Johno Morisano (L) and Chef Mashama Bailey (R)
Credit: Kelly Anthony-Koffi and Semaine
(IN SHORT) Hilton has announced a culinary partnership between Signia Hilton Savannah and Grey Spaces, the Savannah-based hospitality and lifestyle company co-founded by Chef Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano. Grey Spaces will lead the culinary direction for the hotel’s food and beverage programme, including concepts, menus, wine lists and guest experiences across multiple venues. The hotel is scheduled to debut in 2028 as a 444-room headquarters hotel for the Savannah Convention Center, with more than 34,000 square feet of meeting space, five food and beverage venues, Club Signia and direct access to the convention centre. Grey Spaces is behind The Grey, the acclaimed Savannah restaurant opened in 2014 in a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal, as well as L’Arrêt by The Grey in Paris and other cultural and storytelling projects connected to Southern cuisine. Chef Mashama Bailey won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2019 and became the first African American woman to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2022. She was also named to the TIME100 list and recognised as North America’s Best Female Chef for 2026 by The World’s 50 Best.
(PRESS RELEASE) SAVANNAH, GA, United States, 2026-Aug-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Hilton has announced a culinary partnership between Signia Hilton Savannah and Grey Spaces, the Savannah-based hospitality and lifestyle company co-founded by James Beard Award-winning Chef Mashama Bailey and restaurateur Johno Morisano.
Grey Spaces will help shape the culinary identity of Signia Hilton Savannah, one of the city’s most anticipated hotel openings, scheduled to debut in 2028.
Through the partnership, Chef Mashama, Morisano and Grey Spaces will lead the food and beverage direction for the hotel, including concept development, menus, wine lists and guest experiences across several venues.
These will include a lobby bar, an all-day dining restaurant and a rooftop destination with views of the Savannah skyline and waterfront.
The culinary programme is intended to be distinct from Grey Spaces’ existing work in Savannah, creating new reasons for locals, visitors and hotel guests to dine, drink and gather at the property.
Signia Hilton Savannah is planned as a 444-room headquarters hotel for the Savannah Convention Center.
The property will anchor the city’s riverfront and provide direct access to the convention centre.
It will feature more than 34,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom, as well as five food and beverage venues, an outdoor pool, Club Signia and elevated amenities for business and leisure travellers.
Chef Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano co-founded Grey Spaces and are the business partners behind The Grey, the acclaimed Savannah restaurant they opened in 2014 inside a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal.
Grey Spaces is rooted in Port City Southern food, community and culture.
Its work includes The Grey in Savannah, L’Arrêt by The Grey in Paris and a wider portfolio of storytelling and cultural projects that introduce Southern cuisine to broader audiences.
Chef Mashama said Signia Hilton Savannah provides an opportunity to create a culinary destination that reflects the spirit of Savannah and the Lowcountry.
She said the project will embrace heritage through food while drawing on the global influences that have shaped her career as a chef.
She added that the goal is to create a place connected to the city and belonging both to hotel guests and the wider local community.
Morisano said building a dining programme from the ground up requires thoughtful attention to how guests move through each setting and how the overall experience unfolds.
He said Grey Spaces’ philosophy is centred on radical hospitality and on creating places where people gather naturally and strangers can become friends.
With Savannah as its home base, he said Grey Spaces is bringing that same intentional approach to its partnership with Hilton.
Brian Abel, Senior Vice President, Food and Beverage Operations & Development, Americas at Hilton, said Savannah has extraordinary culinary heritage and described Chef Mashama as a defining gastronomic voice and trailblazer in the community.
He said the work Chef Mashama and Morisano have built at The Grey reflects their connection to Savannah and its story.
Abel said Hilton is honoured to partner with Grey Spaces and looks forward to bringing its perspective to the hotel, reinforcing Hilton and Signia Hilton’s commitment to destination-driven dining and collaboration with world-class culinary partners.
Chef Mashama Bailey was born in the Bronx and raised between New York City and coastal Georgia.
Her culinary perspective is shaped by Southern roots, early influences from women in her family and experience in European and New York kitchens.
She trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and studied in Burgundy, France, before building her career at acclaimed restaurants, including formative years at Prune under mentor Gabrielle Hamilton.
In addition to co-founding Grey Spaces, she is executive chef of The Grey.
