Atlanta and Atlanta Area Locals!!! Hotel Help Needed

[Pammy_from_WI]

Hi Everyone,

Ok having a tough time finding a nice, upscale, but not too posh, family hotel in the Atlanta area. We will be driving to FL and I want to be sure we get in a decent hotel for the night.

I've looked at Marriot brands and Hilton brands, but none of them show pics of the hotels so I would have no idea if these are dives or not. Trust me not all chain hotels are the same. LOL Been there did that! I'll just say, "Please do not recommend ANY Worst err Best Westerns!"

We have 4 adults and 1 child and are looking for for a suite type of place, along I-75.

Any suggestions?

Pam

 

[Mimi Q]

The Embassy Suites Hotel near the airport is very nice. It would not be very far off I-75.
http://www.embassysuites.com/en/es/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ATLSPES

 

[Robinrs]

Since I live here I've only stayed at one hotel here. I did a Priceline and got the Wyndham Vinings Hotel. It was lovely, an older classic hotel in Vinings which is a nice area right off of 285. http://vinings.wyndham-hotels.com/

There is an Amerisuites near Cobb Parkway... http://www.amerisuites.com/hotels/ajsm.shtml I've never stayed there, only gone by it.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

Thanks so much, both the Embassy and the Amerisuites look like what we try to get in a hotel.

I saw where the Amer. was, looks like it is just a few min or so off I-75.

I'm not clear on the Embassy. Looks like 285 is the big loop around Atlanta, but not sure how far it is off of I-75. Could someone clarify that for me?

Been through Atlanta a ton of times, but it's been a few years and I can't remember the distances between roads and such. In the past we just stayed on I-75 if I remember right and never got on the 285. I could be wrong tho.

Thanks much,
Pammy

 

[Mimi Q]

My estimate would be five minutes from I-75 to ES, but you might want to call the hotel to be sure. It is very nice though.

 

[Disneyaholic]

If at all possible, try to get THROUGH Atlanta before you stop for the night. Don't know what days you're travelling, but Atlanta does have its problems with traffic, to put it mildly....

If you can find something in the Morrow or McDonough area, you might be glad you did.

If you can go a little farther down the road, there are a lot of hotels/motels in Macon, which would put you even a little closer to your desitination!

 

[Dan Murphy]

What area was I in guys??

 

[kadaten]

We have family there so rarely stay in hotels, but I must say, the Westin near the airport is very nice

 

[Dan Murphy]

That's it, the Westin. Nice one.

 

[outstandinfarmer]

I live in Milwaukee too, so here's my advice!

I have driven to Atlanta (I have family there) and Florida more times than I can count. DO NOT PLAN ON A CERTAIN HOTEL!!! Just drive and stop when you want. At rest areas they have coupons books for hotels. You don't know when you all are going to get tired. You may want to stop in Chattenooga (sp?) or you may just want to go straight through to Orlando. After several times experimenting, we were MUCH happier driving straight through to Orlando. It goes super quick too. Leave at like 11 pm and you'll get there about 9 pm next day (factoring in meals and breaks) There seems to be a lot of adults so some can sleep through the night and you can take turns. (Although I have no problem doing the whole drive myself) The next day you'll be talking and the day will go SOOO fast. Then you stay in Orlando that night and wake up in WDW. Make plans to stop at the Opryland Hotel and eat breakfast in Nashville. It's the perfect break and allows some nice walking with AWESOME sights. We spent over an hour there. When we stopped in at a hotel half way through it made the trip seem SOOO much longer. I think it's also a lot easier doing much of the traveling at night because it just seems to go SOOO much faster. There's no traffic. You'll be so close to Orlando already in Atlanta, just keep going a little farther. Then you can up your reservation at your resort in Orlando and have an extra day there to relax. (If you decide to go straigh through, change your reservation, so you don't have to switch rooms)

Another tip, (I'm guessing the numbers) take 57 down instead of 65. It may be a bit longer but there are NO semis on that route which makes it a much more enjoyable, relaxing trip. (I don't know about you, but I can't STAND semis--and that freeway, 65, is packed with them!!)

Another tip, this may sound corny, but pack XMAS music. It may not be XMAS, but it's SOOO much fun to sing a long to it with everyone. And c'mon, who doesn't like XMAS music? It can instantly put a smile on your face!

 

[DisneyVillain]

If you will be approaching Atlanta between 6 and 9 AM or between 3 and 7 PM, stay on the north side of town, rather than fighting the rush hour traffic (3rd worst in US by some studies). Otherwise, I would go through Atlanta and stay on the south side.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

WOW thanks everyone, knew you folks would come through for me.

If my times are right we should be approching Atlanta prior to 7pm on a Friday night, which is why I chose a N. of Atlanta hotel. Everytrip we get stuck in Atlanta traffic, so I'm hoping doing a Saturday it will be slightly better.

Outstandin- Hey hey! I'm out in West Bend, moving to Slinger in a few weeks, we just bought a new home. So trying to pack and plan a trip, yikes!

Normally we would drive it straight, my preference, but my little one would be really ticked off and it would make for a ugly 18-20 hour drive. LOL We now try to drive 6-7 hours per day and stop for the night, relax in the pool and then get a fresh start in the am.

Plus my mom and I would be the only drivers, the other two can't drive and now my mil might be joining us so that would mean two cars going down and since she won't drive on the high-way, we would still have only my mom and I driving.

In the past I would just start about 4pm or so from West Bend and stop for a late dinner just outside of Chicago. Worked great, but we had two drivers and we just switched every few hours. We'd hit FL in the late afternoon and it was nice with little to no traffic. My mom won't drive though at night, makes her too darn nervous and my mil hates freeway driving and will be nervous just riding. So I really don't have much choice but to stay.

I'm pretty sure it will be the ES, the Westin or the AS. They all look nice and they all seem to meet our needs. Now just to find out who's all REALLY going. LOL

Thanks again everyone!
Pammy

 

[browneyes]

Marietta is north of Atlanta. There are many hotels right off the freeway there (Barrett Parkway), I'm not sure which one would be best though. I think WDW is about 7 1/2, 8 hours from Marietta.

 

[Daydreamer64]

I would highly suggest that you all try to get south of Atl. before you stop because then in the morning when you head out south you won't have lots of traffic to fight.

Marrietta is OK but I hate that area because there's too much traffic and congestion.

I've lived here for 36 years and we are just south of Atl in the Morrow/Stockbridge/Mt Zion area and we have decent priced hotels ( nothing really fancy ) but best of all you aren't staying in any bad areas.

We had our wedding reception at the airport ES in 1990 and went back there for an anniversary and won't stay there again. It may be in the airport area but it's not all that nice of an area to me- the hotel is on the higher priced end but just not to my liking.

 

[outstandinfarmer]

You know, I was thinking about this and I think that you'd be able to fly down there and rent a car for close to the price that you are going to pay now

(High gas prices roundtrip for two cars, hotel rooms for two nights, food, etc)

The way I figured it you are only saving about a hundred less, and I'm rounding down.


I don't know, just think about it.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

Yes, we are looking at flying too. If it's going to be only one car we'll probably drive, but two would really push us more toward flying.

One of the traveler's refuses to fly we've tried to talk him into it, but no such luck! LOL He said he would take Amtrak and meet us there, so I'm just watching prices.

And we are going to try and make it past Atlanta if we drive, but with Julia I wanted to have a good back-up just before Atlanta, just in case!

Thanks again all!
Pammy