Escapes: Visit Atlanta

Here are three boutique hotels that will take you away – in spirit only.

by Mary Welch

October 25, 2007

N eed to get away but can't quite "get away"? Then go to one of the top tourist destinations in the country - Atlanta!
   
Metro Atlanta has a variety of escapes - from large luxury hotels to lakeside resorts. But we wanted something more intimate yet still intown. Don't worry. We found three wonderful boutique hotels that can offer a great getaway without getting away.
    
Our first stop was the 12-story, 140-room Hotel Indigo, which is located on Peachtree Street across from the Fox Theatre. Currently there are nine Hotel Indigos across the country, but Atlanta had the first. The hotel, which is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, delivers an experience that offers peace and renewal while challenging  the senses. The brightly colored lobby suggests a Caribbean or Miami experience. "We've had people say that as soon as they enter the lobby, they feel like they are off on an adventure," says Gabriele Webster, innkeeper. "It's definitely a feeling of being away."   

  
Even though the color and comfortable rooms may beckon, the lobby also has its allure as a great place to mingle or work in one of the oversized chairs that feature two large armrests - one for a computer and one for food from the Golden Bean restaurant. A third alternative is to sit on the patio, drink wine from Paso Creek, a boutique California winery, and watch the hustle and bustle of Peachtree Street.
    
As with a smaller hotel, customer service is paramount. "Our concierges really go out of their way to help our guests have the best experience," Webster says. "We will arrange special music to be put in the CD player if we know they are coming here to celebrate their anniversary. We even will have a member of the staff play music for them. We take the time to know our guests and take our service to the next level."

   
Of special interest, particularly for those who don't want to board their pets, is that the second floor is pet friendly and there is no extra charge. In fact, the hotel even has canine cocktail parties every Tuesday during the summer so that pet and master can chill out together.
   
"Again, our guests enjoy it. We even have a dog here at the hotel, so it's a lot of fun," she says.
    
Relatively new to the hotel scene is TWELVE, developer Jim Borders' foray into the hospitality business. TWELVE Atlantic Station features 101 one- or two-bedroom suites while the recently opened TWELVE Centennial Park has 102 suites. The rental rate generally starts at about $200 per night. What separates TWELVE from other hotels and boutiques is that each hotel is part of the TWELVE luxury condos, which bring added amenities such as a large state-of-the-art fitness center and gigantic pool and 24-hour concierge and room service.
     
Both hotels feature restaurants from Concentrics Hospitality and noted restaurateur Bob Amick. The restaurant at TWELVE Centennial Park is Room, which offers premium cuts of beef,  and creative sushi and even includes an authentic Tandoori oven. At TWELVE Atlantic Station, the restaurant is the Lobby, which is a vibrant, casual eatery offering traditional American fare with a contemporary twist. A wood-burning oven is a backdrop for the bar that opens to the hotel's lobby.
    
In addition, the rooms mirror the hotel rooms available in the condos. Each room is, in fact, a suite with a full kitchen and separate living room and features floor-to-ceiling windows, a 10-foot ceiling and large balconies. While the smallest one-bedroom suite may be about 660 square feet, which is almost double the size of most hotel rooms, the two-bedroom suite features 1,200 square feet of space, which is perfect for families or business meetings, says Cathy Wooten, director  of corporate communications.
    
"We find it's perfect for couples but also girlfriends who want to come into town and see a play or have a girls' weekend. And, since we have the facilities to host an event,
like a wedding, it also is perfect for that," Wooten says.
    
The TWELVE hotels are also technologically advanced with their GHOST system (Guest  Hotel Operating System Terminal), which allows guests the luxury of using a Dell flat-screen monitor and keyboard to request various services such the concierge, housekeeping, retrieval of their car from valet parking or laundry or room service.
   
"If you want the personal touch, we certainly have it with our concierge service," says Wooten. "But if you want to order room service or check out with a touch of a button, that's available as well."
    
Our third hotel is The Glenn, which offers a blend of New York sophistication, Miami style and Southern charm, and is located next to the historic Glenn Building on Marietta Street.
    
The hallways have low lighting, giving the hotel a soothing glow, and the common areas are decorated with Georgia marble, heart-pine floors and traditional Southern furnishings.     

The hotel's restaurant is undergoing renovation and a new concept and should open in early 2008.
    
However, still going strong is the Rooftoop Bar, which is an open area bar experience with sweeping, breathtaking views of downtown Atlanta's skyline.
    
The 93 rooms, 16 suites and the Jezebel Penthouse Suite complement the public spaces through the use of plush and uniquely designed rugs, warm soothing colors and sophisticated shapes and textures.
   
The Glenn bathrooms are uniquely designed with upgrades such as showers with both rain showerheads and hand-held water sources.
    
Many of the bathrooms feature a circular or oval shower with monochromatic finishes in shades of cream and silver, chrome fixtures and a "peekaboo" window so that a guest can view the plasma television in the bedroom. Other features include modern/European-style bed coverings in shades of ecru, taupe and camel, pillow-top mattresses, and brightly colored photography.

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Hotel Indigo
683 Peachtree St. N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-874.9200
www.midtownatlantahotel.com

TWELVE Hotel & Residences
TWELVE Atlantic Station
361 17th St.
Atlanta, GA 30363
404.961.1212
 
TWELVE Centennial Park
400 W. Peachtree St.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.418.1212 
www.twelvehotels.com

The Glenn Hotel
110 Marietta St.
Atlanta, GA 30303
4044.521.2250
www.glennhotel.com