Going Home Again – W Atlanta Midtown Staycation

Home again? Hey, the W Atlanta Midtown was my first Atlanta home, while the W Buckhead was our (MrsMJ, two cats, and yours truly) first Atlanta home. No idea how many stays I’ve had in the various W Atlanta hotels, and the Midtown location in particular, but since relocating to Atlanta, haven’t had much need to stay in an Atlanta hotel. 🙂 MrsMJ was looking at wrapping up a particularly challenging project at work last week, and brought up the idea of a celebratory dinner and exploring a different Atlanta neighborhood. The idea of a W Atlanta Midtown staycation was born.

Arrival and Check In

We arrived via car, planning to valet for the evening. Unfortunately, we arrived along with the rest of America, including a family that I finally determined was moving to Atlanta. Two vehicles, eight bags, and a stroller that rivaled the Team MJ on Travel Mini Cooper in size. In short, arriving was a charlie foxtrot operation. Soon enough, more valets appeared to clear the backlog of cars. I did not check my watch, but am pretty certain we waited at least 10 minutes to turn our car over to a valet.

Once the car was taken care of, we proceeded inside where I found two attendants working the front desk. I lined up behind the relocating family who was behind another gentlemen that appeared to be wrapping things up. Instead, he was looking for a missing package. The attendant left the desk to go find a manager to help the gentleman. The manager appeared, but not the attendant. I sent MrsMJ to the other line to wait. After about 5 minutes of waiting I gave up and joined MrsMJ in the other line which appeared to be making progress. Once we made it to the desk, the other attendant reappeared, so we were ahead of the game.

And from there, everything was more like what I expect from this hotel. The attendant E., was first rate, welcomed me back, noted my lowly Gold status, and upgraded us to a Spectacular room. I know it’s just a higher floor, but the word “upgrade” makes me feel better. 🙂 Within a minute or two, we were on our way to our room.

The Room

Our Spectacular Room, 1816, was a typical king room for this hotel with attractive furnishings, a nice view of the city, plenty of power outlets, etc. This was not a work trip, but the room had wired and wireless wi-fi, a nice desk area and laptop safe for secure storage of electronics and other items. I snapped a few pictures of the room.

 

 

 

 

Around the Hotel

Staycation included culture, cocktails, dinner, and brunch. Culture – Midtown is home to Atlanta’s High Museum of Art. Known simply as “The High” locally, the museum is located just around the corner from the hotel. Cocktails – The Living Room at the W Midtown and TAP. Dinner – Shout, a restaurant I’ve mentioned previously, features typical American fare and respectable sushi. We enjoyed a few sushi rolls and split the Florida Grouper entree which was fantastic. Brunch – The Nook, which happens to offer one of the more impressive looking Bloody Mary’s I have ever laid eyes on.

 

For the record, I did not order one, but reading this description has assured that I will return because I have to try it. That is a complete meal in a glass!

Departure

We were offered and accepted 4PM Late Checkout upon arrival, so we could avoid rushing out on Sunday morning. The folio I received early Sunday morning was accurate so there was no need to stop by the front desk. I presented our car check tag to the valet and within a couple of minutes, our car was waiting for us. Good stuff.

The Bottom Line

Aside from a couple of snags getting in the door, our short staycation experience with the W Atlanta Midtown reminded me of why I chose to stay there as often as I could when business and personal travel frequently brought me to Atlanta. I look forward to my next visit, and recommend the hotel to anyone looking for accommodation in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.

-MJ, July 22, 2013