Chef Mashama won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2019 and became the first African American woman to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2022.
Under her and Morisano’s leadership, The Grey has received widespread recognition from Eater, TIME and Food & Wine, and Bailey has been featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
In 2026, she was named to the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people and named North America’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best.
She also serves as chair of the Edna Lewis Foundation, which honours African American culinary traditions, supports deeper understanding of Southern foodways and works to expand opportunity within the industry.
Johno Morisano was born and raised in Staten Island, New York.
He is an author, speaker and restaurateur whose work sits at the intersection of hospitality, arts and culture, urban development and social transformation.
As co-founder and managing partner of Grey Spaces, Morisano has spent nearly 15 years building community through food and guiding the company’s growth across a range of partnerships.
His work brings together design thinking, locality and a strong sense of connection across hospitality projects.
Kelvin D. Moore, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Savannah Convention Center, said the partnership between Signia Hilton Savannah and Grey Spaces highlights what makes Savannah a distinctive destination for meetings and conventions.
He said the hotel, as the headquarters property for the convention centre, will extend the convention experience by connecting attendees with Savannah’s local culinary and hospitality partners.
Moore added that collaborations of this kind help meeting planners create memorable experiences while strengthening Savannah’s reputation as a destination where business and local culture come together.
Signia Hilton Savannah will be the second Signia Hilton property in Georgia.
The hotel is owned by the Savannah-Georgia Convention Center Authority and is being developed in partnership with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
Hilton will manage the property, while Songy Highroads and Matthews Southwest Hospitality are serving as co-developers.
The collaboration with Chef Mashama and Grey Spaces was developed through StiR Creative Collective, Hilton’s in-house global food and beverage consultancy.
The partnership builds on Hilton’s broader approach to working with acclaimed chefs and hospitality innovators across its portfolio.
Hilton’s culinary and beverage partners across the Americas include Michael Anthony, Michael Mina, José Andrés and the José Andrés Group, Ariel Arce and Jeff Bell.
Through the partnership with Grey Spaces, Signia Hilton Savannah is positioning its food and beverage programme as a central part of the hotel’s identity, connecting meetings, events, hospitality and local culinary culture on Savannah’s riverfront.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 28 world-class brands comprising more than 9,400 properties and nearly 1.4 million rooms, in 144 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 4 billion guests in its more than 100-year history. Named as the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Hilton aims to create the best culture for its 500,000 team members around the world. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 260 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
About Signia Hilton
Signia Hilton is a portfolio of world-class hotels that infuse sophisticated travel and luxurious experiences into every aspect of the guest stay. Each Signia Hilton hotel offers distinctive design, signature food and beverage experiences, intentional wellness offerings and unparalleled meetings and events capabilities, all backed by the Hilton name and award-winning Hilton Honors program. Experience Signia Hilton by booking at signiahilton.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Signia Hilton at stories.hilton.com/signia.
About Grey Spaces
Grey Spaces, based in Savannah, Georgia, is a hospitality and lifestyle company committed to welcoming strangers as friends and valuing difference. Currently operating its flagship restaurant, The Grey (2014) also in Savannah, and L’Arrêt by The Grey (2025) in Paris, France, Grey Spaces creates Southern-inspired products and experiences. The dynamic partnership between its co-founders, multi-faceted restaurateur Johno Morisano and award-winning Chef Mashama Bailey, Grey Spaces has created a company that reaches far beyond food and beverage, as evidenced by their co-authored book, Black White and The Grey, which positioned the duo as leading voices in contemporary discussions around foodways, storytelling, and the purpose and potential of hospitality. Currently, the Grey Spaces team is expanding its presence to include new projects, locations, products, and curated encounters, all with the specific goal of taking Southern Food on the Move.
About Savannah Convention Center
The Savannah Convention Center offers 660,000 square feet of flexible meeting, exhibit and event space along the scenic Savannah River. Following a transformative expansion completed in 2025, the center features 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, two grand ballrooms, 27 meeting rooms, five executive boardrooms, a 367-seat auditorium, expansive outdoor event venues, and a 900-space parking garage. The center is adjacent to the future Signia Hilton Savannah, creating an integrated meetings campus designed to elevate Savannah’s position as a premier destination for conventions and events. The Savannah Convention Center is managed by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Learn more at savconventionenter.com.
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