Hampton Inn
128 Venture Drive, Brunswick, GA 31525
This was our 2nd stay at the Hampton Inn Brunswick Ga. We arrived late and only for one night and it definitely met our needs. Although we did not receive an upgrade (Hilton Honors benefit). The room was clean and well maintained, the staff friendly, and the breakfast offered a variety of options.
Homewood Suites Savannah - 2nd Visit
5820 White Bluff Road • Savannah, Georgia 31405
We wanted to spend a full day in Savannah so we got up early and drove the 2 1/2 hours from Florence SC to Savannah. We arrived at the Homewood Suites around 11:00 am. We were all surprised (both us and the receptionist) that our room was actually ready. We had pre-reserved a one bedroom fireplace suite.
We were given room 415 in the #1 Building. On our last stay at this hotel we were given a room in the #3 Building and preferred that location. You enter into the living room with a sleeper sofa and chair, coffee table, tv and the fireplace. Nearby is a table and chairs, and a small kitchen (microwave, fridge, sink, and stove). Next you walk through the vanity and sink area into the bathroom. Back through the vanity area you enter the bedroom. It offers a king size bed, night stands, and a TV, along with a large closet.
Room 415 (on the 2nd floor) was very clean, no visible wears and tears, and within easy access of the elevator and exit. The downsides to the room were a very noisy swamp cooler, and some street noise. We were able to sleep comfortably but if you are a light sleeper you may want to request a different room.
The hotel must have had a problem with non-guests joining the hotel for meals. Different from our stay last year they now provide you with a card stating the number of guests that must be placed on your table at breakfast. We also noticed that the quality and quantity of breakfast offerings seemed to decrease since last year. On this morning the hotel offered:
Eggs with cheese and tomatoes
Potato Pancakes
Waffles
Bread
Oatmeal
Sausages
Cornbread
Greg Made an egg sandwich with sausages on the side. I tried the sausages, potato pancakes, and cornbread. The cornbread was the biggest disappointment. It had no flavor, was dry, and too crumbly.
Overall, the stay was good for one night. On our next visit to Savannah we will be trying either the Avia or The Bohemian.
We were given room 415 in the #1 Building. On our last stay at this hotel we were given a room in the #3 Building and preferred that location. You enter into the living room with a sleeper sofa and chair, coffee table, tv and the fireplace. Nearby is a table and chairs, and a small kitchen (microwave, fridge, sink, and stove). Next you walk through the vanity and sink area into the bathroom. Back through the vanity area you enter the bedroom. It offers a king size bed, night stands, and a TV, along with a large closet.
Room 415 (on the 2nd floor) was very clean, no visible wears and tears, and within easy access of the elevator and exit. The downsides to the room were a very noisy swamp cooler, and some street noise. We were able to sleep comfortably but if you are a light sleeper you may want to request a different room.
The hotel must have had a problem with non-guests joining the hotel for meals. Different from our stay last year they now provide you with a card stating the number of guests that must be placed on your table at breakfast. We also noticed that the quality and quantity of breakfast offerings seemed to decrease since last year. On this morning the hotel offered:
Eggs with cheese and tomatoes
Potato Pancakes
Waffles
Bread
Oatmeal
Sausages
Cornbread
Greg Made an egg sandwich with sausages on the side. I tried the sausages, potato pancakes, and cornbread. The cornbread was the biggest disappointment. It had no flavor, was dry, and too crumbly.
Overall, the stay was good for one night. On our next visit to Savannah we will be trying either the Avia or The Bohemian.
Homewood Suites Savannah GA- March 2011
On this road trip it was my husband, myself, and our friends plus their 1 year old. Since we were traveling with the baby we all decided to take two cars and drive through the night until our first destination, Jonesville NC. Driving all night long definitely has it's advantages. The time seems to go by faster, the kids don't need as many bathroom breaks, and you meet interesting people along the stops.
Our first route took us from the Mass Pike to Highway 84, to Highway 81, and finally to I77. We drove through Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. In case anyone was near us - yes we were the ones honking our horn as we entered each state.
