Best Atlanta Airport hotel under Category 4 without facing cold weather?
 

I will be traveling to PUJ connecting at ATL airport through Southwest Airlines. I have marriott free nights that I can redeem for hotels under category 4 - in this case: Rennaissance, Marriott Airport, Springhill & more.

Most important consideration is we don't want to travel through shuttle with kids in the very cold December weather. Is there any airport hotel, that is located within the Airport itself or it can be reached by airport tram without facing the cold?

Springhill for sure as that is the only stop on the rental car tram. I think you still have to cross a very small but busy street at the end of the terminal to get to the entrance, stupidly. You'll live!

Agree on the hotel. You walk out of the terminal and have the right of way on a very big crosswalk, so there is no need to stop. You are only outside for a few seconds before entering the heated hallway leading to the escalator up to the train. You also have to walk outside a bit when you get to the hotel, but it's mere steps. Anywhere else will require a longer walk outside, given you have to get to and often wait for the hotel van outside.

That is a very relative term in ATL.:)

It is generally not that cold. Light jacket/sweater is typical. I have ridden around with the convertible top down to look at decorations and I have also seen a snowflake or two but both of these situations are rare.

In your case, you will have to go outside regardless of your hotel choice. I would not make that your only deciding factor.

What are you going to do for meals? Springhills do not have an evening food service so you would have to go back out, whereas the Ren and Marriott would have in-house dining.

Cold weather? Atlanta? I'm baffled.

Yeah, this is weird one. I don't think the kids will suffer frostbite on an airport shuttle in Atlanta. Or elsewhere, for that matter.

Always thought it was odd to spend all that money on the tram, with all those levels, escalators and elevators, and not have a direct path or corridor into the terminal!!

Marriott Gateway is on the tram ride as well. Solid hotel.

Thanks but Marriott Gateway is category 6 unfortunately.

Thanks all for the easy decision towards Springfield.
I saw this pic in Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sprin...AZI2wzFWkmvgNg
hence I wanted to make sure.

We will reach the hotel around 9 pm and leave by 7 am. We can eat/buy/togo from Airport restaurants; not a problem. There will be microwave & refrigerator.

My gosh, there is snow on the ground and it appears to be December. I cannot remember a December snow recently, but maybe I was out of town when it happened.

Sorry, my bad.

No problem.

It's a quick walk across the street to eat at the sports bar-type place at the Marriott.

While the SHS was shiny new there were some weird things about the room I did not like - bathroom RIGHT at the foot of the bed with opaque doors so bathroom lights up room in night, as well as opaque room dividers so again, if someone wants to get up in the night to read in the living area it lights up the bedroom area, too.

Were you around this past winter? ATL got some pretty bad weather and made the national news for how poorly prepared the government was to handle it.... :)