Best Atlanta Hotels

The Mansion on Peachtree jumped to the top of the Atlanta accommodations heap when it opened in 2008, and has maintained its name as one of the best Atlanta hotels since. The Mansion is refined and elegant to be sure, but thanks to careful appointments manages to exude a hominess sorely lacking in many other high-end hotels. From the leather wingback chairs clustered around the fireplace in the lobby to the clubby wood-paneled Mansion Bar to the brocaded curtains in the guest rooms, The Mansion succeeds in making you feel like you’re in someone’s, well, mansion rather than in a corporate cocoon. All of its spacious 127 rooms feature marble bathrooms, large closets and city views. For the big splurge, check into the Rosewood Presidential Suite, a lush 2,340-square-foot mini-palace with panoramic vistas of the skyline. The Mansion boasts a great Buckhead location, excellent for shopping, just steps from both Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square Mall. For unwinding there's 29 Spa, a sumptuous 15,000-square-foot oasis created by 29 Cosmetics founder Lydia Mondavi. Craft Atlanta, the local outpost of superchef Tom Collichio's famed New York restaurant, is right in The Mansion's foreyard.

Though its reign as the city's newest luxury property ended with the opening of The Mansion on Peahtree in 2008, the Four Seasons Atlanta is still one of the best, and poshest temporary addresses in Midtown. Set in a stunning rose and granite tower the Four Seasons' 244 rooms (including 18 suites) are bright and spacious, with cushy appointments like a refrigerator, twice-daily housekeeping and plush robes. Need a fax machine or an air ionizer? Just ask. For the best views of Atlanta, book one of the corner suites on the 19th floor. Four Seasons is one of the best places to stay in Atlanta for location. The Four Seasons' proximity to some of Atlanta's best attractions, like the Botanical Gardens and Piedmont Park, is big plus for us. The Park 75 restaurant on the third floor offers three separate dining areas—lounge, inside dining room or the terrace overlooking the three-story atrium—and blends classical elegance with superb food. Forget local; Park 75 flies in the finest ingredients from around the globe—moonfish from Hawaii, scallops from PEI—and serves them up with style. Gold leafed chocolate with champagne for dessert? Yes, please! Despite the indulgent bent of the menu, prices aren’t as astronomical as we feared (about $100 a person for dinner) and there are prixe fixe and tasting menus that allow you to indulge for less. That’s still a splurge for most of us, but what a splurge!

Atlanta's first hotel from Kimpton, the Palomar includes all of the perks that Kimpton fans love: pet-friendliness, eco-friendliness, and above all, guest-friendliness. The 304 rooms come in a multitude of sizes and configurations, and feel hip but homey, with nice touches like a choice of pillow style and L'Occitane bath amenities. The Fuji spa tubs alone make the suites worth the splurge. You’ll really appreciate them while you’re soaking off an afternoon’s worth of touring the neighborhood. Hotel Palomar is one of the best Atlanta hotels for a moderate price with a great location for touring the city. The Palomar's prime Midtown location is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum and the Midtown MARTA station. It even hosts one of the neighborhood's top restaurants, Pacci, which provides room service if you’d rather dine in.

Located in a landmark 1924 Spanish Mediterranean building, the Artmore brought boutique style to Midtown when it debuted in 2009. The sleek interior is done in warm tones and features playful details—Midcentury Modern chairs in the lobby, metal fish scales on the lobby bar—that pay homage to the nearby Arts District. Artmore Hotel is one of the best places to stay in Atlanta if you're looking for a modern, well-decorated boutique. The Artmore is in an enviable location, just steps from the High Museum of Art and the Arts Center MARTA station. Its 102 rooms feature upscale touches like iPod docking stations, rain shower heads and refrigerators, and WiFi is complimentary throughout the hotel. Downstairs, the Studio Bar & Lounge has become a popular nightspot for urban-leaning visitors and residents.

If the phrase "hipster charm" doesn't scare you off, then the Highland Inn is  the hotel for you. Opened in 1927 as the Wynne Hotel and Tea Room, this quirky property has seen a lot in its day, and now draws in adventurous travelers looking to soak up local color. For Atlantans, one of the hotel's premier draws (and a good reason to book your room on a higher floor) is its basement Ballroom Lounge, which features local musicians in the early evening before morphing into a dance club later on (the monthly art/dance event Laser Beam Kitty is held here). The rooms are borderline icky, but they're dirt cheap, and the staff is lovely—and after all, you're here for the character … if your definition of character includes some peeling plaster and grimy grout in the bathroom tile, that is. Still, it’s one of the cheapest downtown hotels and you won’t have to go chase the nightlife as it comes to you. Close to both the Little Five Points and Virginia-Highland neighborhoods, The Highland is perfectly situated for the indie Atlanta experience.

Sure, it's a Motel 6. But as Motel 6's go, this one's got a lot going for it, including close proximity to some of Atlanta's top draws: It's less than a mile to CNN Center, the Atlanta Civic Center, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca Cola. Motel 6 is one of the top Atlanta hotels for families. The rooms are bare bones (don't expect more than a bar of nondescript soap), but they're clean, and the rates are substantially lower than fancier neighbors like the Hilton—$50 a night versus almost $200. WiFi and parking are free, making it even easier on your budget.