Hotel Review: The Georgian Terrace

After trying out a theme hotel, a luxury renovation, and basic baseball comfort, I decided to visit a piece of Atlanta history in the form of The Georgian Terrace, a hotel that opened in 1911 and located directly across the street from another landmark, the fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta’s Midtown district.

Confession: I live just a few blocks away from the hotel, so I’m really putting the “stay” in “staycation” this time around! I went because I’ve always wanted to check out this luxury-branded hotel, and this weekend it was going for steal ($172/night).

F. Scott Fitzgerald and President Calvin Coolidge were among the first high profile guests to check out The Georgian Terrace when it debuted in the early 20th century. Since that time, the hotel’s proximity to Atlanta nightlife and entertainment have made it a second home for touring bands and performers over the decades.

The Georgian Terrace, 1911.

Current Hotel. Attribution: Carsonmc at English Wikipedia

First Impressions

The hotel’s exterior is as distinct as it was over a century ago, when it was designed by architect William Lee Stoddart, using a Beau-Arts style to evoke the architecture in Paris. The trolley lines over Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon are gone, so the hotel’s entrance is a bit further back from the street these days, with a roundabout in the front driveway.

The hotel lobby is understated with old Southern charm and decor courtesy of art installations by local SCAD students. Light colors and open architecture is the name of the game in this establishment, and it gives off an “old money” vibe that is both comfortable and inviting.

The lobby.

The Room

This place is simply adorable. It feels like you’re in someone’s very nice guest room, complete with a very dramatic walk in closet, two other closets, and a nice bathroom. The Southern hospitality even extends to the soaps and shampoos, made by Sothern Senses. The king sized bed is very comfortable and soft, and the room itself was incredibly quiet – we rarely heard our neighbors or street traffic on the 14th floor, things we often hear on the 19th floor of our home located on the same street!

The hotel underwent some renovations recently and new carpeting was put in all of the residential and hotel room floors. The server who brought up our room service told me he hates it, and I have to agree that the modern marbled carpet pattern doesn’t fit with the rest of the hotel, but it certainly wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. The hotel is old, so there are bound to be some issues and we found one with the bathroom plumbing, which was quite loud and would run at random times, but again – not a big problem. Older hotels have their quirks and for putting out a century of service, this old hotel seemed to be holding out well.

Amenities

The Georgian Terrace has a 12ft deep rooftop pool and a fitness center on the penthouse level. The hotel has some long term guests who stay in the suites on this level (I’m jealous!) and those rooms have kitchens and laundry facilities. The fitness center has a mix of new and old equipment and the pool is a mix of new and old as well, with an old school lifeguard seat across from a modern cabana area.

Pool, with a view of my home in the background.

The Stay

Our night at the hotel was pleasant and peaceful. Very little noise, no messes to clean up, no interruptions from staff or other patrons – just a quiet night in. We also had dinner at The Livingston restaurant which is a part of the building, and it was a great experience that I’ll blog about later!  Overall, it was a wonderful, comfortable, and luxurious-feeling experience that I’d like to have again.