The Studio Homes at Ellis Square are in Savannah GA. Here you see a great southern town full of charm and grace, as well as an amazing resort and rest for the weary.
Video by Travelista Teri
Day One Arrival
I drove down to Savannah from Virginia and other than a bit of a long drive it was pleasant and without issue. Arriving at the resort I was taken aback by the location and once inside the quality of this resort.
The resort is a street-front location with valet parking. It pays to be ready for that. I enjoy it but I normally have my car a mess especially on longer drives so it is just nice to know that the handoff is coming to clean things up some.
After valet and bag handling, things moved well with check-in. It took maybe 8 minutes, and I was set and headed for the room. The villas are 1 or 2-bedroom and vary in size due to deluxe and even presidential options. The Presidential suite here is 661 sq ft, so it is a nice size for a 1-bedroom in town. The standard 1-bedroom is about 100 sq ft less so a nice upgrade if you get it, but it may not be one you want to pay for.
The rooms here feel more like small but nice New York apartments than they do rooms at a resort. Each has its own style and they are very comfortable.
After checking in, I also checked out the resort amenities like the rooftop area, which was very relaxing and has a great view of the city. This resort is more about location than it is amenities or added features. You are literally in the heart of Savannah and close to everything in town.
When staying here you could park your car and walk to enough entertainment and locations to keep anyone happy. I will share some with you during my stay.
Right now, I was ready for something to eat. I walked out of the resort and took a step literally just across the street to the Little Duck Diner. It was crowded, and I took that as a great sign.
Here the menu screamed all day breakfast, and a sense of New Orleans food. It was a neat menu, and I could see myself walking back over for breakfast tomorrow because it is so close.
Tonight I had a NY Strip and fries as well as some spinach. The strip was cooked perfectly, and the fries were very good. I had enough spinach to not feel guilty. Here they also had gourmet grilled cheese and to this day I still do not know why I did not order that. As they came out to tables around me they too looked amazing.
After dinner, it was time for some rest. I still needed to recover from my 10-hour drive.
Day Two Savannah
I work early and went back to try the breakfast at the Little Duck Diner it was great and I realized why they leave breakfast on the menu all day. Just plain great food.
After breakfast, I left and started walking just a butt up the street. I was going to the American Prohibition Museum. I enjoy a good museum and I certainly do not mind an adult beverage so I felt it worth checking out. You can get a museum-only ticket or a ticket with a drink. I opted for the latter.
The museum also offers a local trolly ticket at a discounted price for tours of the city too.
The cocktails offered in the speakeasy are great and made by bar staff that is very knowledgeable and even teaches classes for the museum. I had some muddled, fruit-embellished wonder from days gone by, then I had another right afterward.
I had fun at the museum and did not leave stumbling but wanted to because the drinks were that good. This would be an amazing place to hold a party or wedding reception. Just saying.
After a few drinks and the tour, I went right next door to the open-air market also known as the Savana City Market. This is worth a visit just to walk around the area and get to know more about the city.
Next, and still within a short walk from the resort, was the Ship and Sea Museum. This is an impressive collection of all things nautical that is in the former estate home of William Scarbrough which for those that love amazing homes is worth the visit for the property alone. Here they also have gardens that are truly impressive and communicate the charm and grace that is Savana.
Two museums, a few drinks, and a market later, it was back to the resort for the night.
Day Three More Savannah
Today I had made reservations for dinner nearby again within walking distance from the resort. But until dinner, I wanted to walk in the other direction of Savannah and see what I could find, and experience firsthand.
This next museum that was within walking distance was one I would not have gone to have it not been on my way. It was the museum for the founder of the Girl Scouts. Juliette Gordon Low was the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA. Inspired by the work of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts, she joined the Girl Guide movement in England, forming her own group of Girl Guides there in 1911. (Wikipedia was the source).
Turns out this was interesting and if you have any loved one that was or is a girl scout it is worth a visit. Just a few blocks over from the resort it is something anyone with a deep connection to the girl scouts will enjoy. For me, I was just said not to see my favorite cookie on hand.
If you knew me, you would understand that I am just literally walking down the road in town here and checking things out. So, the next stop was as out of character as the girl scout founder museum for me. It was a local Psychic. If you look on Google Maps, you can see how I ended up here I was like hey I have only done this once before and it was in Universal Studios so why not have some fun and try it with a full-time person who does readings or whatever.
I literally walked in off the street and just had a Tarot reading on the spot just to say I had tried it. It was fairly cheap as entertainment goes, and certainly something different. I have some exposure to the methods of Reki (given my fairly deep martial arts background) and they offered those services here as well so at least I had some nice banter with the person about that before settling in for the odd experience.
It was something that most people may not want to try, but sometimes when on vacation, letting your guard down and just trying things is fun.
All around the resort, there are 3 museums that are all in historic homes and a ticket to one gives you access to all 3. When I found that out next, I headed to the closest one for me. That was the Owens-Thomas house and slave quarters. Afterward, I would visit the other two.
Hours of walking and tours later, it was getting closer to time for my dinner reservation. I was about done with walking, so I got an Uber to the restaurant instead of hoofing it over.
Dinner was at the Grey Restaurant which was a 4-course meal that seemed more like a 7-course meal. I sat with another few couples at a table and had a great time. The food was wonderful and a bit like being at the chef’s table on a cruise or private dining at a 4-star resort. Very over the top and everything was fresh. It is $75 per person and reservations are required. I booked mine 2 weeks in advance. Sometimes I find booking ahead for a party of one helps.
If you want to see and feel downtown Savannah, this is the location to consider. Just book via TZort to save enough to enjoy some great food and museums in the area.
