Comments Off
comments
September 23rd, 2012

Majoring in Hipness at Thunderbird Inn, Savannah GA

Summer’s great, but we’ll admit it – we like Savannah best when our friends from the various colleges are here! And if you are a new or returning college student and don’t know the Thunderbird Inn, well, there’s a cool surprise in your near future.

You see, you’re gonna want to show off your cool new hometown (that would be Savannah) and your cool new college (which could be SCAD, Savannah State, Armstrong Atlantic, Savannah Tech or any of the other academic institutions we have trouble keeping up with.) Invite your friends to visit so you can show off your great taste in geography and academia. It’s what weekends were invented for!

Old Savannah Tours near Savannah hotel -- Thunderbird Inn downtown Savannah GA

Old Savannah Tours headed to River Street

But there’s a downside of having your best friend from high school sleeping on your dorm room floor. And there’s a limit to how many people per square inch can occupy your apartment (remember all those roommates you have?) The solution? The Thunderbird Inn, the hippest hotel in Savannah!

Why steer your friends to the Thunderbird? Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
July 31st, 2012

Shoebox Treasures: Savannah Photography

SAVANNAH GEORGIA (July 31, 2012) — Savannah makes great photographers. So grab your cheap point-and-shoot and head out to capture Savannah. You see, the first requirement for a great photo is a great subject – and Savannah’s got that covered.

Savannah photography Ellis Square fountain | Photo (c) Tim Nealon. Used with permission.

Savannah GA Downtown: Ellis Square fountain

In photo albums and shoe boxes across America, assuming you looked long and hard enough and concentrated on stuff that was stashed since 1962, you would find family vacation photos featuring the Thunderbird Inn’s iconic sign and happy groups gathered around the family station wagon in our parking lot. Those were shot on Instamatics, or something like them, perhaps with those revolving flash cubes that burned your hand if you touched them too soon after they went off. Or maybe our yesteryear photographers were using Polaroids, with the square photos magically taking shape before your eyes even as the chemical stench filled your nose.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
July 31st, 2012

All Aboard for a Quirky Destination: Amtrak Train Travel to Savannah GA

SAVANNAH Georgia — If you are a fan of retro, you have an appreciative eye for what other people tend to overlook. You see the beauty in something from the living past, not just the ancient past. What you admire today, the rest of the world (or at least the rest of Savannah) will be raving over 50 years from now. You are not stuck in the past – you are half a century ahead of your time.

Train station Savannah GA USA rail travel

Train trip: Savannah Amtrak train station art

Take, for example, Savannah’s Amtrak train station (2611 Seaboard Coastline Drive, which isn’t really that far from the Thunderbird but which does require a vehicle and some navigational skills). Yes, yes, you can bemoan the loss of the old Union Station (which would have been in walking distance of the Thunderbird had it survived) as a misguided, short-sighted urban renewal disaster. But that doesn’t mean the replacement train station isn’t an underappreciated gem. It was built in 1962 (two years before the Thunderbird opened its doors) and it is a perfect little time capsule discovered on a train trip to Savannah, Georgia USA.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
July 30th, 2012

Popular Retro Hotel Mascot, George Monk Sock Monkey, at Thunderbird Inn Savannah USA

Allow us to introduce George Monk, our retro hotel mascot and one of the hard-working staff members here at the Thunderbird Inn, the hippest hotel in Savannah, Georgia USA.

Retro Savannah hotel mascot George Monk at River Street Sweets Savannah GA | Photo (c) 2011 Thunderbird Inn / Tim Nealon

Hotel mascot, George Monk at River Street Sweets, Savannah GA downtown

George serves as the Thunderbird’s official ambassador. Sometimes he hangs around our office, assisting with hotel bookings and supervising the popping of fresh popcorn to welcome Thunderbird guests. He seldom misses our breakfasts, either, when we set out hot coffee and Krispy Kreme® donuts, and he frequently offers to help us put out the MoonPies® we put on each guest’s pillow at night. No wonder he’s always stuffed!

