Our Story

Built to be lived in, not checked into.

The Douglas has stood on Oglethorpe Avenue since 1853, first a private home, where families did the ordinary, wonderful things families do: long dinners, late evenings, arguments about nothing. Savannah kept growing around it. The oaks out front just grew.

The House

When the house came to us, the rule was plain: keep what can’t be rebuilt, and be honest about the rest. So the tall windows stayed, the moldings stayed, the oaks kept their shade. The wiring, the plumbing, and every last mattress went. What you sleep on is new; what you look at mostly isn’t.

A hotel manages you; a house makes room for you. We chose the house.

Come stay in it.

The entry hall staircase at The Douglas, white panelling and a carved newel post beside a palm and a fern.

A tighter view of the same staircase, the handrail curving up past the panelling.

Who runs it

Obstinate Hospitality

At The Douglas Hotel, we proudly present the culinary masterpieces behind Charleston’s acclaimed sister restaurants, The Obstinate Daughter and Wild Olive, now gracing Savannah with their renowned depth of flavor and hospitality. This transference of Southern excellence brings signature coastal charm, seasonal artistry, and Italian-inspired elegance straight to our tables. Prepare to embark on an epicurean journey as rich in heritage as it is in taste.

The Obstinate Daughter: Sullivan’s Island
Wild Olive: Johns Island

Discover Obstinate Hospitality

Lester’s dining room after dark: oxblood banquettes, drum shades, candlelit tables and a gilt-framed painting.

The entry hall dressed for evening canapés, skirted tables set with charcuterie beneath an oil painting.

1853

The home is constructed along Oglethorpe Avenue, in Savannah’s historic grid, during the city’s architectural golden age.

1881

Captain Henry Blun, a prominent Savannah businessman and banker, purchases the property and commissions a major expansion that adds to the home’s scale and character.

1925

The City Progressive Club, a private men’s social club, occupies the property—adding a new chapter of late-night gatherings and low-lit conversation.

1932

The house is renamed The Lester House, operating as a boarding house for travelers and locals alike. The name inspires what will later become the hotel’s restaurant, Lester’s.

1947

Post-WWII, the home was converted into Troy Apartments, offering long-term housing to returning veterans and young families during Savannah’s postwar growth.

1970

The Girl Scouts of the USA take over the building, using it as overflow office space for the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace next door.

1985

The property is purchased by local attorney Morton Gold, who begins its transformation into a boutique inn.

1986

It opens as The Ballastone Inn, welcoming guests for the first time and marking its shift into hospitality.

2023

Renovation begins to transform the inn into a new vision: one that respects the home’s bones but reimagines the experience entirely.

2025

The Douglas officially opens—offering 16 tailored guest rooms, a private bar, a la carte breakfast, and a quiet return to Savannah’s slower, richer rhythm.

2026

The Douglas expands to include six additional guest rooms and welcomes the debut of Lester’s, the hotel’s restaurant open to the public.

In the Press