Sunday Morning at Savannah’s: The Luxury Maryland Bed and Breakfast Rooted in Freedom

New Windsor, Maryland, may not be a trendy tourist destination. But that’s the entire point for travelers like me who seek solace and quiet connection. As with most historic towns, I often find an enclave that exudes that feeling. You know the one – where your shoulders drop, and your jaw finally unclenches as your breath deepens. The one where you quite literally feel your nervous system relax because you’re surrounded by the vibration of a place, gently begging you just to be.

That was the feeling I was struck by the moment I realized Sunday Morning at Savannah’s, a historic bed and breakfast in New Windsor, was truly special. As soon as I stepped onto the wrap-around porch, I sensed the positive energy, the untold stories waiting to unfold, and the gentle breeze carrying nature’s healing. I felt this deep connection.

What I didn’t know was that crossing the threshold would crack open my heart and soul in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The roots of this grand lady and her new owner would leave me teary-eyed in ways that a Hallmark movie could, yet this story in all its layers was real.

When History and Soul Searching Collide

Some historic inns whisper their history. This one refused — sitting vacant on the market for over two years, steadfastly longing for the right owner to carry forth a quiet legacy that hid beneath her surface. Amid the dust, dirt, and grime that had accumulated during its vacancy stood long-forgotten stories and layers of history that this home had spoken, demanding the new owner face every story it carried before bringing her to life again.

Yet, when Savannah Mitchell stepped inside what had almost fallen into ruin, she knew. This was the place. It was as if the walls were quietly begging someone to love them again.

Long before it became Sunday Morning at Savannah’s, a wellness-focused bed-and-breakfast, this home was a secret stop on the Underground Railroad, where resting was dangerous and finding refuge was an act of defiance. Restoring it involved confronting that history, while breathing in new life and new stories – room by room.

Today, guided by a black woman entrepreneur who refused to forget the past, the house has transformed into a sanctuary — inviting neighbors and guests to experience its history, feel its bravery, and embrace a kind of rest once deemed unattainable to the runaway slaves who hid here.

This land has always held refuge – first in secret, now out in the open.

Building a Dream One Layer at a Time

New Windsor’s best-kept secret, Sunday Morning at Savannah’s, began from a dream rooted in Savannah Mitchell’s childhood. As the youngest of seven siblings, she received a sparkling coffee-and-tea set from her mom that seeded her passion for creating happiness for others. Hosting tea parties for her older siblings became a weekly event. Bitten by the desire to create upscale experiences from her earliest days, Savannah had big dreams.

By age thirteen, this young entrepreneur used her allowance to order coffee by mail after spotting an ad in McCall’s Magazine. Although she had never tasted coffee before, she was curious about why adults appeared so happy drinking it and was eager to learn all she could about coffee and about life outside of her hometown in upstate New York.

During an 11^th-grade chat with a school counselor, Savannah learned that a college degree program aligned perfectly with her desire to create these experiences: hospitality. Off to the school library, she buried herself in books about the subject, each page solidifying her path. Telling no one, she secretly applied to Howard University’s hospitality program and left the rest up to God.

Several months later, a acceptance letter arrived in the mail.

What followed changed Savannah’s life forever. She reminisced openly about the day she first laid eyes on the campus. Road-tripping in a station wagon from New York to Washington, D.C., Savannah and her family turned the corner onto Georgia Avenue, which led to the campus. “That was the moment my life changed forever. It was the first time I had seen black opulence. Fancy cars, upscale outfits, and luxury buildings. I knew this was the next chapter in my story.”

Creating Sunday Morning at Savannah’s: A Bed and Breakfast Wellness Sanctuary

Throughout Savannah’s young adult life after college, she never lost her entrepreneurial spirit or her desire to create magical experiences for others. From creating her own coffee business as a young mom to taking on the leadership role of Maryland’s EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) Director, Savannah showed the world what a strong, educated black woman could achieve.

Buried deep inside, though, lived her longing to run a successful inn.

One day, as if by coincidence only the universe could orchestrate, she saw an online ad for a website dedicated to selling established inns and bed-and-breakfast properties. Like a wave washing over her soul, Savannah knew. It was time to pursue this long-awaited dream. The search for the perfect place began and eventually led to New Windsor. “I had never even been to Carroll County,” she admitted.

The Exhale

Working with her grown children by her side, putting in eighteen-hour days for a solid month and a half, Savannah saw her dream take shape. What once held enslaved women desperately seeking a new life of freedom became her very own expression of gratitude for their bravery and tenacity.

As I sat with Savannah, listening to her recount the journey that led her to this moment, I felt them. I felt the souls of countless men and women who had passed through these walls, and the souls of the ones hiding in basement alcoves fearing for their lives. I felt their pride, their countless prayers, and their exhales witnessing what this home has become.

Tears filled my eyes as I sensed their ancestral pride in Savannah’s creation of the Sunday morning they’d only ever dreamed of. A Sunday morning when one could experience deep care through gentle simplicity. A Sunday morning when donning a terry-cloth robe and being served breakfast in bed was possible. What a deeply moving full-circle moment it was to witness what must once have felt like a far-fetched dream for so many who utilized this stop along their path to freedom.

Today’s Rustic Luxury Bed-and-Breakfast Experience

It doesn’t take long to notice the smallest details, simple yet refined, that create a sense of belonging for each guest. A bedside table with a journal and fountain pen to jot down your thoughts, handwritten welcome notes, bathrobes, slippers, chocolates, and bottles of sparkling water grace each individually themed room. The care through simplicity shines.

A long-ago summer kitchen adorned with a massive brick fireplace, reimagined as a spa room for luxurious massages and facials. A cozy pub room with a humidor, spirits, a speakeasy feel, and an elegant dining room table set for mouth-watering home-cooked breakfasts and afternoon coffee. Nooks that await long conversations.

Sweeping sunset views from the front porch, where cozy lounge chairs are draped with soft blankets and stuffed pillows. Pots filled with seasonal flowers and towering old-growth trees swayed in a never-ending breeze.

This is Life’s True Luxury

When I asked Savannah what she wanted most for her guests, the answer came easily. “I want you to feel your greater self when you stay here. I want you to experience your humanness without a schedule. By slowing down time, guests can connect with themselves again.”

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call Sunday Morning at Savannah’s a healing sanctuary. Throughout my experience as a travel writer, I’ve seldom felt such an immediate connection to a place from the moment I set foot inside.

Telling the story of Sunday Morning at Savannah’s seems slightly superficial in comparison to feeling its story. Because every fiber of my being not only felt the story here but also seemed to become another character woven into the next chapter of this grand lady’s sequel. And what a page-turner it will be.

How to Book Your Stay: Sunday Morning at Savannah’s

Located at 111 S. Springdale Avenue, New Windsor, Maryland 21776

Book accommodations, spa services, or rental space online or by calling 1-866-799-4881. Have questions? Email stay@sundaymorningatsavannahs.com

 

 

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