SAVANNAH, Ga. () — A newly renovated hotel development downtown generates excitement and some concerns.
While this is the opening of the newest hotel project, many more hotels are on the way.

New hotels could boost tourism and jobs, but some residents fear they may threaten Savannah’s historic charm.

Johnson Square has been home to banks and offices, but that’s about to change. At least eight new hotels are coming to downtown Savannah. Two or three of those planned hotels in the works are set to be at Johnson Square – which takes up nearly half of the square.

While officials say the growth benefits the economy – longtime residents worry about losing the city’s historic charm and quiet neighborhoods. Savannah welcomed more than 17 million visitors in 2023. This number has only grown each year both pre-pandemic, and post-pandemic.

Officials share that more than a decade ago, hotel occupancy was hovering around 73%. Despite ongoing development throughout Savannah and the County, that occupancy remains steady at 73%.

While the tourism industry brings nearly 28,000 jobs to the area, residents worry of the everyday inconveniences. This includes limited parking in an already crowded downtown area, long wait times at local restaurants, extended traffic, and the loss of the downtown that they are familiar with.

As Savannah expands – balancing progress and preservation remains a key concern.

“I think where people get concerned is that they think all this hotel expansion is happening under the historic district, but the demand for population growth is seeing that the hotel product is spreading out throughout the Chatham County footprint,” explained Joseph Marinelli, the President of Visit Savannah.

Visit Savannah calculates data to examine the number of visitors coming to the Coastal Empire each year and in-depth tourism and hospitality numbers. The business is the official destination marketing organization for Savannah.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association of Savannah has been around since 1974. For decades the group has teamed up to be a voice of the residents in Savannah.

“There are way too many hotels. Downtown has lost at least three office buildings that have been converted into hotels. There are currently eight hotels either under construction or being developed downtown or proposed,” said David McDonald, the President of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Looking ahead; some of the hotel projects planned that learned include the Ritz-Carlton on Johnson square, and today the ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated SpringHill Suites in Savannah’s historic district… all showcasing the city’s booming tourism industry.

A number that reflects the growing tourism industry, is that more than 1600 new hotel rooms are currently being developed throughout the county.

will be diving more into depth on the hotel growth in the Coastal Empire. Visit Savannah anticipates tourism growth to continue for the next three years. The expanding development is something that residents such as McDonald’s, have been speaking up about for over two years.