Comments Off
comments
July 5th, 2012

Afternoon Refreshers: Tips & Fresh Savannah Itinerary Ideas

Savannah travel tips from the front line staff at The Thunderbird Inn in downtown Savannah are valuable! They hears guest feedback and they try for themselves the cool things to do in downtown Savannah, Georgia.

During our recent brainstorming sessions,  new things to do in Savannah surfaced.  Tips follow for afternoon refreshers — things to stay cool during your Savannah visit.

AFTERNOON REFRESHERS

1. Cool off with one of Wet Willies Frozen Daiquiris. I love to mix the White Russian and the Banana flavors together because it tastes like a chocolate covered banana.
2. Enjoy a bucket of steamed or raw oysters from Bernie’s Oyster House.
3. Indulge in the tastiest ice cream in the south at Leopold’s Ice Cream parlor.
4. Stop by The Distillery for a craft brewed draft and Fried MoonPie.
5. Enjoy one, two or three of the 25 flavors featured at Café GelatOhhh! in City Market.
6. Quench your thirst with some lemonade from a street cart.
7. Run through the water spray fountain at Ellis Square or Forsyth Park.
8. Cool off in your room with some fresh lemonade, popcorn, and cold ac — all complimentary to our guests!
9. Feel like you’re in Paris, while sipping on a hot or iced café Americano at the Paris Market.
10. Shop around the many stores and boutiques that Broughton Street has to offer.
11. Get a group of friends together for the Savannah Slow Ride! Pedal your way around all the gorgeous squares.
12. Enjoy one of American Legion’s many drink specials! — ultra affordable!

Stay tuned!  More itinerary ideas to follow soon from “the hippest hotel in Savannah”.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRD INN

Declaring itself The hippest hotel in Savannah™, the delightfully quirky, Thunderbird Inn (42 rooms) is where the historic downtown Savannah location and hip motel eccentricities meet up. Featured in New York Times, Southern Living, Miami Herald, Best10.com, TravelMuse.com, Dog Friendly magazine, the Telly Silver and Telly Bronze award-winning, downtown inn-hotel recaptures the southern retro spirit of the Swinging Sixties.  The youthful General Manager, Mark Thomas, has directed the much-touted marketing toward a bold, free-spirited and young again approach, making the most of the popular resurgence of retro in the United States. Discounted Savannah lodging was never so much fun! Ask about discount local coupons, Staff Picks, MoonPie® on your pillow, and dog friendly / pet-friendly vacation accommodations. 611 West Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA USA 31401. Toll Free Reservations (866) 324-2661; International +1/912-232-2661; Fax 912-233-5551. Twitter: @TBirdInn; E-mail info@thethunderbirdinn.com; Web: TheThunderbirdInn.com

Comments Off
comments
June 25th, 2012

Road Trip Near Savannah: Drive on to the Drive-In!

Are you a fan of all things vintage, including entertainment? You’re in luck! Your unerring retro instincts guided you to the Thunderbird Inn, the hippest hotel in Savannah. Not all the attractions in and around Savannah date to the teenage centuries (you know, 18th century, 19th century. . .) We’ve got a soft spot for the middle of the 20th century, which is understandable since the Thunderbird was built in 1964. And we can steer you to places where the beat goes on for the Swingin’ Sixties. Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
May 26th, 2012

Thunderbird Inn Takes Two Telly Awards

Telly Silver Award Logo 2012

2012 Telly Silver Award for Thunderbird Inn's "Dog Days In Historic Savannah"

We don’t have a red carpet – but if we did, we’d be walking it! Two videos produced for the Thunderbird Inn have received two prestigious Telly Awards. See, we’ve been telling you we were “the hippest hotel in Savannah”!

The Telly Awards are not a household name, unless you are in a business that involves producing or running commercial or Internet video. But within that large and growing industry, the Telly is the top! Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
May 23rd, 2012

How Retro Can You Go-Go in the American South?

Retro hotel in Savannah Georgia visits dog friendly art gallery

Retro hotel's pet lover visits Savannah City Market retro art gallery that is pet-friendly, too!

In the American South, how retro can you go on a single vacation? Without a functioning time machine, what wonderful amenities from the traveling past can you experience for the first time, rediscover with delight, or introduce your children to?

