Marriott and Hamptons Whodunit Set Savannah Festival

Marriott Bonvoy and nonprofit Hamptons Whodunit will bring a mystery, thriller, and true crime festival to Savannah, Georgia, from November 6 to 8, 2026 [1]. Headquartered at The Alida, Savannah, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, the weekend features author panels, interactive forensic investigations, and student educational programming, marking the start of a broader multi-property rollout scheduled across the United States throughout 2027 [1].

Which hotels will host the Hamptons Whodunit Savannah event?

The festival will make its main home at The Alida, Savannah, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, while Hotel Orielle, Autograph Collection will also stage events and accommodate attendees [1]. According to eHotelier, both properties serve as direct gathering points for festival programming while anchoring guests within Savannah's historic downtown [1].

The partnership positions the two Marriott Bonvoy boutique properties as experiential destinations rather than standard room providers [1]. As Caroline Godden, Senior Director of Brand Marketing, U.S. and Canada at Marriott International, stated to eHotelier, the concept pairs the curiosity central to the Tribute Portfolio identity with literary travel [1].

What programming and interactive sessions are planned?

The festival schedule organizes around interactive crime-solving challenges, writing instruction, and dual-track educational presentations [1]. Attendees participate in signature experiences designed to place them alongside investigative professionals and novelists [1].

As reported by eHotelier, signature events include Wine and Crime, where ticket holders collaborate with cold case investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum to work through a real case [1]. A crime-themed Trivia Night will pair guests with authors such as Brendan Slocumb over food and drinks [1]. Simultaneously, the schedule divides into two continuous programming tracks covering fiction and true-crime investigation [1].

Which authors and forensic specialists will headline?

The speaker roster combines commercial fiction authors with seasoned medical examiners and law enforcement figures [1]. eHotelier reported that headlining novelists include Jessica Knoll, author of "Helpless" and "Luckiest Girl Alive," alongside Heather Graham, who has over 75 million books in print [1].

The fiction lineup also features award-winning Atlanta crime writer Wanda M. Morris, whose novel "Anywhere You Run" was recognized by The New York Times Book Review in 2022 and whose work "What You Leave Behind" earned a 2025 NAACP Image Award nomination [1]. Emma C. Wells joins following the September 2026 release of "We Already Dug the Grave," accompanied by novelist Shanora Williams [1].

On the investigative side, the festival features former medical examiner Barbara Butcher of Oxygen's "Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher" and Netflix's "Homicide New York" [1]. She will appear alongside forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan and retired NYPD Sgt. Joe Giacalone, host of the podcast "True Crime with the Sarge" [1].

How does the partnership incorporate local education?

Hamptons Whodunit will extend its educational outreach directly into the local market by collaborating with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) [1]. As eHotelier noted, this initiative introduces SCAD students to careers in forensic science, forensic art, and related investigative professions [1].

Founded in 2023 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Hamptons Whodunit has exposed over 250 students to criminal justice, investigation, and forensic arts disciplines [1]. The organization awarded its initial two academic scholarships in 2026 to high school seniors entering fields such as journalism, fiction writing, and forensics [1].

What are the future expansion plans for 2027?

The Savannah gathering serves as the pilot for an expanded series of Hamptons Whodunit events scheduled at Marriott Bonvoy locations across the United States throughout 2027 [1]. According to eHotelier, subsequent dates will include a dedicated Writers Retreat hosted at Postcard Cabins [1].

Carrie Doyle, co-founder and CEO of Hamptons Whodunit, explained that taking the festival to Savannah provides a fresh market for its core community while preserving the intimate access between audience and speakers that began at its initial events [1]. The planned 2027 itinerary extends that format into new leisure markets under Marriott's brand umbrella [1].