pricesquire

Thanks for all your responses. W Midtown it is!

*Not trying to hijack the thread, but I gotta ask (not worth starting a new thread for): say I'm in ATL four nights, and I stay at a different SPG hotel each of four nights. Will I get credit for four stays? Or will SPG lump it all together as 1 stay?

UA-NYC

Yes - this is a time honered way to get to SPG Plat each year as quickly as possible

Highly recommend the South City Kitchen as well for a great meal, just a couple blocks away

pricesquire

Great! Thanks!

jibi

Absolutely amazing food! I definitely recommend the buttermilk fried chicken and fried green tomatoes ^

jibi

Location not withstanding, the best hotels inside the perimeter are (in my opinion):

- St. Regis (Buckhead) (tops my list solely because my discount and friendly upgrades put me in a 1,000-sq. ft. St. Regis Suite for $199 per night ... and you really cannot beat the location in the Brookhaven area)
- W Atlanta (Midtown) (great location for
- Westin Buckhead (generous upgrades abound and a great location near Lenox)
- W Atlanta (Downtown) (it has fallen a few rungs, but don't tell them or SPG that ... will likely be lower the next time I stay here due to the recent classification upgrade for an aging hotel that is too new to be aging)
- Westin Peachtree Plaza (a lot of renovations are nice and you cannot beat the views from high levels ... near my old office, so always a favorite although not so with the FlyerTalk crowd due to past reputation)
- W Atlanta (Buckhead) (experience varies depending on upgrade availability, which is rare)
- Westin Atlanta Airport (in most cases, it is a great experience but the location is not that great)
- Sheraton Downtown (good location for some downtown restaurants and businesses, but overall the hotel is worn)
- Sheraton Gateway Atlanta Airport (experience varies depending on what conference/family reunion is going on at the time of stay)

I did not realize that the former W Perimeter has been re-branded as Atlanta's first Le Meridien. This hotel was a W then a non-branded SPG hotel (Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites) and now a Le Meridien... interesting and it may be worth checking out once the remodel is complete. Aside from that, location dictates anything on the North Perimeter, but my favorite hotel in that direction is the Westin.

MSPeconomist

Westin Peachtree Plaza is a huge convention hotel, good with status if your meeting is there but I would avoid staying there as an individual unless you want the experience of staying in this iconic but dated property and love the tall building views. It is not for anyone who is afraid of heights. There is NO lounge. Sheraton downtown doesn't seem as big, but is still a convention hotel to be avoided. Downtown and Midtown Ws are good possibilities, but I've had the best experiences at the OMNI at Olympic Park, very close to the aquarium and house of coke.

In Buckhead, W and Westin are next door, located at a MARTA station and within a very easy walk, almost just across the parking lot, from the shopping mall. I think the Westin is great for rooms (IIRC I had an executive corner or something, with a huge luxurious bathroom and sitting area but definitely not a suite) and lounge (no free alcohol, but smoked salmon, bacon at breakfast, etc.) The hotel restaurant is a chain steakhouse, with a coffee stand and bar in the lobby. W Buckhead has small rooms but light colors and different fun decor than the usual W. StRegis is wonderful--I got a beyond standard suite upgrade on a free weekend rate--with good service and an upscale to elegant feel. There's a very nice outdoor pool area. The hotel does the saboring of champaign thing, which is fun and IME the manager participates.

Unfortunately the SPG airport properties are located on the opposite side of the airport from the DL campus. Their shuttle bus may or may not agree to drop you off at the DL gate to visit the museum. When I investigated, the Sheraton Gateway seemed more willing and welcoming but this might have been the particular employees I talked with.

beofotch

Here is a review of 7 of the Atlanta SPG properties I stayed at from January - March 2013, with ranking of each on many of the criteria you have specified.

Here is the summary table, which shows the W Buckhead winning out.

RDB68

I stayed here last year and there are many floors with completely renovated rooms. I stayed on the 46th floor (roughly). The Sundial restaurant is expensive, but worth the time and money (especially on a clear day). If you have the courage, ride the external elevator up to the top. I did this once and ended up turning around to face the door.

pricesquire

Surprised you gave W Buckhead a better location score than W Midtown

Cool chart though

UA-NYC

Um, I would definitely NOT have the W Buckhead as an above-average quality product, not with the creaking pipes, tiny bathrooms, awful room decor, etc. But I guess YMMV.

youreadyfreddie

Am enjoying the view from my room on the 66th floor at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, although it does give me a bit of an adrenaline rush.

Leezell

The wife & I have always enjoyed W Buckhead's prime location across the street from Dante's. Once that closes in 2 months, it'll lose a great deal of appeal.

DCFlyer0306

I have spent a lot of time in Atlanta and have stayed at many of the properties -- here is how I would rank them in order:

1. W Midtown. Great location close to restaurants and Piedmont Park with everything within walking distance (rare for Atlanta), large rooms, great suites with relatively frequent upgrades (though upgrades seem to be decreasing), typical W vibe but not over the top

2. St Regis. Not in the heart of the city, but there are stores and restaurants within walking distance and Whole Foods is right across the street. Very elegant property with very spacious rooms and generous upgrades. Service and physical maintenance have declined slightly in the last couple of years, however

3. W Downtown. Very modern and sleek hotel but a little "cold" aesthetically. Location is good if you want to do the downtown attractions (Aquarium, World of Coke). Upgrades are okay. Still feels pretty new

4. Westin Buckhead. Good location for Buckhead, close to Metro and within walking distance of many restaurants. Nice, clean rooms with the typical Westin decor. Has a lounge. Above average for an NA Westin

5. W Perimeter (now Le Meridien). I stayed here when it was a W -- interesting layout with full kitchens in the rooms (many are suites). Near Perimeter mall, so not the best location but at least there are stores and restaurants within walking distance. Friendly staff, clean rooms although they felt a bit tired

6. Westin Peachtree. This hotel is a disgrace. It occupies such a prominent place in Atlanta's skyline but is physically in very poor condition. Would avoid unless you need to be in downtown / midtown and other options are unavailable or much, much more expensive

7. W Buckhead. Good location for Buckhead, near the Metro (next to the Westin). Ridiculously small rooms with ridiculous decor. The bathroom is literally in the bedroom - it is one of the smallest rooms I have ever stayed in, while most hotel rooms in Atlanta are quite spacious. Upgrades are rare / non-existent.

8. Westin Perimeter. The hotel itself is fine - modern rooms that were clean, although a little small. Staff is helpful. Location is very poor - it is at Perimeter but the W / Le Meridien is right across the street from the mall -- this is a hike away. No reason to stay here at all unless you had business in the area

greathustle

DCFlyer nailed it. Agree with that exact ranking, though I have never been to the Westin Perimeter so I can't speak to that. W Midtown is so much more enjoyable, for the location, than really anything else on the list, and as a bonus is typically cheaper than any of the other Ws in town.

W Buckhead is awful. I had the misfortune of being there again last week and was reminded again just how small and cramped the rooms, and especially the bathrooms, are. No counter space, narrow shower, and an icky shower curtain blowing in and clinging to you when you're trying to get clean.

Eujeanie

DCFlyer, apologies that I don't know all the lingo, but what is an "NA Westin". I just booked there for October, lot of great weekend packages at all the hotels (not just *wood) but this one made the most sense for us.