Residence Inn By Marriott, Downtown Atlanta

This hotel is awesome. I was traveling with 3 other friends one weekend and we got the best view of downtown Atlanta. I was originally looking for a downtown hotel that is close to MARTA station so that we could just hop on the train and not worry about parking – by the way downtown city parking was expensive and hard to find. I wasn’t sure if the recent marketing campaign from Residence Inn actually played a part, but I’ve stayed in decent Atlanta hotels many times and this one impressed me big time.

First of all, the hotel was strategically located in downtown Atlanta, within walking distance to the Olympic Park, Underground Atlanta, CNN, etc, etc. MARTA station was just across from the hotel. Spot on. I think the hotel acquired the classical part of the building which preserved the traditional European architectural details. We had asked for a high floor, which they provided with no extra charge. The large windows gave way to the spectacular view outside the room was exceptional, especially in the evening with all the city lights.

The room was clean; the two queen beds were clean and comfortable. Like other residential -type rooms, it had a kitchen area with a full-size fridge (not a mini fridge), two-burner stove, microwave, and dishwasher. There was a cute dining area with dining table and chairs. And the living area was just great in the evening when we were hanging out after a day of exploring Atlanta.

The complimentary breakfast was as divine, serving both hot and cold breakfast. And it’s none of the ‘standard’ complimentary cereal & bagel breakfast. We’re talking scrambled eggs & sausage, make-your-own waffles and sandwich, grits, yogurt, juices, coffee of course cereal & bagels, and a great selection of fruit and teas. Well, I love tea, so I paid attention to that :)

Suffice to say, we were happy campers (travelers) ready to do some more exploring that day.

Room rate was $119 a night, which was not bad when we split it into 4. Con: room had no balcony.