This was our second stay at the Hampton Inn Jonesville/Elkin. We were also traveling with friends and their 1 year old son. We were early for check in and were really hoping for rooms to be available (since we just drove 12 hours overnight) and the staff didn't disappoint. We received two rooms on the first floor near each other. We did forget about the rooms having mini-fridges and microwaves so this was a great surprise to our friends. Our friends were able to keep food fresh and /or warm it up for their son. We all enjoyed the popcorn, cookies, and water in the afternoon, and the breakfast in the morning. For dinner that evening we decided to be a little silly and venture out to the Pirates Landing. The food and service were good and priced well. The restaurant is nice and not overly animated. The one bad thing was with it's first impression. The fish pond out in front of the restaurant did smell badly and probably needs a really good cleaning.
The next day we decided to take a small detour and show our friends the Lone Star BBQ and Mercantile in Santee, SC. We hopped back onto I77 to I26 (I26 was a slower paced road but a very pretty drive). We have visited Lone Star Barbecue several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. This year we went with friends and none of us could come up with one bad comment. The restaurant is good for meat eaters and vegetarians. Lone Star offers several types of meat, lots of hot vegetable dishes, cold salads, and desserts. Don't forget to have the Banana Pudding!
After lunch we filled up the gas tanks, jumped onto I95. Naturally our luck had us pulling into our hotel right as the skies opened and sent gallons of water right onto our heads. Since there were so many of us we decided to try out the Homewood Suites Savannah Midtown hotel. We had reserved a two bedroom suite and received a great pre-pay rate. Our room had an entry way, bedroom with it's own bath and 2 queen beds, living room with table and chairs plus a fireplace, kitchen, and a master bedroom with it's own bath and a king bed. The rooms were all clean and well appointed. The layout was perfect for all of us and the amenities made it easier for our friends and their son. While we were in Savannah the weather was terrible. There was very loud thunder, large lightning, and downpours. The windows in both of our bedrooms did leak a little bit but we figured it was due to the extreme weather. The breakfast was very good everyday. There were always a selection of hot items (omelets, potatoes, egg sandwiches), grits, cold cereals, and pastries. The one downside to breakfast is that there never seemed to be enough tables (more than likely though it was because everyone ended up going to breakfast at the same time). The hotel is very clean, staff is always available, there is a comfy feel, and it's very close to the historic district, shopping, and restaurants.
During our time in Savannah we walked through the Historic District, the Gardens, River Street, Tybee Island, Fort Pulaski, and we can't forget about our shopping and/or our eating.
Here are a few reviews of where we ate:
Moon River Brewing Company: During our visit the service was slow and the first impression wasn't great. Upon greeting us our server began to tell us all the items the restaurant was out of and then started to tell us how no one in the area had Fried Green Tomatoes because they were so expensive. We didn't find this to be true anywhere else (Savannah or Charleston).We did enjoy the 6 degrees beer and the Rosemary Ale. The food was good but not memorable.
Crystal Beer Parlor: Fabulous and friendly service, very cool atmosphere, and unbelievably delicious food. You can not go wrong visiting the Crystal Beer Parlor. For drinks we enjoyed Crystals Strawberry Flirtini, and my husband enjoyed Schlitz on tap. Must haves from the menu are the Bleu Chips, Deviled Crab Burger, and the Oyster Sandwich. Yum!
The Lady and Sons: When we first arrived in the Historic District we walked over to the Hostess Stand (we had read that you needed to get your names in early). At the time we put our name in there weren't many people nearby so we didn't think to much of it when we got a 3:00 lunch time. At 2:30 we checked in for our reservation and at that point they were telling people the next available time wasn't until 9:00 p.m. After we were seated we were given hoe cakes, and cheddar biscuits - both were delicious! Half of our party ordered from the buffet while the other half ordered from the menu. If you are looking for more than just the experience, order from the menu. The food was far superior. Greg and I ordered from the menu and enjoyed broiled scallops and a crab cake burger.
For fun places to shop visit:
Paris Marketplace - gifts, home goods, jewelry, accessories
Savannah Bee Company - honey, gifts, cheeses
Terra Cotta - clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories
River Street Sweets - Pralines
The Grateful Hound - Dog treats, clothing, collars
Our first route took us from the Mass Pike to Highway 84, to Highway 81, and finally to I77. We drove through Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. In case anyone was near us - yes we were the ones honking our horn as we entered each state.
