Hersha Hotels and Resorts, a KSL portfolio company, has acquired The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Georgia. JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group represented the seller. The transaction marks the third time JLL has facilitated the sale of the hotel in the past decade, highlighting the resort’s enduring appeal among institutional buyers.
Situated on Hutchinson Island and directly adjacent to the recently expanded Savannah Convention Center, the 403-room property is downtown Savannah’s only true urban resort. Its positioning offers a combination of convention-driven demand and resort-style leisure amenities, setting it apart from traditional urban hotels in the market.
The Westin Savannah Harbor features more than 51,800 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space along with five food and beverage outlets. The resort’s amenity-rich offering includes a championship 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Cupp and Sam Snead, a 17-treatment-room Heavenly Spa by Westin, a resort-style pool overlooking the Savannah River, tennis and pickleball courts and an 18-hole disc golf course. Guests also benefit from ferry access to Savannah’s Historic District, providing convenient connectivity while maintaining a secluded resort atmosphere.
The acquisition comes at a pivotal time for Savannah’s hospitality sector. The adjacent Savannah Convention Center completed a $276-million expansion in April 2025, doubling its footprint to 660,000 square feet and positioning it among the 10 largest convention centers in the southeastern U.S. The expansion added 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 14 new meeting rooms, significantly enhancing the city’s ability to attract large-scale events, conferences and trade shows.
Beyond the meetings sector, Savannah is experiencing sustained economic momentum driven by multiple industries. The Port of Savannah continues to rank among the fastest-growing ports on the U.S. East Coast while major corporate investments, including Hyundai Motor Group’s $7.6 billion Metaplant, which opened in March 2025 and created approximately 14,000 jobs, are reshaping the regional economy. These developments are expected to fuel corporate travel demand and long-term lodging performance.
Savannah’s appeal as a leisure destination remains strong, supported by its historic architecture, Southern charm, vibrant culinary scene and growing air connectivity through Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. The city’s unique blend of heritage tourism and modern infrastructure investments continues to position it as a compelling destination for both leisure travelers and corporate groups.
According to JLL, The Westin Savannah Harbor’s adjacency to the expanded convention center, combined with its extensive land footprint and resort amenities, creates a differentiated value proposition in a market dominated by traditional urban hotels. The property’s ability to capture both group and leisure demand along with potential upside from ongoing residential and mixed-use development in Savannah Harbor was a key driver of investor interest.
The JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group transaction team was led by Senior Managing Director Andrew Dickey, Senior Director Maciej Polek and Vice President Derek Hayden.
“Savannah continues to demonstrate exceptional momentum as both a leisure destination and thriving corporate market,” said Dickey. “The Westin’s unique positioning adjacent to the expanded convention center, coupled with being the only true resort in the market with excess land that will benefit from the residential success in Savannah Harbor, creates a compelling value proposition that sets it apart from traditional urban hotels in this rapidly growing market.”
The acquisition by Hersha Hotels and Resorts reflects broader capital market trends, with investors increasingly targeting high-barrier-to-entry markets with strong fundamentals, infrastructure investment and diversified demand drivers. As Savannah continues to expand its convention capacity and attract corporate investment, assets like The Westin Savannah Harbor are expected to play a central role in the city’s evolving hospitality landscape.
