1st anniversary trip/hotel and dining recommendations

My husband and I will be celebrating our 1st anniversary in Savannah this month. I waited until the last minute to book a hotel so I haven%26#39;t been able to find anything in the Historic District under $200 a night. So for now, we have a reservation at the Springhill Suites on I-95 South. The website states that it has just opened in April so I am hoping that it will be fairly nice. I know that it will be a drive to the Historic District...how far is it? What is the possibility of us finding a hotel in the HD by just walking in when we get there on Friday? If this is a possibility, what are the chances we can get a room for no more than $125?

In addition, where should we eat while there? We like all types of food. We would like to have one nice dinner in celebration of our anniversary but the rest of the time we would like inexpensive meals (we are in the process of buying a house).

I know that I would like to walk around the HD and River Street...I love people watching and I hear that Savannah is beautiful this time of the year....please recommend anything that is a must do. We will be there for 2 nights and 3 days.

Thanks for the recommendations.

1st anniversary trip/hotel and dining recommendations

Have you checked out the East Bay Inn? We enjoyed a (huge)magnificent room there with living room area and private garden (with romantic gas light) last month. Well under $200 with AAA discount.

For romantic dining, our favorites were 17 Hundred 90 for the fabulous lounge with comfy couches and fireplaces, cozy dining (with more fireplaces) with terrific piano player, along with fantastic food and service; Bistro Savannah (a bit convivial - loud) for the extraordinary food; The Pink House (where we scored a fabulous table a deux in front of a fireplace), a bit pricey, but worth every penny for the exceptional cuisine. Actually, one evening, we wound up in Planters Tavern (in the basement of The Pink House), where you can order off the very same menu, and we ordered four (sensational) appetizers. Enjoying all along with Gail Thurmond (fabulous) on the piano. Best - our ';nightcaps'; were topped off so we could enjoy the square outside in the lovely weather and moonlight before strolling ';home'; to the East Bay Inn.

1st anniversary trip/hotel and dining recommendations

The Pink House is a very special treat!! Call ahead to book an upstairs table overlooking Reynolds Square and I highly recommend their signature dish, the scrumptious flounder,,,,Enjoy!!!!

If you are gutsy, try priceline and put in a 4-star hotel in the historic district only and name your price. I just did this for Atlanta and got the Omni for $110/night. You have to immediately charge your entire stay, and it is non-refundable, but during the time we stayed there, the best price was $265/night for the same rooms. Worth a shot!

You have to try the Lady %26amp; Sons (Paula Deen from the Food Network). The food is excellent and the service is great. www.ladyandsons.com

Also, the River House is very good for seafood and fresh baked bread. You can purchase their bread and desserts to take home with you too.

www.riverhouseseafood.com

My husband and I ate at Gottleibs for our anniversary last October and absolutely LOVED it! It was truly one of the best dining experiences we%26#39;ve ever had and has recently been raved about by Bobby Flay in the current edition of Food %26amp; Wine magazine.

No matter what you do, where you stay or where you eat, you%26#39;ll have a wondeful time in Savannah. It is absolutely beautiful!

We spent our second anniversary in Savannah last August and loved it. You won%26#39;t be disappointed.

Our anniversary ';splurge'; meal was dinner at the Olde Pink House. They treated us so well and the food was fantastic.

For less expensive meals, we ended up eating at Clary%26#39;s on three different occasions and at both locations. It%26#39;s not exactly gourmet but it is very affordable. Delicious milkshakes, too.

Be sure to tour at least one historic home while you%26#39;re there. My favorite is the Owens-Thomas House because it was designed by Regency architect William Jay. But the Isaiah Davenport House is also a good one to visit.

We also enjoyed visiting Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S. It%26#39;s a beautiful historic building and our tour guide, in his 90s, was wonderful. We%26#39;re not even Jewish but it was fascinating to learn about the early days of the Jewish community in Savannah.

You are going to be about ten miles from the historic district. As other people have posted, The Pink House and Bistro Savannah are great choices. For Italian, I recommend Il Pasticcio.

For more reasonable fare the rest of the time, there are several pubs - Six Pence Pub, Churchill%26#39;s Pub and Moor River Brewery.

If you are not familiar with Savannah, I recommend a trolley tour. It is only 90 minutes and you get a good overview. You can get information on all of the companies at the visitor center. For something more romantic, you can take a carriage ride.

Happy 1st anniversary!

You can book the Westin on the river for less than $200 a night through Hotwire. It%26#39;s the only hotel whose amenities show a spa and a golf course.