than half of the rooms were showing as available as it was a Wednesday.

The Verdict:

Overall, I had an enjoyable stay at the Eliza Thompson House. For my first B&B experience, it was a bit underwhelming as certain amenities were missing that made it seem more like a typical corporate chain hotel stay. If my travels bring me back to Savannah, I would probably like to try a different property as there are plenty of options to choose from. That being said, it’s definitely not a bad choice depending on the price for a first visit to Savannah as the location is stellar.

 

Have you stayed at the Eliza Thompson House in Savannah before? Or somewhere else in Savannah? Feel free to share in the comments!

 

Happy travels,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!