Crowne Plaza Atlanta - Midtown

Crowne Plaza Atlanta - Midtown is a sleek business hotel that was most recently renovated in 2016. It occupies a 24-story boxy white-and-gray tower emblazoned with the requisite bright-red Crowne Plaza logo. Interiors features a dark, casual lobby with low ceilings and a mix of burgundy and gray low-lying furniture spruced up with bright pillows in hues of mustard and periwinkle. The hotel attracts guests from around the world. While its location and reasonable rates make it a good choice for tourists, including families, it's geared more toward a business crowd. 

This Crowne Plaza is located just off the I-85 and across from the Emory University Midtown Hospital between the Buckhead neighborhood and downtown Atlanta. The area is full of hotels and restaurants, and there's a Publix supermarket, a post office, and a Walgreens pharmacy just down the road. Many of Atlanta's most popular tourist attractions are clustered together just north of Centennial Olympic Park and can be reached in five minutes by car or 15 minutes on foot. Highlights include the World of Coca Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Children's Museum of Atlanta. The CNN Center takes closer to 10 minutes by car, as does the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. Getting to the Atlanta airport takes about 20 minutes by car. For public transportation, there's a MARTA service running directly from the adjacent North Avenue Transit Station to the airport.

This hotel offers rooms with one or two queen-size beds or one king-size bed, as well as King Suites with separate living areas. All were updated in 2016 and follow a similar decor scheme with dark carpets, floor-to-ceiling windows with heavy blackout drapes (and great city views, especially from higher floors), and light-wood Midcentury Modern furniture including chests of drawers, low desks with lots of charging ports, purple tweed sofas, and chrome light fixtures. Beds sit up against special backboards that are designed to reduce noise.Rooms come with similar amenities including free Wi-Fi, Keurig coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, desks with ergonomic chairs and charging ports, and flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms are bright and modern, with large walk-in showers with massage showerheads, magnifying mirrors, toiletries, and a reasonable amount of counter space. Lightly patterned wallpaper and bright art pieces add a bit of personality to the spaces.

Amenities are geared toward business travelers, and many of the features -- such as the business center, the fitness center, and the mini-market are open 24/7.  There's plenty of meeting space to rent (around 31,000 square feet in all), including a special 25th-floor venue -- Sky Room -- with floor-to-ceiling windows and great views. The fitness center is bright and airy, with treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and a few weight-training machines with a small balcony for cooling off. The hotel also offers a medium-sized outdoor pool on a fourth-floor deck lined with lounge chairs (but no parasols); a few barbecue grills for guest use sit off to one side. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Self- and valet-parking incur hefty charges (and guests who opt for self-parking don't get in/out privileges). Pets weighing up to 50 pounds are welcome, and the hotel provides dog treats and waste bags, but the pet fees are on the high side. Dining options include the FIRST Breakfast Restaurant, which offers a huge buffet spread daily (for a fee) as well as the adjacent THRIVE coffee shop for a la carte options. NEXT Restaurant and Lounge serves burgers, sandwiches, and grilled meats and is open for lunch and dinner. Room service is available during restaurant hours.