A historic Midtown property is transformed into a hotel gem.
If you need a local getaway and like things that are shiny and new, you need to check out, and check in to, the recently opened Hotel Granada. I visited the 100-year-old property on West Peachtree in Midtown shortly after it completed a two-year-long renovation. It was formerly the Hotel Artmore and originally the Granada Apartments, hence the name.
Luckily, the building’s Spanish colonial-inspired architecture was kept intact, including its red-tiled roof and stucco facade that stand out amidst the sea of modern skyscrapers. A mix of bold colors, textiles, lighting, furnishings and wallpapers have transformed the interior, including a custom wallpaper lining the hallways that features drawings of Atlanta icons like the Fox Theatre and Olympic cauldron tower, as well as the hotel’s signature fruit, the pomegranate (granada is Spanish for pomegranate). The art on the walls of the lobby was sourced from the nearby Savannah College of Art and Design and is for sale if you happen to fall in love with a piece or two.
The hotel is moderate in size, with 120 rooms and suites. Each room boasts luxe linens and toiletries, stocked mini fridges, spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers, plentiful plugs for charging your electronics and a snack station featuring Georgia-made treats like Xocolatl chocolate bars and Purposeful Gourmet Foods candied pecans. My double room featured pretty geometric carpeting, an art deco armoire with a laptop safe and, a rarity in hotels these days, windows that actually opened.
A focal point of the property is the Pom Court restaurant, set in a beautiful open-air courtyard. You can sit under the shade of the crepe myrtle trees and enjoy the tinkling of the historic Granada fountain. In addition to seasonal mocktails and cocktails, savor a selection of tasty tidbits from Le Cordon Bleutrained executive chef Jaime Cubias. A friend joined me there for dinner during my stay, and we shared bites of the empanada trio, double smash burger and garlic prawns with cheddar grits fries, and then devoured a peach cobbler and a bread pudding made with croissants that wasn’t even on the menu yet.
After such a filling meal, I should have gone straight to the on-site gym and burned some calories on the Peloton, but I headed back to my room to get some beauty sleep. Another option would have been to visit May Peel, the stylish cocktail lounge on the bottom floor of the hotel, but it wasn’t yet open during my stay.
Another highlight of the hotel is its location less than a 10-minute stroll from attractions like the High Museum of Art, Center Stage Theater and Center for Puppetry Arts, as well as popular restaurants like Nan Thai Fine Dining and 5Church Midtown. A fresh manicure and relaxing spa treatment are nearby as well at the Lush Nail Bar and AYA Medical Spa in Colony Square. Guests can also stay active courtesy of the hotel’s director of lifestyle, who partners with local experts and community organizations to present experiences such as floral workshops, running sessions, cocktail pop-ups and musical performances.
So pick a weekend, ditch the car, pack your jammies and head to the Hotel Granada for an intown retreat at this peach of a hotel named after a pomegranate.
HOTEL GRANADA
404.737.3030
granadaatlanta.com
