Savannah’s riverfront is getting a new point of view. The former Bohemian Savannah Riverfront has become Hotel Orielle, an Autograph Collection Hotel, retaining its Marriott affiliation while introducing a new identity built around what it calls the “art of noticing.” The 75-room hotel takes its name from the 19th-century oriel window, a design element intended to offer a broader vantage point, and uses the idea of perspective as a thread through the guest experience.

That philosophy shows up in the details. Daily river and tide notes connect guests to the waterfront, live music encourages lingering, and a new art collection includes a three-panel mixed-media installation by SCAD alumna Lillian Blades inspired by the Lowcountry marshes, work by artist and former SCAD professor Katherine Sandoz, salon-style gallery installations and a 33-foot rooftop mural incorporating Savannah’s maritime history. At Rocks on the Roof, the city’s tallest rooftop along River Street, brass spyglass binoculars are placed throughout the space each evening at dusk, turning sunset into a ritual of looking more closely at Savannah. A new signature cocktail, The Orielle, accompanies the experience, while newly appointed executive chef Johnny Salaverria brings his Venezuelan roots and Savannah influences to Coastal 15 Fish House and the rooftop restaurant.

The Curated Take: Hotel Orielle is most interesting as an example of a hotel using design and ritual to change how travelers encounter a familiar destination. Rather than attempting to compete with Savannah’s history and architecture, the property is creating small prompts to make guests pay closer attention to them. The result is a hotel concept that feels particularly suited to a city whose character is often found in its quieter details.