Hampton Inn & Suites Savannah - I-95 S - Gateway

The Hampton Inn & Suites I-95 S has the predictable decor of a budget, chain property: serviceable but bland. The six-floor hotel of various shades of beige masonry sits on a sprawling black-top parking lot in a neighborhood full of similar hotels. However, it does feel fresh as it was renovated in the spring of 2015, and the lobby is brightly lit with a basic, dark-wood reception desk and sofas and armchairs in colorful fabrics around low tables. Coffee and hot water for tea are available around the clock. The windows, covered in sheers, face the porte cochere of the hotel entrance and the parking lot. 

It takes 20 minutes without traffic to drive from this Hampton Inn to downtown Savannah and public transportation is not close by. However, the Henderson Golf Course is a 15-minute walk or a two-minute drive and there are a few restaurants nearby, including Ruby Tuesdays (a one-minute walk) and the Cracker Barrel Pub, an 11-minute walk from the hotel. It's a 20-minute drive to the Savannah College of Art and Design, antiques on Bull Street, and the cobblestone charm of River Street. River Street is located in the historic district of Savannah, known for its gracious homes, gardens, and park-like squares, interspersed with shops and restaurants. The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum is a 17-minute drive from the hotel while Fort Pulaski National Monument is a 38-minute drive. The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is a 22-minute drive. The Savannah/Hilton Head Airport is an 18-minute drive from the hotel.

Beds at the Hampton Inn are either king or queen-sized made up with white sheets and white, matelasse bedspreads. The walls are a soft yellow and windows are dressed in sheers, with green, red, and patterned drapes. The trim, headboards, and furnishings are all made of a chestnut-colored wood.  All of the rooms, which are generously sized, have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs on bureaus, lap desks, and desks with chairs. They also have safes, irons, mini-fridges and microwaves, which can be useful as there is no room service. The bathrooms  are unattractively lit with fluorescent tubes and have shower/tub combos with power showerheads and curtains. Some rooms with king-sized beds have whirlpool tubs in the bedroom and stall showers in the bathroom. Hairdryers and Neutrogena toiletries are provided.

A free hot breakfast that gets good reviews is served daily in a room off the lobby, and coffee and tea are free in the lobby throughout the day. The hotel has a small fitness center, a pool with a hot tub, and a business center with a meeting room that can accommodate as many as 50 people. The three computers can be used free of charge, and the center has printers and fax machines. Audio-visual equipment can be rented and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. There's a small counter and shelf in the lobby with snacks for sale and there are soft-drink vending machines and ice machines on each floor. Other features include free baggage storage and coin-operated laundry machines. Highchairs and cribs can be requested free of charge. Self-parking is also free.