ATL layover

We have a 14 hr layover in ATL on the way to St Maarten and have a few questions. 1) can we leave and go to a hotel 2) if yes any hotel recommendations 3) will our bags just check thru to final destination

First, welcome to FT.

It would be helpful to know how you are ticketed... who are you flying? Is your layover overnight? Are you on one ticket or two? That could make a difference in the answers.

There are many hotels near the ATL airport.... just depends on what you are looking for.

We are flying Delta. One ticket grr-atl-sxm. Our layover is over night. Arrives at 7:30 pm, leaves 9:30 am.

I would definitely not stay in ATL that long, I think I'd first gouge my eyes out with a spoon.

Do you want to go out to eat and see anything or just a place to sleep? I would stay at the Marriot Gateway or Springhill Suites Gateway since they are accessible by the sky train instead of a shuttle bus. Extremely easy and fast to get to and from. A lot of the area around the airport is questionable at best so I wouldn't go walking around anywhere. Eat dinner in the airport or at the hotel and get a good nights rest.

Thank you for the hotel suggestions, I will def check them out. We just need a place for a quick bit to eat and a place to sleep.

Do you know if the sky train goes directly to the international concourse from these hotels?

To answer your questions:
1. No - your bags will not be held overnight since it's over 12 hrs. Ask for your bags to be checked to ATL only at checkin in GRR to be sure you get them back
2. Go for the Marriott which is on the skytrain (first stop). To get to the train, exit the terminal to the right of the baggage claim (near the MARTA station)
3. The area surrounding the airport is *very* questionable in the evening hours. Eat at the airport (recommend 1 flew south terminal E) and enjoy an evening at the Marriott

In the morning you should be able to check-in on the domestic side since you are flying DL. In which case you just ride the train back to the domestic terminal and walk in near the MARTA and all the way down the concourse to the checkin stations.

If the checkin agent gives you grief about being at the wrong terminal, just ask nicely to have the bag checked in and tell them you'll ride the terminal train to E/F (some caribbean flights actually leave from the main terminal anyway).

If they won't check you in on the domestic side, you'll have to ride the bus to the international terminal. The bus pickup point is out in front of the sky train station.

That's the easiest way I think.

It's two different trains. There is a train that connects all concourses and is behind security. After you go through security through the main terminal or international terminal as described above, you can just jump on it and go anywhere you need. The train to the hotels is outside of security. After picking up your bags, go as if you are going to the rental car center. The elevated tram train will stop at the airport, gateway hotels and the rental car center. So one train is inside security and underground for going between all concourses and the other is outside the airport, above ground, and connects the airport, hotels and rental car center.

Thanks everyone for all your help!

I'm facing this, aka dinner at ATL or an airport hote,l tomorrow, arriving on a longhaul and continuing on a late night US domestic hop.

Any current recs for dinner, preferably "American" or "Mexican" style?

The restaurants inside of ATL are getting a lot better. Are your bags checked through so you can just stay behind security on your whole layover?

If you like burgers, Grindhouse is pretty good. I've never been to the one in the airport but the stand-alone locations are great. Verasano's Pizza, same story. Usually most everyone chooses One Flew South as the best place to eat in ATL though. It is pretty good.

Thank you indeed.

Wifi availability outside a few spots in terminal E was rather bad at ATL on Thursday, so could not access FT and ended up at "Varsity Burger" after a rec from my family member who commutes through Hartford-Jackson weekly.

But will try either One Flew South or Verasano's on the way back to Europe.

duplicate

There is a Mexican restaurant upstairs in the international terminal. It's tex-mex style, so plenty of tacos, nachos, quesadillas, etc. It's pretty tasty with large portion sizes.

Oh dear Varsity. Not my thing at all lol.

The other places mentioned are in a different league.

Well, I did like the chili dog and onion rings in my combo box. The burger was quite ok as well...

Will try your recs on the way back for sure. As mentioned wifi availability was a bit tricky this time.