During the Prohibition era, the DeSoto housed notorious gangster and rum-runner Al Capone. Local mechanic Sherman Helmey would fix up the felon's moonshine-carrying motors as he passed through town, and Capone would relax in the glorious surrounds of the DeSoto while he waited. Though still located in the heart of Savannah's Historic District, the hotel has a distinctly modern feel today: a lobby art gallery and a creative craft cocktail bar are brilliant contemporary touches.

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American hotels hiding historic secrets