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

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.

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