175 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, 404-659-2727; main.wnt
Rates: $119 to $209 a night for standard rooms; $159 to $249 for suites. Ten percent discount if you book online and pay in advance. Parking is $15 a day in a covered garage.
Stay here if you: want a business-friendly hotel.
It’s close to: the eastern edge of downtown Atlanta. CNN studios, the Georgia Dome and the Georgia Aquarium are within a mile; the airport is 8 miles away. The closest MARTA subway stop is about a four-block walk, uphill.
The rooms are: designed by Denver Public Library architect Michael Graves, who figured out a way to divide standard-size rooms into what feels like spacious sleeping and business areas. The business section has a full-size desk with Aeron chair, sofa and coffee table. Some rooms also have “smart” chairs, with outlets built into the upholstery and laptop stands affixed to the arms. The sleeping section is like most other hotels, with a bed, nightstands, dresser and TV, but the bed is comfy, the TV is flat-screen, and the carpet is so soft you won’t have to bother packing slippers.
They put all of the money into: the rooms. The lobby area is a little cramped, with a TV lounge, bar and restaurant packed into 1,000 or so square feet, but it’s usable. The fitness center is also small, but the pool is spacious.
The bottom line: With its business-friendly design and free wireless Internet, this hotel is a good value if you’ve come to Atlanta to work, or play. Its only minus is its location — on the edge of downtown in an area that feels a little dicey, safety-wise, after dark. Also, the hotel backs up to a highway interchange so extensive it’s like a cloverleaf on steroids. If traffic noise bothers you, ask for a room facing the front of the hotel.
Vicky Uhland
