Savannah Gets a Stunning New Hotel and “Living Room” in Municipal Grand

Even before its reinvention as a boutique hotel and bar, Savannah’s First Federal Savings and Loan Association turned heads. Erected in 1961, the former bank and municipal building stood, stark and stocky, on the corner of Broughton and Abercorn in the heart of the city’s historic district, smack dab between the legendary Leopold’s Ice Cream and the legendarily haunted Marshall House. Its midcentury edifice presented a striking contrast to its corniced, columned, and porticoed neighbors—and provided the perfect canvas for Midnight Auteur, a new hospitality brand from the founders of the Death & Co. cocktail empire and the Ramble Hotel in Denver.

“This particular building really excited us because of its unique character relative to what you would expect in Savannah,” says Alex Day, Midnight Auteur’s chief operating officer. He says his team targeted the Georgia port city for their first hotel venture because of the palpable energy there, which called to mind another lively Southern locale. “The first time I went to New Orleans, I got off the plane and there was something different in the air. I felt that in a unique way in Savannah,” he says.

Opening July 9, the Municipal Grand adds to that liveliness—especially its “all-day” lobby bar, a light-filled, cocktail-focused crash pad designed to reel in locals and passers-by, and its forthcoming basement bar, a moodier, more intimate space set to open to the public later this year. But while you don’t need a reservation to order a drink at Municipal Grand, only a hotel guest may sip one on the ledge that lines the rooftop pool, enjoying quintessential Savannah views of church steeples, theater marquees, and cargo ships, or at the plush minibars in the guest rooms.

Here’s a closer look at some of those spaces. 

Anchoring the ground floor is the Municipal Bar, a cocktail spot and all-day restaurant that the Midnight Auteur team has likened to a communal living room. “I really love how the shape of the bar is this perfect crescent, and the energy radiates out from there and into the space,” Day says. Hotel guests can look down on the action from the mezzanine.

AAmp Studio, which handled the interior design in partnership with Lynch Associates Architects and local preservation experts Ward Architecture + Preservation, immediately saw the potential of the original tilework. “There’s this blue tile that was omnipresent throughout the interior of what was previously a municipal building, and at first glance I was like, ‘I don’t know if I like this,’” Day says with a laugh. “But they got really excited about it.” 

The in-room minibars are a focal point and feature arched millwork, marble tops, and a curated selection of spirits, premium coffee and teas, and glassware. “I’m so excited for someone to pour their first drink there and engage with all the details we put into it,” Day says.

Bathrooms in the guest rooms feature handmade Moroccan tiles and red marble vanities.

Some of the forty-four guest rooms include private terraces overlooking Broughton Street.

Midcentury-inspired loungers line the Sun Club, the guests-only rooftop pool and hangout that specializes in warm-weather cocktails and panoramic views of the city. “Come sunset it’s just stunning up there,” Day says.