GA Atlanta Hyatt Place Perimeter Center

[Travlin1]

The new, moderately-priced Hyatt Place hotels attempt to be to Hyatt what Courtyard by Marriott is to Marriott Hotels: a chain of smaller, somewhat-upscale hotels full of amenities business travelers find useful. Unfortunately, in implementing the idea, Hyatt Place chose not to build new hotels, as Courtyard by Marriott did, but instead to renovate a chain of older Amerisuites hotels. The result is, at best, only partially successful.

The advantages: The renovation of this hotel was completed in the fall of 2006. Although Expedia currently advertises this hotel for $199 per night, I was able, through Priceline, to obtain a rate for early August, 2007, of only $40. The hotel offers a complimentary and perfectly-adequate breakfast of cereal, bagels, juices, Starbucks coffee and tea, yogurt, and toast. You can purchase additional, hot entrees such as scrambled eggs. The hotel does not have a formal restaurant, but has a small bakery and small bar accessible round the clock. Unique but pleasing music plays in the background of the common areas. US Today newspapers are complimentary. The rooms are essentially a suite, with an opaque divider separating the beds and bathroom area from the living room/refrigerator/microwave area. There is a very large L-shaped couch with a wonderful, huge ottoman, and a 52" TV. There is also a desk, chair and lamp. Although the hotel advertises HDTV, only mono stations were available, and only a few of them. The outdoor landscaping was very attractive, and the common area was unique, clever, and modern. The hotel offers free Internet use on two computers in the lobby. It also offers complimentary in-room safes. Coffee and tea are available in the room. The rooms were clean, and the beds comfortable. The staff was exceptionally helpful and provided Mapquest directions and restaurant recommendations. A hotel shuttle is available. The surrounding area is upscale, and near a fabulous, large, multi-building shopping area off Peachtree-Dunwoody. The area conveniently includes not only restaurants and upscale small shops but also a SuperTarget (always useful for those items we forget to pack).

The disadvantages: Despite serious renovation efforts, the hotel retains a distinct flavor of the too-old, too-decaying. Although there are 6 floors, there are only 2 elevators. One was out of service, and the other was painfully slow. The pool is tiny, probably a hold-over from the Amerisuites days. The bathroom was tiny and contained only a toilet and small shower/tub, with an inexpensive liner. (The attractive sinks were located outside the bathroom, facing the beds. This location can be an advantage or a disadvantage.) The closet was small but adequate. The room and hallway decor was a depressing combination of gold and brown. The room still had an older A/C unit, which was quite noisy. The ceilings were low, adding to the "old" feel.

Although this hotel features several innovative ideas, overall the execution of the concept was disappointing. For $40/night, however, it's a good option, especially for families, for whom the complimentary breakfast, the refrigerator, the large couch, and the large-screen TV may be of particular interest.

[jersla]

I stayed at this hotel 2/27/09 with a winning priceline bid of $39 This hotel was beautiful and well appointed. The complimentary breakfast was more than adequate and I enjoyed the Starbucks coffee. The room was a king suite with a huge flat screen tv and a very large couch, desk and chair. The bed was very comfortable and the hotel was very quiet. The bathroom was spacious and the shower had great pressure. I would love to stay at this hotel again, especially at the low price I obtained. Thank you for this website.