Expert recommendations for the top accommodations in four price ranges: budget ($), moderate ($$), expensive ($$$), and luxury ($$$$).
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Atlanta International Hostel
Midtown location means easy access to downtown and Piedmont Park; 100 dorm beds in a Victorian house; many international travelers come for the clean kitchen, laundry facilities, and free, friendly travel information; excellent value. 223 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE; tel. +1 404 875 9449; 800 473 9449. www.atlantahostel.com
The Highland Inn
“Nothing hoity-toity about this clean, comfortable, no-frills European-style hotel built in 1927; walking distance to hip Virginia-Highlands.”—Paula Thrasher, freelance writer and former Atlanta Journal-Constitution travel writer. 100 rooms with televisions and refrigerators; private baths; central location. 644 North Highland Avenue; tel. +1 404 874 5756. www.thehighlandinn.com
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Hotel Indigo
“Funky fun. All dogs welcome. Don’t miss weekly Canine Cocktail Hour.”—K.K. Snyder, author, Frommer’s Atlanta. Converted from a staid business hotel to a colorful, modern-yet-cozy, dog-friendly inn; 140 rooms; no pet fee or pet weight limit; comfortable beds and plush pillows; spa showers; across the street from Fox Theatre. 683 Peachtree Street NE; tel. +1 404 874 9200. www.hotelindigo.com
King-Keith House B&B
1890 Queen-Anne style, Victorian home in Inman Park; five rooms, plus a private cottage, all filled with antiques; giant wrap-around sweet-tea-sippin’ porch; full breakfast. 889 Edgewood Avenue NE; tel. +1 404 688 7330. www.kingkeith.com
Shellmont Inn
“Impeccable historic home with five-panel Tiffany stained-glass window.”—K.K. Snyder. Five rooms in an 1891 Victorian mansion, plus master suite in the carriage house; restored to the most intricate details, from paint to pine floors; antique-filled rooms are spacious and not fussy; breakfast included. 821 Piedmont Avenue NE; tel. +1 404 872 9290. www.shellmont.com
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Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
“Some units have whirlpool tubs—in the bedrooms!”—K.K. Snyder. Not your average business hotel, with 181 sunny, generous rooms on ten floors; in Buckhead; walking distance to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza; indoor pool and fitness center. 3332 Peachtree Road NE; tel. +1 404 869 0818. www.marriott.com
Glenn Hotel
“Atlanta’s sexiest hotel—glass showers in the bedroom, erotic art, and bedside copies of pop-up Kama Sutra; don’t miss dinner in B.E.D., the hotel’s fabulous restaurant where eating in bed is the norm.”—K.K. Snyder. Office building turned chic hotel; 93 rooms, and 16 suites, some with circular glass shower stalls and soaking tubs; sleek modern furnishings; rooftop bar; plasma TVs, free Wi-Fi throughout. 110 Marietta Street NW; tel. +1 404 521 2250. www.glennhotel.com
Twelve Hotel
“At the heart of Atlantic Station, a massive in-town shopping, dining, entertainment, and residential district.”—Paula Thrasher. On the grounds of a long-time city eyesore, the former Atlantic Steel industrial site; the area was cleaned up and converted into the Atlantic Station complex, which opened in 2005; 101 one- and two-bedroom suites, plus some residential units; contemporary furnishings; high-tech computer system offers amenities at the touch of a button; outdoor pool. 361 17th Street; tel. +1 404 961 1212. www.twelvehotels.com
The Ellis
“We like to talk about Atlanta rising from the ashes—this hotel is a prime example.”—Paula Thrasher. Recent $26 million renovation of the old Winecoff Hotel, which burned in 1946; 127 rooms, including a secure women-only floor; details like iPod docking stations, free Wi-Fi, and comfy pillow-top beds. 176 Peachtree Street NW; tel. +1 404 523 5155. www.ellishotel.com
Georgian Terrace Hotel
Since 1911, celebrities and politicians have graced the hallways of this grand hotel; historic events include the reception for the 1938 world premiere of Gone With the Wind; 307 modernly furnished rooms of various sizes juxtapose the opulent lobby’s marble floors and soaring columns; worthy of a look whether you stay here or not. 659 Peachtree Street NE; tel. +1 404 897 1991. www.thegeorgianterrace.com
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Ritz-Carlton Buckhead
Across the street from upscale shopping and dining at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza; 553 rooms, all dripping with luxury; sumptuous linens, feather beds, bay windows; attentive service; fitness center with indoor pool; The Dining Room is a Mobil Five Star restaurant. 3434 Peachtree Road NE; tel. +1 404 237 2700. www.ritzcarlton.com
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
“Want to splurge? Request Ted Turner’s three-bedroom suite atop the Omni, with shopping, dining, and CNN tours on the ground floor.”—K.K. Snyder. In the thick of the downtown action; rooms with views of Centennial Park, the CNN atrium, or downtown skyline; a whopping 1,067 rooms and suites, with a variety of price points; kids get goodie bags on arrival. 100 CNN Center; tel. +1 404 659 0000. www.omnihotels.com
Four Seasons Hotel
“Atlanta’s only Mobil five-star lodging is a great location if you’re visiting the nearby Woodruff Arts Center.”—Paula Thrasher. 244 spacious rooms; yellow and gold finishes, with marble bathrooms; giant fitness facility includes indoor pool and sun terrace; on-site spa and Park 75 restaurant. 75 14th Street; tel. +1 404 881 9898. www.fourseasons.com
InterContinental Buckhead
“Don’t miss fine French cuisine 24 hours a day at Au Pied de Cochon.”—K.K. Snyder. 422 rooms and suites on 22 floors; central to Buckhead shopping, restaurants, and bars; popular French brasserie and bar on-site; fitness facility and outdoor pool, 3315 Peachtree Road NE; tel. +1 404 946 9000. www.intercontinental.com
