For the second hotel of my trip to Atlanta, I chose the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown, located just steps from the client site I needed to visit.

Booking

I booked this property about a week before my arrival.

During the week I stayed in Atlanta, prices were completely outrageous: I managed to book this hotel for a little over $400 per night, all taxes included, which is obviously absurd for a city like Atlanta, but still roughly half the average rate of nearby hotels.

The week before my departure, I sent an email to the hotel through my Ambassador requesting an upgrade… a request that ultimately went nowhere.

Arrival

Two days before my arrival, I completed online check-in through the Marriott Bonvoy app. I specified my arrival time as 4:00 p.m., which also happens to be the hotel’s official check-in time. More and more hotels are pushing check-in later and moving check-out earlier, a practice I find intolerable. Their housekeeping staffing issues are not my problem.

I arrived at the hotel shortly before 4:00 p.m., only to be told that because of an event the previous night, guests had checked out late and very few rooms were ready, including mine.

I waited nearly two hours near the front desk before going back to make my displeasure known and demand that my room be prepared. Miraculously, a room was suddenly ready… I asked about an upgrade, and it was of course denied.

There was no mention whatsoever of Marriott Bonvoy benefits… Overall, a very disappointing welcome.

Room

My room was located on the 20th floor of this 21-story property.

The door opened onto a small entryway with a closet large enough to store belongings for a short week, and on the left, a bathroom fitted with a large walk-in shower, which leaked slightly during use, as well as a toilet and a sink. The toiletries were of good quality.

Beyond the entryway was the bedroom itself, with on the right a sideboard topped by a television and, further along, a reasonably sized desk.

A very low-quality coffee machine sat on the desk, which I did not use.

The window offered a decent view over the city of Atlanta, and a chaise longue was placed in front of it.

It is also worth noting, because it is all too rare, that the room had fully blackout curtains, a real luxury for a comfortable night’s sleep.

Finally, a large king-size bed completed the room’s furnishings, flanked by two large bedside tables.

To finish, here is the virtual video tour:

Hotel Amenities

The hotel has a fitness center located on the fifth floor. I made good use of it every morning during my stay.

It was fairly well equipped, but the peak hour around 5:00 a.m. led to significant crowding, which I noticed each morning.

Food & Beverage

The hotel has both a restaurant and a bar, both located in the lobby.

On the first morning of my stay, I tried to have breakfast… but because of bad weather, no cook had been able to make it in, and the restaurant could only serve thawed pastries and coffee.

On the second morning, however, I was able to have breakfast. Since the Bonvoy breakfast benefit had not been offered to me, I ordered breakfast à la carte with fried eggs.

It was excellent, especially the sausages and the eggs. I am less of a fan of grits, that specialty of the American South.

Service

Service at this hotel was poor, despite the warmth of the staff, and reflects the current state of American hospitality, which is in full decline.

Departure

As I had a very early departure, I left my room key at the front desk and received my invoice a few hours after checking out.

Bottom line

A fairly average stay. Despite a good-quality room and a pleasant, very convenient location, the level of service and lack of consideration for guests mean this cannot be considered a solid option in the capital of Georgia.

Waiting nearly two hours past the official check-in time is unacceptable for an Ambassador member, especially just to access a standard room.

Itinerary Followed

As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

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