New Hilton Coming to River Street (Atlanta, Savannah: hotels, construction, high school)

[ajc100890]

I thought it was odd Hilton would pull the plug on their full-service hotel on Liberty.

Northpoint is developing a full-service Hilton replacement and a Hotel Ann concept at 630 E River Street and 620 E River Street respectively. Here's the links to the submittal packet submitted to the Historic District Board of Review.

New Hilton Plans

[Newsboy]

I'm pretty sure this entire project (hotels, parking garage; riverfront retail etc) was already approved several years ago (before construction of Homewood Suites) so this must be just the design approval phase? It's dense but I like the look of it. Lots of detail in those buildings, and Homewood Suites is a beautiful building IMO if that's the starting place.

I have no real opinion one way or the other about the DeSoto Hilton (other than it's ugly). Will it lose the Hilton flag altogether? What other hotel chains might take it over?

[ajc100890]

Yes. This is the design phase. The height and mass were approved in 2012.

The Desoto Hilton will just become The Desoto, which will be part of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts brand.

Interesting, the submittal documents for the Hilton show that phase two of the Homewood property is slated to be an AC Hotel, which is a boutique Marriott brand.

[masonbauknight]

The Desoto-Hilton was considered attractive when it opened in the late 1960s (I was in high school), and it was the first sign of Savannah's urban renewal. Its color and clean geometric lines didn't clash with the historic architecture nearby (certainly not in the way a couple of hideous new off-turquoise Atlanta high-rises would). In 2017, the Desoto-Hilton looks warn, frayed, and too 1960s "Now Generation" for anyone's taste. But almost 50 years ago, it was hot stuff.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by ajc100890

Yes. This is the design phase. The height and mass were approved in 2012.

The Desoto Hilton will just become The Desoto, which will be part of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts brand.

Interesting, the submittal documents for the Hilton show that phase two of the Homewood property is slated to be an AC Hotel, which is a boutique Marriott brand.

Does this mean they'll replace the Hilton lettering at the top with just The DeSoto? It needs something up there to ID it IMO since it's so prominent on the skyline.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

The Desoto-Hilton was considered attractive when it opened in the late 1960s (I was in high school), and it was the first sign of Savannah's urban renewal. Its color and clean geometric lines didn't clash with the historic architecture nearby (certainly not in the way a couple of hideous new off-turquoise Atlanta high-rises would). In 2017, the Desoto-Hilton looks warn, frayed, and too 1960s "Now Generation" for anyone's taste. But almost 50 years ago, it was hot stuff.

They never should have torn down the original. What a huge loss.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

The Desoto-Hilton was considered attractive when it opened in the late 1960s (I was in high school), and it was the first sign of Savannah's urban renewal. Its color and clean geometric lines didn't clash with the historic architecture nearby (certainly not in the way a couple of hideous new off-turquoise Atlanta high-rises would). In 2017, the Desoto-Hilton looks warn, frayed, and too 1960s "Now Generation" for anyone's taste. But almost 50 years ago, it was hot stuff.

It would be interesting to see how SCAD students would re-invent this building to better compliment its surroundings.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

They never should have torn down the original. What a huge loss.

Yes, the "old structure" was quaint all right, but it was made of wood with a wraparound porch. It was in such a moth-eaten state of disrepair by the 1960s that the cost of restoring/refurbishing the creaky old place (charming though it was) was seen as prohibitive. Perhaps someone would have done so now, I don't know, but not back then. Savannah was far poorer.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

It would be interesting to see how SCAD students would re-invent this building to better compliment its surroundings.

Agree. Savannah is a totally different city than it was then. Night and day.