Municipal Grand: Savannah’s New Living Room

December 12, 2025

The heart of Savannah’s newly opened Municipal Grand Hotel is its lobby bar and restaurant, simply called Municipal Bar. This isn’t your average hotel bar thrown together to appease weary travelers. It’s the anchor of the entire operation, a vibrant, all day space where locals mingle with SCAD students, artists, and out-of-towners over a martini or a morning coffee.

“We hope to create a space that can serve as Savannah’s living room,” says Ryan Diggins, partner and CEO of Midnight Auteur, the hospitality group behind the project. “We start with, how excited can we get about our public spaces? Can we create dynamic, vibrant sun-up-till-last-call spaces for the public to interact with?”

The seating is intentional down to every chair, nook, and grouping. “We think through how everyone’s going to interact with the chair, the seating grouping, what they’re going to be doing in those seats,” he says.

David Kaplan, co-founder of Death & Co and a key partner in Midnight Auteur, echoes this sentiment. “Without the locals, you don’t have the energy. And without the energy, there’s really no reason for anyone to be there,” Kaplan says. “Even if the hotel is busy all year round, if we haven’t earned the trust of the local community, we’ve failed to execute on our vision.” That vision is about more than offering a place to stay it’s about creating a space where Savannahians feel at home.

The food and drink are anything but an afterthought, showcasing what Diggins calls “vibrant, seasonal fare.” The menu functions as a choose your own adventure: shareable small plates for a quick bite or hearty entrées that can stand alongside Savannah’s culinary heavy hitters. “You could come and sit down and have two small plates and a cocktail before you go get dinner somewhere else. Or, you know, we hope you would consider us in the same regard as you might a Common Thread,” Diggins says.

This focus on authenticity is also why the team chose not to brand the bar as another Death & Co outpost. “Sometimes Death & Co takes center stage a little too much,” Kaplan admits. “We wanted to create something that’s more reflective of Savannah, of the building, of the market. Something that feels like it belongs here.” Municipal Bar is a purposeful departure from the past, designed to invite locals into something fresh yet familiar.

The cocktails, overseen by Diggins’ partner David Kaplan, follow the “modern classic” ethos of the Death & Co lineage. “Our approach to cocktails is rooted in classicism, but updated,” Diggins says. Expect a martini that tastes like a martini, not an avant garde experiment and a burger with “cheddar cheese dripping over the side,” not over cheffed into oblivion.

Upstairs, the 44 guest rooms are sanctuaries designed with the same care as the public spaces. “Luxurious, but not overstated,” Diggins says. Rather than chasing Instagram appeal, the team focused on the details that matter: acoustical engineering to keep lobby energy from reaching the rooms, high end condo grade construction, and bespoke minibars stocked with premium spirits and artisanal glassware. “We found a lot of properties look good on Instagram, but when you stay in the room, you don’t want to feel the vibrancy of the lobby coming up,” Diggins notes.

The rooftop Sun Club, with its pool and panoramic views, offers a quieter counterpoint to the bustle below, a “respite,” as Diggins calls it, where hotel guests can sip cocktails and take in Savannah’s skyline.

Downstairs, the Hot Eye bar brings an element of surprise. Now open and accessed via a lane off Broughton, it’s designed to feel like a secret locals’ haunt. “Little faster pace. Drinks get made a little quicker. Different playlists, a little more up tempo, a lot more standing room,” Diggins says.

Kaplan describes the hotel lobby as “everyone’s living room,” a space that feels just as natural for a morning coffee and laptop session as it does for a lively, cocktail fueled evening. “You want a place to take a meeting, to have brunch, to meet friends for drinks? We want to meet you where you are,” he says. For Kaplan and his partners, bringing that to life in Savannah is a dream realized. “Who wouldn’t want to do exactly what we’re doing right now, in a city this beautiful, with the people you love and trust most?”

In a bold move, the team continues to prioritize the neighborhood over the check in desk. “You can never declare yourself a neighborhood bar. The neighborhood has to come to you and tell you,” Diggins says. If Savannah embraces the Hot Eye, it will be a badge of honor.

Today, the Municipal Grand has quickly become a beloved gathering place where locals and visitors come together to enjoy great food, drinks, and company. As Kaplan says, “It’s not just a hotel; it’s a community space.” With its focus on community, hospitality, and authenticity, the Municipal Grand is already making a lasting impression on Savannah.