Downtown Atlanta, Georgia

If you’re planning a fun weekend (or week!) in Atlanta, you’ll be happy to know that the city has plenty of budget-friendly hotels which are clean, welcoming and in good locations. There are so many fantastic restaurants and nightlife options to explore, as well as numerous museums and art galleries, that saving some money on the hotel stay really can’t hurt! Check out some of these budget-friendly Atlanta hotels for the next time you plan to be in town. Just remember – it’s easy to spend over $250/night for a downtown Atlanta hotel, and spending anything less than about $115/night is not recommended in most cases, as you either won’t want to be in the neighborhood or the hotel won’t be that great. There are always exceptions though, such as these fine choices:

Glenn Hotel

This cute boutique hotel is in downtown very close to the CNN Center and the Aquarium. The rooms are modern and cozily decorated, and there’s a good restaurant onsite. Prices are in the $150 range now, but go up quickly as springtime approaches. So book soon!

Highland Inn

I’m partial to this hotel because it’s in my neighborhood, the Virginia Highlands. It’s very close to a lot of great restaurants and nightlife options. There are 80 rooms, and since the hotel was built in 1927, the building has a lot of charm – and I mean that in the best way possible. Prices are fantastic here – singles are about $90 and suites that have queen beds are only $110! This hotel is one of the city’s very few exceptions to the “don’t pay under $100/night” rule I try to follow.

Renaissance Atlanta Downtown

The outside is definitely not very impressive, and there’s nothing to fancy about the inside, either – but you’ll find really clean, reliable accommodations here. And a great location! You can easily walk to things like the Fox Theater and the Georgia Dome. Rates are around $120 per night currently. The rooms are pretty big, and there’s a swimming pool.

Amerisuites Downtown (Hyatt Place)

You can’t beat the price for this hotel’s location, free wi-fi and free breakfast. The famous Margaret Mitchell house is a short walk away, as are the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park. Again, nothing terribly fancy here, but you’ll pay around $100 with tax, which is a very good deal in the downtown area, given the location. Clean and comfortable go a long way.

If you’re planning a vacation, or a short trip, check out Atlanta flights.

Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia

Photo Credits: RCD, terra2055

Midtown Atlanta, Georgia

Keep your eyes out for a spectacular new hotel which is underway in Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia: the Mandarin Oriental. It’s a $285 million project which, when completed, will be a combination luxury hotel and a condo tower. The structure will be over 700 feet tall, making it Atlanta’s tallest building to be built in over 15 years! About 190 of the rooms will be hotel rooms and the remaining 90 or so will be residences. There will also be over 10,000 square feet of retail space constructed.The enormous building will take at least 30 months to finish, and it’s projected to be completed toward the second half of 2011.

I can only look at pictures of the project for now, but it looks really beautiful. Yes, it’s very tall, but I think it be be a beautiful addition to Atlanta’s already pretty skyline. There are six levels of parking being built in the structure, so hopefully parking won’t be a problem!

I don’t know how much hotel rooms are going to cost, but as it’s being billed as a luxury hotel, and it’s located in a fantastic Midtown location, I imagine rooms will start at well over $200/night. The hotel rooms are rumored to be designed as some of the largest in Atlanta. I’m particularly excited about the luxurious spa which is being built inside the hotel!  The residences being built are apparently going to be be sold for between $5 and $6 million! We’ll see what effect the market has on those prices.

Photo credits: thombo2

Nanford Guesthouse, Oxford

I’ve been dreaming of a trip to England, but I keep hearing horror stories about the hotel rooms. First it was that article about the scary things you’ll find in a budget hotel room. Now TripAdvisor has released their annual list of the ten dirtiest hotels in Britain.

Let me tell you, when they say dirty, they’re not talking about porno mags stuffed under the mattresses. If only it was that innocent. But no. Tiny, flithy rooms, where you’ll find other people’s leftover pills on dirty carpets that are never vacuumed by the brutish thugs who run the place. And of course, the blood stains. The horror!

Seven out of the ten are in London, with one each in Brighton, Manchester, and Oxford — home of the Nanford Guesthouse, which has the dubious honor of appearing on the list for the third year running.

Of course, they’ve only had the list for three years.

Just to be fair, TripAdvisor also shares the love internationally, naming the worst hotels in America, Italy, Spain and France.

Which American hotel made the cut? The Hotel Carter in New York City, conveniently located near Times Square. UpTake users give it a big two stars out of ten, so no complaining when you get there and find a dead prostitute in the bathtub.

Disneyland

This economy is really tough, and many families are struggling to make ends meet and still sneak in a family vacation this year. Disneyland is by no means a cheap vacation, but it can be done more cheaply than many people realize. The first thing to remember is that there are many hotels within walking distance of Disneyland which can save money on exorbitant parking fees and the extra money the Disney hotels charge for being “on-site.” In fact, in many cases, the following hotels are actually closer to the park itself than some of the “on-site” hotels mentioned on the Disneyland website! And most of these are between $85-$130/night, depending on the season.

Carousel Inn and Suites

This one’s within easy walking distance of Disneyland – it’s right across the street. There are two and three bedroom suites, so it’s great for families. The rooftop swimming pool is perfect for summer! Free parking, and free breakfast.

Howard Johnson Plaza

Just a clean, simple and easy place to stay within walking distance of Disneyland. Free parking again, as well as free high-speed Internet access. There’s a pool and hot tub, too. Take advantage of the on-site restaurant and save your money for the Disneyland money traps!

Candy Cane Inn

This is a really cute property. The more expensive rooms allow you to have breakfast in bed. It’s very close to Disneyland, definitely walkable. Free parking again, a hot tub, and free breakfast in the morning. One of my favorites for sure.

Alpine Inn

This place tries to make you feel like you’re in a ski resort, which is kind of neat in the middle of summer. It’s incredibly close to Disneyland, about a 1-minute walk. It’s really clean, parking and breakfast are free and you can bring your laptop – high-speed wireless Internet is available, though they charged a small fee the last time I was there.

Fairfield Inn Anaheim

Nothing too fancy here, but this one’s also within walking distance of Disneyland. It’s a little more pricey thank some of the others, but you can use the fitness center at the Anaheim Marriott that’s 1/2 a mile away, there’s free parking and you get high-speed Internet access. There’s a pool and hot tub too.

Disneyland Chip'n Dale statue

Photo Credits: Dave Q, LDCross