Beverly Hills Inn in Atlanta, Georgia's Buckhead neighborhood

Boo! Yes, it’s that time of year again, when some of us love to try and scare ourselves. If you’re in the mood to be a little spooked, check in to Atlanta, Georgia’s reportedly haunted Beverly Hills Inn in Buckhead. The hotel has been a bed and breakfast since 1982, but the property’s been in existence since 1929. That’s 82 years of history – plenty of time for some poor departed souls to figure out they’d rather stick around and have some with current guests.

If you go, call ahead and ask for “the haunted room” on the third floor. The front desk will know precisely which room you mean. If you can’t score this room, though, not to worry; there is reportedly a lot of paranormal activity in the hallways and in some other rooms, as well.

If you’re looking for a modern, fancy place, this bed and breakfast may not be for you. If, however, you’d like an older, more charming hotel with lots of character (and a dash of spookiness added in), you’ve found your spot to explore Atlanta from. You’ll be located about a 20 minute drive from down Atlanta and the hotel is close to many Atlanta-area attractions including The Swan House, the Atlanta History Center and the posh Lenox Square Mall.

Do yourself a favor this Halloween season and check in to this cute hotel. Just don’t complain if an extra guest ends up checking in to your own room. Don’t be scared, now…

Photo: Mirror Images by Rina

Marriott Courtyard is Coming to Downtown Decatur, GA!

Downtown Decatur, GA has come a long way in the past ten years. What used to be a town with an odd, funky collection of mismatched shops and restaurants has matured into an adorable, walkable, fun and still funky village of boutique stores, fabulous restaurants and outstanding brewpubs. Earlier this year, Decatur was  named Georgia’s Most Walkable City, by Walkscore.com, and the award brought even more well-deserved attention to our fine little town.

All this attention means that more companies will want to entertain their clients in Decatur, and until now, there really hasn’t been any stellar hotel options near downtown Decatur. Which is a shame, because the MARTA (Atlanta’s public transportation system – our subway) has a stop smack in the middle of downtown Decatur, meaning that business clients can easily access Decatur for the day from the Airport — but where would they stay overnight? There’s a Super 8 about a 5-10 minute walk from central downtown Decatur, but it’s a very basic hotel with few amenities. The only other option used to be a Holiday Inn, but that was converted into the Decatur Inn and Conference Center, and while an OK hotel, it’s really nothing to write home about. It’s clean and comfortable, but nothing snazzy.

I actually visited the Decatur Inn and Conference Center to check it out in anticipation of my family’s visit this September, and I learned that the hotel is getting a facelift and will become a Marriott Courtyard between October and March. Hurray! This is a development the City of Decatur needs to heavily market in order to entice more visitors to stay there. Most visitors to Atlanta stay in downtown or Midtown Atlanta hotels, as that’s where most of them are. But, there’s enough to see and do in downtown Decatur  to warrant the addition of a good, high-quality hotel chain.

One of the places I think will benefit most from this addition will be Avondale Estates’ Community Center. It’s situated directly on a lake and is surrounded by beautiful grounds. So, it’s a very popular choice for weddings. Their business should pick up even more once the Marriott Courtyard has been opened – it will be a lovely place for wedding guests to spend the night, and the hotel will only be a 5-10 minute drive from the Community Center.

Photo: MarriottSanDestin

View across the river to River Street at Westin Savannah

Savannah’s Historic District and River Street are popular destinations for tourists in the South East United States. Visitors will find charming shops, inviting squares, and restaurants serving local blue crab in every form imaginable. There are also a number of hotels to choose from among the old buildings and narrow streets.

I recently visited Savannah to enjoy the legendary St. Patrick’s Day celebration and stayed at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. My girlfriends and I found the location convenient, the staff hospitable, and the accommodations exactly what we’d hoped for when we selected the well-known brand. Even Risk Management was polite when they knocked on our door in the wee hours of the morning to ask us to keep our laughter down out of respect for our neighbors. (Oops!)

The Westin Savannah is located across the bridge from the famed River Street. While this may seem like a deterrent for visitors looking to spend most of their trip along the tourist-friendly strip, we actually found our location more convenient than a hotel directly in the Historic District might have been. We had free parking in a large lot and free ferry access all day and night to River Street. The ferry ride itself was not only convenient, but a soothing and beautiful experience. If we were ever too impatient to wait for a ferry (the lines were very long on the morning of the St. Patrick’s Day parade), the hotel staff helped us arrange for a quick taxi ride across the bridge.

The river-side room was very spacious with two Heavenly Beds® and a Heavenly® Bath with Dual Shower Heads that I felt too guilty to use (thanks to the environmental reminder note hanging in the shower). The view of the harbor itself was breathtaking, even if the tugboat horns at 3 am were annoying to my roommates. We also enjoyed a view of the newly renovated pool area which looked inviting. The pool area is surrounded by intimate seating areas, some of which are centered around gas fireplaces that can be used by guests in the evenings.

After spending two nights at The Westin Savannah for our girlfriend getaway, the four of us agreed that this was a great hotel for any trip to Savannah. We’d all highly recommend it to the rest of our friends and future St. Patrick’s Day revelers! Check out their website for current specials or ask the hotel representative about discounts when you call to make your reservation. We saved over $100 on regular rates during a holiday weekend thanks to a helpful customer service representative who told us about their “Pay Rates Equal to Your Birth Year!” special.

Photo by Britt Reints

When thinking about a romantic getaway for two, Thanksgiving weekend is usually not the first thing to come to mind. But that’s just what The Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront, Autograph Collection in Savannah, Georgia has in mind for couples.

King Room, The Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront, Georgia

Savannah is within a day’s drive for much of the northern east coast of Florida to central Georgia the east coast of North Carolina. Arrive on the morning of Thanksgiving to a riverfront hotel and a day of relaxation with your evening planned sitting down a full Thanksgiving feast for two. Retire to your king or queen riverfront high-tech room equipped with a large screen TV, satellite programming, complimentary WiFi, and touch screen controls. The football games won’t be missed in the well-appointed room.

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