World City Guide

Hotels

Atlanta is the convention city of the south, with hotels to fit every budget and taste – be it a modern establishment with all the amenities or a simple, spartan motel. Room rates vary widely, depending upon how many conventions are taking place within the city. In mid-April, rooms within the city centre are at a premium.

Prices categories for a standard double room are as follows:
$$$$ (over US$300)
$$$ (US$200 to US$299)
$$ (US$100 to US$199)
$ (under US$100)
Tax of 15% is extra. Check hotel websites for online specials. Breakfast is not included unless specified.

Business

Hilton Atlanta
A modern monolith in the heart of Downtown, this convention favourite is huge – 1,224 rooms. The airy atrium lobby is always bustling with activity. Spacious guest rooms have cherry furnishings accented with earthy-toned decor. In-room business facilities (including high-speed modem points and a generous sized desk) add convenience. There are over 5,880 square metres (63,000 square feet) of meeting and convention space on one level and all facilities are state-of-the-art. Trader Vic’s, which transports diners to the South Pacific with its Polynesian décor and Pan Asian cuisine, and the elegant Nikolai’s Roof (see Restaurants) are two of the hotel’s five restaurants.

255 Courtland Street NE
Tel: (404) 659 2000.
Website: www.atlanta.hilton.com
Price: $$

Westin Peachtree Plaza
This 73-storey, glass cylinder (a John Portman design) defines Atlanta’s skyline. A five-storey lobby atrium and a thin glass elevator (used in the movie Sharkey’s Machine) that inches up the building’s exterior are just as sleek. Pie-shaped rooms are outfitted in pastel hues and dark woods as well as minibars, work desk, high speed Internet access and ‘Heavenly’ beds. The gym and full service health club offers massage therapy. On the 73rd floor is the multi-levelled, revolving Sun Dial Restaurant which offers diners steak and seafood accompanied by an amazing, revolving view of the city.

210 Peachtree Street NW
Tel: (404) 659 1400.
Website: www.westin.com
Price: $$$

Luxury

Four Seasons Hotel
A grand staircase in the soaring lobby underscores the opulence of this luxurious property that occupies only the first 19 floors of a 53-storey skyscraper. Guest rooms are decorated in soothing sage and cream, with mahogany furniture and original artwork. The bathrooms are a sybaritic delight, with extra-large, soaking tubs and glassed-in showers. There is also a full-service health club. The hotel restaurant, Park 75, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, manages to be charming for daytime meals, but elegant in the evening. Menu choices include Angus beef filet, Maine lobster and a trio of fish – salmon, halibut and turbot.

75 14th Street
Tel: (404) 881 9898.
Website: www.fourseasons.com
Price: $$$$

Ritz-Carlton Buckhead
This elegant retreat offers deluxe accommodation in a quiet, understated fashion. The lobby, bar and restaurant, with its 18th- and 19th-century antiques, is elegantly decorated in deep tones. The award-winning Dining Room Restaurant captures hearts for its cuisine and its cosy bar and dance floor just a few romantic steps away. The rooms are beautifully appointed with antique reproductions and lavish bathrooms of white marble. There is an enclosed, heated pool in the health club. Adjacent to both Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza, this is an excellent location for a weekend retreat of shopping and dining Atlanta style.

3434 Peachtree Road NE
Tel: (404) 237 2700.
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com
Price: $$$$

Moderate

Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center
Located in Midtown, adjacent to Georgia Tech, this facility is ideal for business travellers. Minimalist in décor, the lobby’s only embellishment is a 1934 Ford -- the ‘rambling wreck’ from the Georgia Tech fight song. Rooms, accented with earthy tones, are spacious and comfortable with amenities like high speed Internet, flat-screen TVs, granite bathrooms and robes. The Conference Dining Room’s tasty buffet is a bargain for US$20, while its sports bar, The Club, is quite comfortable. Leisure travellers should note that the hotel is within walking distance of the Fox Theatre, Centennial Olympic Park, museums, restaurants and other attractions.

800 Spring Street NW
Tel: (404) 347 9440.
Website: www.gatechhotel.com
Price: $$

Sheraton Colony Square
Fresh flowers decorate the dimly lit atrium lobby where the sounds of piano music often float through the air. Rooms are large with blonde furnishings, sleigh beds and accents of shades of creams and yellows. Higher floors have a better view of Midtown. Well located, this hotel is just a block from the Woodruff Arts Center and High Museum of Art and across from the 14th Street Playhouse. If the hotel’s restaurant offerings (Starbucks and the 14th Street Bar and Grill) do not turn you on, the adjacent mall has a variety of dining options. The hotel is within walking distance of the MARTA Arts Center Station.

188 14th Street NE
Tel: (404) 892 6000.
Website: www.starwood.com
Price: $$

Other Recommendations

Ansley Inn
Tucked away in Midtown, one of Atlanta’s few bed and breakfasts provides travellers with a respite from the humdrum of hotel life. Complimentary wine and cheese, high speed Internet, parking, a full hot Southern breakfast, plus a US$10 discount coupon for local restaurants make this restored English Tudor-style mansion very inviting. The hotel is filled with paintings, chandeliers and quality antiques. Each guest room boasts a fireplace, Jacuzzi and private bath. There is also a corporate wing, furnished in a contemporary style, complete with working desks. The inn is located within a few blocks of the MARTA Arts Center Station and walking distance to attractions.

253 15th Street NE
Tel: (404) 872 9000.
Website: www.ansleyinn.com
Price: $$ (including breakfast).

Grand Hyatt Buckhead
An 11m (35ft) waterfall and an 836 square metre (9,000 sq ft) Japanese garden set this modern hotel apart from its competitors in upscale Buckhead. Originally a Nikko hotel, the Oriental influence is still evident in the understated decor of black, grey and purple. High-quality Japanese art adorns the walls of both public and private rooms, while the guest rooms are quite spacious and more American than Japanese in style. The hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Cassis, features Mediterranean cuisine. Other amenities include an outdoor pool and health club. Located in trendy (and high traffic volume) Buckhead, the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle, which takes guests anywhere within a 3km (2 mile) radius, a real plus for dining and shopping.

3300 Peachtree Road NE
Tel: (404) 237 1234 or (800) 233 1234.
Website: www.hyatt.com
Price: $$$