SpringHill Suites by Marriott Savannah Richmond Hill

The staff were lovely, the rooms were clean and roomy, and breakfast was good. The coffee downstairs was hot, too. Still, the trains made the stay miserable, and I won’t come back because of them. We got in around 10:30 p.m. The front desk staff kindly warned us that the trains ran without a set schedule. I’d lived by an active rail line before, so I thought it would be fine. I was wrong. Trains came through about every hour from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., shaking the room. At 1 a.m., one engineer blew the horn as he passed, even though there’s no crossing there. They started again at 5 a.m. My wife and I didn’t get any proper sleep. Rooms on the far side of the hall might be quieter, but our room on the track side was the worst night’s sleep I’ve had at a hotel.

The train tracks are only about 20 meters from the hotel, and trains run through the night. The noise and vibration made it feel like we were in the Polar Express, which might be fun during the holidays but wasn’t great before a long drive. Google Maps currently makes the hotel look much farther from the tracks than it is, and I submitted a correction. Marriott should mention the railroad nearby when people book so they can decide with that information. On the plus side, it’s a very convenient stop off I-95. The place was decorated nicely for Christmas, the staff were welcoming, and the rooms were clean and functional, in line with the modern SpringHill Suites standard. Breakfast was what you’d expect from the brand. Bring earplugs.

The train runs close enough that you can see it from the window, but it didn’t bother us. The kids actually loved watching it go by. We also had spacious, very clean rooms and fantastic, friendly service from staff who were extremely helpful. We loved our stay and highly recommend the hotel.

My room was comfortable and clean, and I’ll definitely stop here again when I’m in the area. I’m a Titanium member, and Dell is right up there with the top one percent of Marriott employees. She checked me in with a constant smile, even while juggling the phone and helping guests. I think her name is Delinda. I told her it was beautiful and that she should wear it. Her cheerfulness stood out from the usual front desk experience, and she should be Marriott’s example of great guest service, and a trainer for it. The next morning, she remembered me and greeted me with another big smile.