As you decide on where to roost for your Atlanta weekend, keep in mind
that the city's most gay-popular neighborhood, Midtown, also has a nice
range of hotels, including a smattering of popular chain properties -
Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn, and Wyndham among them. There's also
a W Hotel slated to open here (the former Sheraton Midtown) late in
2007. For the ultimate cushy experience, go with Midtown's skyscraping
Four Seasons, a striking, 20-story hotel that's a short walk from
Piedmont Park, gay nightlife, and Midtown museums. The massive rooms,
which underwent a major makeover in 2006, have marble bathrooms with
deep soaking tubs, and a handful of units have private terraces with
expansive city views. The hotel's 12,000-square-foot spa is one of the
finest in the state - opt for an organic green-tea-and-Dead-Sea-salt
body scrub for the height of pampering.
In a city with relatively few historic inns, the gay-owned Gaslight
stands out for its regal accommodations and its mix of the old and the
new. The eight guest rooms are divided among three buildings: the
Craftsman-style main residence, a carriage house, and a small Victorian
cottage. The Gaslight is in the enchanting Virginia-Highlands
neighborhood, close to great dining and shopping. Nearby in charming
Inman Park, the King-Keith House B&B occupies a dramatic 1890s "painted
lady" Victorian with four period-style guest rooms plus a charming
detached cottage with its own whirlpool tub for two, gas fireplace, and
leafy garden. It's one of the city's more romantic choices.
A sleek, smart, and affordable hotel option in Midtown is the
whimsically decorated Hotel Indigo. Intercontinental Hotels has
developed this stylish boutique-hotel brand and has made a enthusiastic
effort to market it strongly to the gay and lesbian market. With weekend
rates among the cheapest in the neighborhood, the Indigo nevertheless
offers plenty of perks: artful, modern rooms with Nantucket-inspired
blue-and-white furniture; high-speed Internet, dual-line phones, and
well-designed work spaces; and miniscule but cleverly designed bathrooms
with high-end bath products. There's also a 24-hour gym and a dapper
little coffeehouse with comfy seating off the lobby.
The Indigo is right across the street from the city's historic Fox
Theatre, and beside another outstanding hotel, the imposing Georgian
Terrace Hotel. This 1911 grande dame hosted the opening reception for
_Gone With the Wind_ in 1939, has served the likes of Tallulah Bankhead
and Rudolph Valentino, and contains some 300 spacious suites filled with
reproduction antiques. If at all possible, time your stay when there's a
musical or comedy show at the Fox. This ornate and lavishly restored
1920s theater is one of the few places in thoroughly modern Atlanta to
get a true sense of the city's rich heritage.
Andrew Collins is the
author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other
guidebooks.
The Hunk
