A TONY TRIO AMONG ATLANTA’S POOL OF HOT NEW HOTELS
STORY: Giannina Smith Bedford
New hotels are popping up all over Atlanta, and several more distinct properties are in the works. Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown and Dream Atlanta, Buckhead are two of the most recently announced, to name just a few. (A source in a recent Atlanta Business Chronicle article stated that hotel demand in Atlanta is “record-setting and growing,” with an additional 750 hotel rooms expected in Buckhead alone within the next three years.) This accommodations explosion gives both visitors and locals looking for a special staycation lots of options. Here, meet three one-of-a-kind properties that recently hit the scene.
Take Me Out to the Omni
Adjacent to SunTrust Park, the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta offers the ultimate baseball-lovers staycation— and a pretty good time even for a fair-weather fan like myself. Opened in January, the sports-meets-city hotel has 264 guestrooms and a basebal linspired decor that fuses wood paneling and leather with the home team Braves’ palette of red, white and blue. Custom artwork honors America’s favorite pastime through framed antique scouting reports and oversized quotes from some of the sport’s greats. Step into the lobby on game day and the excitement is palpable. While awaiting the first pitch, guests chat over beers at the lobby bar, shop the locally curated goods at the South End Trading Company gift shop and dine at Hugh Acheson’s Achie’s, where the patio faces the ballpark’s grand entrance gates. On our late summer stay during a home game, my family and I only made it through a few hot innings inside the park before heading back to the hotel to cool off. We kept tabs on the game via the Omni’s various vantage points—striking field views are offered from select guestrooms, public spaces and the elevated pool deck, where the 582 Waterside Lounge & Bar keeps patrons well-fed and hydrated. For the ultimate pampering, book the Presidential Suite, where you can watch the game live through windows in the bathroom while soaking in the tub. If baseball isn’t your thing, The Battery’s shops and chef-driven restaurants—from Hector Santiago’s El Super Pan to Linton Hopkins’ C. Ellet’s—will keep you entertained. Even during the offseason, the ambience remains lively, with the Coca-Cola Roxy hosting live concerts year-round. Before checking out, my family and I took an early morning stroll to Goldbergs for a cup of coffee and got to experience The Battery sans the baseball crowd. I may be a fair-weather fan, but a stay at The Battery’s only hotel had me reciting the tomahawk chop chant and looking forward to my next visit to the Braves’ new home.
Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta
2625 Circle 75 Parkway S.E.
Atlanta 30339
678.567.7327
omnihotels.com/atlanta-battery
Starting room rate: $239
Finding Some Solís
Frequent travelers and car aficionados can get revved up about the addition of the Solís Two Porsche Drive to the local lodging scene. As the first Solís Hotels & Resorts destination in the U.S., the 214-room property borders the Porsche Experience Center and is just north of the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Step away from the track or terminal and into a European motorsports-inspired interior that includes a mural of a 1953 Porsche 550 Le Mans Panamericana Coupe in the lobby.
The ode to autos continues throughout the guestrooms, including the Track View suites and Presidential Suite, where cars rounding the curves of the Porsche Handling Course and panoramic views of the planes landing on the runway can be seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Don’t worry: The three pane insulated windows keep the sound out so you can still get your rest.
For another interesting vantage point, visit the eighth floor’s rooftop Overdrive Lounge, where small plates, craft cocktails and live music are paired with the spot’s own runway and track views. For a traffic-free environment, Apron restaurant on the first floor offers a Mediterranean menu of seafood, steak and housemade pasta.
Solís Two Porsche Drive
Two Porsche Drive
Atlanta 30354
470.466.3300
solis2porschedrive.com
Starting room rate: $179
Clermont Comeback
Your stories about visits to the legendary Clermont Lounge— don’t act like you don’t know what we’re talking about—might soon be overshadowed by a stay at the adjoining hotel, which has been reborn after being shuttered for nearly 10 years. Undergoing a more than $20 million renovation, the Hotel Clermont reopened in June as a 94-room boutique hotel that preserves the historic structure’s colorful past. This includes the original signage and 65-foot radio tower that date back to 1940. Touting a “rock-n’-roll meets grandma’s-living-room” vibe, the hotel’s decor of velvet and floral themes showcases arts and crafts celebrating femininity and Atlanta’s roots—think peach tree and train track bathroom wallpaper and quotes from Atlanta’s rap duo OutKast. In addition to standard rooms, the property offers 15 bunk rooms that pay homage to the hotel’s history of musical guests. The playful lodging experience continues at French-American brasserie Tiny Lou’s, named for a 1950s-era hotel dancer. There, inventive dishes from executive chef Jeb Aldrich combine French classics with Southern flair. For sparkling skyline views, hang out at the sixth-floor rooftop bar complete with street-food-inspired bites, AstroTurf and a rum-based cocktail program.
Hotel Clermont
789 Ponce de Leon Avenue N.E.
Atlanta 30306
407.485.0485
hotelclermont.com
Starting room rate: $199