This was our second stay at the Hampton Inn Jonesville/Elkin. We were also traveling with friends and their 1 year old son. We were early for check in and were really hoping for rooms to be available (since we just drove 12 hours overnight) and the staff didn't disappoint. We received two rooms on the first floor near each other. We did forget about the rooms having mini-fridges and microwaves so this was a great surprise to our friends. Our friends were able to keep food fresh and /or warm it up for their son. We all enjoyed the popcorn, cookies, and water in the afternoon, and the breakfast in the morning. For dinner that evening we decided to be a little silly and venture out to the Pirates Landing. The food and service were good and priced well. The restaurant is nice and not overly animated. The one bad thing was with it's first impression. The fish pond out in front of the restaurant did smell badly and probably needs a really good cleaning.
The next day we decided to take a small detour and show our friends the Lone Star BBQ and Mercantile in Santee, SC. We hopped back onto I77 to I26 (I26 was a slower paced road but a very pretty drive). We have visited Lone Star Barbecue several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. This year we went with friends and none of us could come up with one bad comment. The restaurant is good for meat eaters and vegetarians. Lone Star offers several types of meat, lots of hot vegetable dishes, cold salads, and desserts. Don't forget to have the Banana Pudding!
After lunch we filled up the gas tanks, jumped onto I95. Naturally our luck had us pulling into our hotel right as the skies opened and sent gallons of water right onto our heads. Since there were so many of us we decided to try out the Homewood Suites Savannah Midtown hotel. We had reserved a two bedroom suite and received a great pre-pay rate. Our room had an entry way, bedroom with it's own bath and 2 queen beds, living room with table and chairs plus a fireplace, kitchen, and a master bedroom with it's own bath and a king bed. The rooms were all clean and well appointed. The layout was perfect for all of us and the amenities made it easier for our friends and their son. While we were in Savannah the weather was terrible. There was very loud thunder, large lightning, and downpours. The windows in both of our bedrooms did leak a little bit but we figured it was due to the extreme weather. The breakfast was very good everyday. There were always a selection of hot items (omelets, potatoes, egg sandwiches), grits, cold cereals, and pastries. The one downside to breakfast is that there never seemed to be enough tables (more than likely though it was because everyone ended up going to breakfast at the same time). The hotel is very clean, staff is always available, there is a comfy feel, and it's very close to the historic district, shopping, and restaurants.
During our time in Savannah we walked through the Historic District, the Gardens, River Street, Tybee Island, Fort Pulaski, and we can't forget about our shopping and/or our eating.
Here are a few reviews of where we ate:
Moon River Brewing Company: During our visit the service was slow and the first impression wasn't great. Upon greeting us our server began to tell us all the items the restaurant was out of and then started to tell us how no one in the area had Fried Green Tomatoes because they were so expensive. We didn't find this to be true anywhere else (Savannah or Charleston).We did enjoy the 6 degrees beer and the Rosemary Ale. The food was good but not memorable.
Crystal Beer Parlor: Fabulous and friendly service, very cool atmosphere, and unbelievably delicious food. You can not go wrong visiting the Crystal Beer Parlor. For drinks we enjoyed Crystals Strawberry Flirtini, and my husband enjoyed Schlitz on tap. Must haves from the menu are the Bleu Chips, Deviled Crab Burger, and the Oyster Sandwich. Yum!
The Lady and Sons: When we first arrived in the Historic District we walked over to the Hostess Stand (we had read that you needed to get your names in early). At the time we put our name in there weren't many people nearby so we didn't think to much of it when we got a 3:00 lunch time. At 2:30 we checked in for our reservation and at that point they were telling people the next available time wasn't until 9:00 p.m. After we were seated we were given hoe cakes, and cheddar biscuits - both were delicious! Half of our party ordered from the buffet while the other half ordered from the menu. If you are looking for more than just the experience, order from the menu. The food was far superior. Greg and I ordered from the menu and enjoyed broiled scallops and a crab cake burger.
For fun places to shop visit:
Paris Marketplace - gifts, home goods, jewelry, accessories
Savannah Bee Company - honey, gifts, cheeses
Terra Cotta - clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories
River Street Sweets - Pralines
The Grateful Hound - Dog treats, clothing, collars
