One of the things you’ll find about the two of us is that we love mixing things up and have VERY different ideas of what that means.
We love booking Airbnb and living like a local. We’ve slept in “luxury tents” in Kenya and are okay with splurging (a little) on a hotel suite in Las Vegas.
However, Chuck prefers uncluttered and functional, while Mark likes quirky decor with a bit of personality. You’ll find that our Southern Road Trip is a little mix of both.
Picking Our Savannah Airbnb
Honestly, nicer hotels in Savannah are not cheap, especially down on the riverfront. Savannah Airbnb’s in that area aren’t a lot better.
For this trip, we knew we’d spend a little time in that area, but that we planned on venturing outside of the city too. So, we selected an Airbnb a little farther out, in the southern historic district.
It was about price, it was about uniqueness, and it was about access to places where would be driving.
George Baldwin House
The George Baldwin House, built in 1887, is a red brick Queen Anne home with towers, chimneys, and crowning cornices. It’s one of the best examples of Queen Anne-style architecture in the city.
Baldwin was a Savannah alderman and a member of the park and tree commission. He was partially responsible for the planting and care of the incredible Live Oaks that make the city so fantastic.
This Savannah Airbnb is located about two blocks from Forsyth Park. It also has a Kroger supermarket at the corner of the block, which was excellent for drinks, snacks, and a quick lunch at home. It also has Maté Factor, an adorable little bakery and coffee shop less than a block away. There are several super cute restaurants and cafes in the area.
Maté Factor Café 401 E. Hall Street Savannah, GA 31401
Mark ventured here at the crack of dawn on a rainy morning. The café is really cute, the staff was friendly and the baked goods and coffee were delicious. In addition to cozy sitting nooks inside they offer some sidewalk seating and a covered garden patio.
Garden Apartment at George Baldwin House
The Savannah Airbnb listing is for a garden apartment. The house is occupied by a longtime owner and a few tenants.
To be entirely fair and transparent. The listing company was VERY CLEAR that this was a “Rustic but comfortable” ground-level apartment. “This is a bargain priced unit. The low rate is based entirely on the fact it is largely un-modernized and has only the window ac units instead of central air.”
We get it. We’re always up for an adventure. We’re pretty low maintenance and owned a 1917 Tudor home in Philadelphia! When the listing agent re-confirmed that we had read the details, we assured her we had.
Our Savannah Airbnb Review
In general, our Savannah Airbnb was comfortable. We liked the quaint, quirky nature of the house. The kitchen was completely functional, the bathroom was clean, and we had plenty of hot water. It was a great escape from the city, and at $157 per night plus cleaning and taxes, it was not a bad value.
We do wish that the owner had invested a bit in fixing a few things. The ceramic tiles in the kitchen and a concrete patch in the front bedroom were shattered and exposed with rough edges, being a potential danger.
The listing notes that “there is a TV with a digital antenna that picks up a couple of local channels, but we do not advertise cable TV.” The tv, in the front bedroom, was 20-some inches. It was more of a computer monitor than tv, and the digital antenna was pretty useless. A small investment in a newer, slightly larger smart tv would be a minimal investment and allow guests to log into their streaming accounts.
Additionally, we found the wi-fi to be spotty, constantly going in and out. It might be beneficial to add a router or booster in the unit with an older brick building. Having internet to find directions, book tours, and make reservations is not an unusual request.
Overall the location, the beautiful architecture, and the price warranted a 6 out of 10 rating for us.