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off
comments
May 6th, 2012

Southern MoonPie® Sweet at Thunderbird Inn in Savannah GA USA

In Savannah Forrest Gump actor with MoonPie® chocolate mint southern treat | Photo (c) The Thunderbird Inn Savannah GA / Tim Nealon

Forrest Gump actor on Old Savannah Tour shuttle with MoonPie® chocolate mint treat.

Savannah has a lot of moon references in its past. Like Moon River, by famed lyricist and Savannah favorite son Johnny Mercer.  Or MoonPie® — “the original marshmallow sandwich” that became the famous Southern treat — is left on your pillow each night at the Thunderbird Inn.

Why MoonPies? Well, Southern hospitality demands we provide a treat for our guests, something a bit above and beyond what is required. After all, we’re the hippest hotel in Savannah ™, and we’ve got to earn our stripes with each guest! Most hotels that bother with a late-night snack for their guests opt for the conventional chocolate, but that wasn’t good enough for the Thunderbird Inn. It’s just not cool and quirky enough for the likes of us.

MoonPie, on the other hand, is as Southern as it gets. These iconic confections (fancy words meaning “famous treats”) originated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Now, that’s well north of here (let’s face it, most places in the U.S. are) but it’s plenty Southern enough for us. And we give out the mini-versions, not the hefty pies that were originally invented as lunchbox treats for Tennessee coal miners. But it’s still big enough to tide you over to breakfast in our lobby. You can read more about the history of the MoonPie at the website www.moonpie.com (which you can check out with ease since the Thunderbird has free wi fi, unlike snootier places that charge for it.)

The MoonPie is about as Southern a food as you can get, short of grits. And grits would make a mess on the pillows.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRD INN

Declaring itself The hippest hotel in Savannah™, the delightfully quirky, Thunderbird Inn (42 rooms) is where the historic downtown Savannah location and hip motel eccentricities meet up. Featured in New York Times, Southern Living, Best10.com, TravelMuse.com, Dog Friendly magazine, the downtown inn-motel recaptures the southern retro spirit of the Swinging Sixties. The youthful General Manager, Mark Thomas, has directed the much-touted marketing toward a bold, free-spirited and young again approach, making the most of the popular resurgence of retro in the United States. Discounted Savannah lodging was never so much fun! Ask about discount local coupons, Staff Picks, MoonPie® on your pillow, and dog friendly / pet-friendly vacation accommodations. 611 West Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA USA 31401. Toll Free Reservations (866) 324-2661; International +1/912-232-2661; Fax 912-233-5551. Twitter: @TBirdInn; E-mail info@thethunderbirdinn.com; Web: TheThunderbirdInn.com

Copyright (c) 2012 The Thunderbird Inn / Betty Darby

Comments Off
comments
April 16th, 2012

Thanks, Brown’s Guides, It’s Good to Be Noticed!

Savannah Inns and hotels | Thunderbird Inn retro hotel

Brown's Guides fans recently named Thunderbird Inn "Best One of Kind Hotel in Georgia"

Word is getting around: Overdone and over-priced is not the only way to do Savannah. The Thunderbird Inn is on the receiving end of some kind words from Brown’s Guide to Georgia on just that topic. That’s us on their website (check it out at http://www.brownsguides.com/v/thunderbird-inn/) and we’re also on their Facebook page.

It seems the Brown’s folks are impressed by our retro style and our budget philosophy – and who wouldn’t be? Our circa-1964 classic roadside motel is as true to its era as anything you’ll find in historic Savannah. Our rooms are clean, fresh and charming – plus they’re amenity-rich. We’ve added just enough of today to keep your yesteryear experience sharp, with things like Wi-Fi throughout the Thunderbird. Pick one of our deluxe king rooms and you’ll enjoy such features as streaming Netflix and a Wii game system. All this for a price that won’t break the budget! Plainly, it’s no accident that we’re known as Savannah’s hippest hotel.

So thanks, Brown’s Guide, for noticing what we do. Keeping the history, but dumping the stuffy part – that’s us! We’re not like everybody else. We like that about ourselves.