With Southwest Airlines starting direct service to Atlanta (two-hour flights from $59!), Baltimoreans have another cosmopolitan option for a quick weekend getaway. Here are our choices of where to lay your head when visiting The Big Peach.
St. Regis: Atlanta’s lap of luxury features butler service, a 40,000-square-foot pool piazza (in the middle of the Buckhead neighborhood), an elegant afternoon tea and a top-flight spa. Nightly rates from $300. http://www.starwoodhotels.com
Stonehurst Place B&B: This highly rated bed and breakfast was built in 1896 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 2008 renovation updated the old gal and furnishings range from Victorian to Art Deco. Big breakfasts and a good midtown location, too. Nightly rates from $159. http://www.stonehurstplace.com
The Ellis: This historic boutique property boasts a great Peachtree Street location close to downtown attractions, a “sustainable foods” fine dining restaurant, plus a unique women’s-only floor with secured entry, plush slippers, curling and straightening irons and a “kiss cam” to say goodnight to loved ones. Nightly rates from $129. http://www.ellishotel.com
Chateau Elan: Located about 40 minutes north of the city, this resort/winery replicates a 16th-century French estate— one with four golf courses, seven tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a full-service spa. Nightly rates from $200. http://www.chateauelan.com