Municipal Grand, the first hotel under cocktail-forward lifestyle hotel brand Midnight Auteur, has officially opened in Savannah, Georgia.
The boutique hotel launched within Savannah’s North Historic District at the First Federal Savings and Loan Association building, which was revamped by Canadian interior design firm AAmp Studio in collaboration with Lynch Associates Architects and local preservation experts Ward Architecture and Preservation, according to a release obtained by Hotel Dive.
Central to the 44-key Municipal Grand is its cocktail-driven lobby bar and restaurant, Municipal Bar — a signature element of the Midnight Auteur brand, which launched in March 2024 as the brainchild of the founders of the Death & Co. cocktail brand and The Ramble Hotel in Denver.
Death & Co. designed Municipal Grand’s semicircular cocktail bar and all-day restaurant, which anchors the lobby. The concept offers seasonal fare that blends Southern ingredients and coastal cuisines, according to the release. The landmark hotel also has a rooftop pool and lounge, the Sun Club, and a subterranean cocktail den, The Hot Eye.
Carrying Midnight Auteur’s cocktail-forward ethos into the guest rooms, each one includes a marble-top arched millwork minibar stocked with curated spirits, coffee and teas and glassware. The development team designed each room to “balance midcentury lines and rich materials with the comfort and warmth of a well-lived home.”
Hotels under the Midnight Auteur brand aim to be communal gathering spaces for guests and locals alike, Ryan Diggins, the founder of The Ramble Hotel, previously told Hotel Dive. With Municipal Grand, the brand has “built a hotel that is as much for the city as it is for travelers,” he said in a statement.
Midnight Auteur selected Savannah for the inaugural hotel because of its strong hospitality fundamentals, rich cultural identity and the rare opportunity to restore a historic midcentury building in the heart of the city, according to the brand.
Other hotel players expanding in Savannah include Marriott International, which recently converted The Ann Savannah under its Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy brand and opened an AC Hotel in the city’s historic district. Marriott is also underway on a Ritz-Carlton hotel and residences in the market. Hilton, meanwhile, expanded in Savannah in 2023, when The Drayton Hotel joined its Curio Collection.
