4th Tallest Hotel in the US Review: Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta

Background

I needed a night to stay in Downtown Atlanta, as I wanted to visit the World of Coca-Cola nearby the next day. So, the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta was chosen, as it sounded cool since it’s a unique skyscraper. It opened in 1976, and it was the tallest hotel in the world for a year. Currently, it’s the 4th tallest hotel in the United States.

The hotel is a cylindrical shape with reflective glass and is 73 stories. It features 1,073 rooms, and the top floor features the rooftop Sun Dial Restaurant. I was excited to try my 11th Westin branded property.

Rates for the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta start as low as $120 a night before taxes and fees, or 25,000 Bonvoy Points.

Takeoff Points

Pros: Great views from my 61st-floor room, clean room, friendly staff members.
Cons: Elevators/common spaces were dated, only one check-in associate working when I checked in, an empty bottle of shower gel in the room.
Takeoff Point: A standard Westin in downtown Atlanta. A bit dated, but features the new Westin Heavenly Beds, and the room was clean. 

Location & Arrival

We arrived around 9 PM and noticed there were a lot of soccer fans and sports newscasters around the hotel. It turns out that the Argentinian team was staying here for the opening of Copa America. I seem to follow the sports teams on my travels, having recently stayed at the Conrad Seoul where the San Diego Padres were staying for the MLB opener.

From the porte cochere, you go up a set of escalators to the main lobby level. I used to love the signature Westin White Tea Aloe scent, but I couldn’t smell it much at this property.

The lobby level is unique and has very high ceilings in an atrium-like style.

At the reception desks, only one agent was working which I found a bit odd given that the hotel is quite large. There were three people in line in front of me to check in, so it took about 20 minutes to get to the front of the line.

Thankfully, the front desk associate was super friendly. I wanted a room on the highest floor possible and she spent some time to find the best options and gave me a choice of two different ones. She even apologized she didn’t have more because of the soccer game. I ended up getting a 1 King Premium Room on the 61st floor with views of the city. With my Platinum Status, she asked if we wanted the 4 PM checkout which we accepted, and she gave us two water bottles.

Heading to the Room

The elevators were quite quick, though they seemed a bit dated and made a lot of noises that made me question my safety a little bit. They had so many floor buttons to choose from, that perhaps the hotel should install modernized elevators where you select your floor on a touch panel then it assigns you an elevator.

Upon arriving on the 61st floor, I found the hallways to be a bit dated, but thankfully I found the room to be nicer than expected.

The desk was nice and L-shaped and there was a spinning chair. A coffee maker was provided with Starbucks-branded coffee as well as Tazo teas, which are standard for the Westin brand. Additionally, Westin gear lending was offered where you could call the front desk to request a sculpt and flow kit or a recovery and recharge kit for a nominal fee, along with the theme of Westin being a wellness brand.

Underneath the TV there is a fridge for personal use, but it does not go below 51°F so they called it a cooling unit. One water bottle was offered in the room.

There was a large Westin heavenly bed with the updated bedding. The first time I tried the updated bedding was at the Westin Raleigh Airport, and I was very impressed and loved it. I’ve always liked the Westin heavenly bed, but the new bedding is a nice step up. Though, I felt like the bedding at the Raleigh Airport property was better than here.

On both sides of the bed, there were nightstands and one also had the sleep-well lavender balm that you can put on your temples or wrist before bedtime to foster sound sleep.

Near the window, there is a small side table and sofa-style chair.

Views

Our room was located on the 61st floor and had a nice view of downtown Atlanta. The curved windows are nice and the room was quite spacious.

The closet near the bathroom had an iron and iron board hangers, a luggage rack, and a safe.

The AC worked well, though it didn’t have a fan-only function, which I normally like for airflow and white noise. I did find it quite tacky that they had a sticker with QR codes under the AC for hotel information and dining menus.

Bathroom

The bathroom had a small entranceway, but the bathroom itself was a good size for a standard three-piece bathroom. There is a large countertop and soap, lotion, mouthwash, a sewing kit, Q-tips, cotton balls, a nail filer, and a shower cap were provided. This was nice and something you don’t expect domestically anymore. Also, the towels were clean, which I appreciated. One bathrobe was provided as well.

The shower had a waterfall and wand as well as the famous Westin Heavenly Spa White Tea Aloe shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in refillable bottles. Though, housekeeping forgot to refill the body wash.

Dining

The Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta features numerous dining options.

The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View is the iconic restaurant on the 72nd floor. It’s open for dinner nightly from Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and Friday & Saturday from 5 PM to 10 PM. It used to be a revolving restaurant, but that function has been suspended. If you want to check out the view from the Sun Dial but don’t want to have a meal there, they do open the observation deck daily from 11 AM to 9 PM. But, they do charge $10 for adults and $5 for children. I wish it was included for hotel guests. The bar is closed at the time.

The Cafe is where the breakfast buffet is served, as well as lunch. I chose breakfast as my Platinum amenity, and while it’s supposed to be a Continental breakfast, they let me access the breakfast buffet which was much appreciated.

I found the breakfast buffet to have a solid selection of hot items, pastries, and fresh fruit. They also had an omelet bar which was a nice touch, though the line was always a bit long.

The lobby bar is called Bar 210 and is open from 2 PM to midnight.

Room service is available from 6 AM to 11 PM (Midnight on Friday and Saturday).

Lastly, next to the lobby is a Starbucks that’s open from 6 AM to 6 PM.

Amenities

Fitness Center

The WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio is located on the 10th floor, but you take the elevators to the ninth floor and take either the escalator or another elevator. The gym was an interesting design but had plenty of equipment for a good workout. It’s open 24 hours a day.

They seem to offer a free yoga class on Wednesdays at 6:30 am. I thought it was interesting that they only offer it once a week though.

Pool

To access the pool you go through the gym and you take another elevator or staircase. Then, the pool is outdoors. It’s nice to have an outdoor pool in the city, but the surroundings of the pool could use some TLC. It is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm.

The lobby also features a gift shop, a FedEx Office, and Tangent meeting spaces that can be reserved by the hour.

The Verdict

Overall, I was happy to have tried the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta for my visit. Staying at the 4th tallest hotel in the US is pretty cool, though I wish that hotel guests could visit the Sun Dial observatory without a fee. The room was clean, and the Westin Heavenly Bed was comfortable, though the property is a bit dated. Other than the line at check-in, the service was very friendly from the associates at the front desk to the restaurant.

 

Have you stayed at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta before? How was your stay? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

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Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!