Marriott's McKibbon's Residence Inn Receives Savannah Foundation Award
Recognized by Preservation Society for “out-of-the-box” Thinking
SAVANNAH, GA, November 17, 2009 - The Residence Inn by Marriott Savannah Downtown/Historic District and its developer, McKibbon Hotel Group of Gainesville, Georgia, were recently honored by the Historic Savannah Foundation with a special award to recognize their efforts for the development of a unique hotel property in historic Downtown Savannah.
The “Thinking Outside the Box” Award was presented to McKibbon leaders at the foundation's annual meeting and preservation awards presentation, “in recognition of the development and execution of a creative, preservation-sensitive solution when status quo methods would not have been enough.” The project was nominated by leaders of the Coastal Heritage Society, the non-profit organization that oversees the Roundhouse Railroad Museum and Battlefield Park, a historic landmark bordering the hotel property,.
Completed in February 2009, the Residence Inn by Marriott Savannah Downtown/Historic District is a hotel property unique to any other in the area, built to resemble with historical accuracy the 19th Century workers cottages that once stood on the site between Harris and Charlton Streets. An interesting blend of rooflines and facades call attention to the property, comprised of a brick main building and four “cottages” with clapboard siding and quaint porches.
The hotel has been well-received by both residents and visitors. According to Scott W. Smith, Director of the Coastal Heritage Society, “Visitors looking at the buildings frequently comment, 'What a nice hotel! Who lives in the houses next to it?' This is recognition of the fact that the desired effect of mimicking the original multi-story retail and eclectic private homes has succeeded.”
The unique hotel concept was originally suggested by the Coastal Heritage Society, which provided a portion of the land for the project.
McKibbon Hotel Group leaders enthusiastically embraced the concept of recreating the architecture of the era, working closely with historians and reviewing records of the area to develop a successful hotel offering that is also a suitable backdrop for a National Historic Landmark.
In honor of the award, a plaque will be mounted at the hotel, located at located at 500 West Charlton Street, just off of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
For more information, visit www.residenceinnsavannahdowntown.com or call General Manager Donnie Morgan at (912) 233-9996.
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