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The downtown Hyatt has a new owner, and the city wants its riverfront passage back

The hotel was built over a public route to River Street in 1981. A sale is the first opening in decades to reopen that argument.

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The passage under the Hyatt Hotel could take on a more inviting and interesting character with the addition of arched gateways at each entrance, as well as pedestrian scaled streetlamps connecting the
Project imageThe passage under the Hyatt Hotel could take on a more inviting and interesting character with the addition of arched gateways at each entrance, as well as pedestrian scaled streetlamps connecting theSottile & Sottile
The waterfront along the Hyatt is currently one of the most vacant and underutilized sections of the Savannah Riverwalk. The addition of planters and streetlamps would make this frontage more inviting
Project contextThe waterfront along the Hyatt is currently one of the most vacant and underutilized sections of the Savannah Riverwalk. The addition of planters and streetlamps would make this frontage more invitingSottile & Sottile
Points of access to River Street should be recognizable and easy to find. Developing a consistent and easily recognizable treatment for each of the access points would enhance the sense of welcome to
Project contextPoints of access to River Street should be recognizable and easy to find. Developing a consistent and easily recognizable treatment for each of the access points would enhance the sense of welcome toSottile & Sottile

Published Jul 20, 2026

The Hyatt Regency on Bay Street has changed hands. What makes a hotel sale worth your attention is what sits underneath it: when the building went up in 1981 it was placed directly over one of the ramps connecting Bay Street down to River Street, and that passage has been closed off ever since.

City officials have ideas about reopening it, and a sale is the moment when ideas like that become negotiable again. A new owner planning a renovation needs permits and approvals, and that is the point at which a city can ask for something in return.

Why it matters

Savannah's riverfront connections were designed into the original city plan and then built over. A change of ownership is one of the few moments anything can be undone.

What to watch

Whether the new owner files for renovation permits, and what the city asks for when they do.

LocationBay Street, downtown
ScaleFull hotel sale
TimelineSale reported July 2026
WhoCity of Savannah, Sottile & Sottile
LinksCity of Savannah · Sottile & Sottile
Sources and documents1 source
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