Atlanta, GA:
Caught a quick flight to the A and it was probably one of the quickest turnarounds ever! Flew from CAE--->ATL on Delta. Straight flight and you wait longer for the ride than you are up in the air. Let's just chat about Hartsfield Jackson. If you don't know this is one of the busiest airports in the US if not the busiest. I expected a crowd but whew coming and going it was just a ton of people. Here I will give some tips in case you have never flown to/from/through ATL.
Arrivals:
You must take a train to baggage claim. The domestic baggage claim (at the time of writing) is located at 'T'. The arrows in trains will point you in the direction you are traveling so you will know from which terminals you are maneuvering through and if you are headed to domestic or international baggage claims.
The trains are fast. Move fast and find something to hold on to.
Walk fast. If you don't get out of the way of others. They move fast here. It's nothing like CAE or CLT.
Rideshares are located in a different area of the airpot near baggage claim. Prepare yourself for a walk. It's outside, across the ben, around the corner and then you get there. Not really a short trek so if you have lots of bags, just be prepared. However it is organized well and the app has pickup zone options so it is easy to find your ride when it comes.
You can catch the MARTA (less expensive option) to travel to parts of the city. My trip would have been around $3 but I opted to Uber instead.
An Uber costed ~$55. I arrived at 4:00 pm which was peak time and after I got my bags, made it to the rideshare space, the fare had increased. Traffic is thick at this time so it took about 30 mins for a 15 min ride w/o traffic.
Departures:
Please please arrive early!! My flight departed at 9:59 am on a Saturday. I arrived around 8 am as a precaution. It WAS A ZOO!!
Uber early morning Saturday was ~$12.00. Not bad and the ride was quick because there was literally no traffic.
You have options for your bag check - you can be assisted by an agent or you can do self-tagged back drop off. The line was LONG but it went fast. To use this line you need to have a boarding pass & yes it can be on your phone.
Head to security. I have TSA Pre-Check so I don't know about the regular line but if the TSA PC was long, I can only imagine. I feel for anyone flying through here without pre-check.
Once all that is done - YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE A TRAIN TO YOUR TERMINAL. Mine was terminal C. Caught the train and after all that I was at about 8:55 AM.
I have a little over 20 mins to spare (boarding was at 9:19) so I stopped over in the SkyClub for breakfast and a Bloody Mary. Very short visit.
Now that I got that out because this isn't even about the airport lol but really an honest account of my experience at the W Hotel (Ivan Allen Jr Blvd Location).
To start, I must say the lobby decor is very nice. I could sit there all day. That's one thing I loved about the property was the decor.
Some other pros to note:
Customer Service was outstanding and welcoming
Housekeeping Services (now resumed) were fast and performed well
Loved their bath products!!
Onsite Bar (The Living Room) & Dining (Local Motives) - I will caveat and note that they really pretty much had the same menu but were in different locations on the property. Not a huge plus but the options were still decent.
The Living Room - I had the Charcuterie Board. Was ok but $24 was pricey for the collection of meats + cheeses. Just was not top tier.
Local Motives - I had a Caesar Salad with Lemon Pepper Wings. Both were reasonably priced and I enjoyed both.
Friday Night - DJ at the Bar
Elevator Key Needed for Room Access
Marriott Property - so hey I got points
Spacious Room w/ in-room bar (but expect to pay $$$)
Large TV
Desk Space w/ Lamps
Room Service
Some cons:
There were some cosmetic flaws in the room - I don't expect perfection but I do expect less flaws than what was noted (not sharing those pictures on the blog)
Very dark - the colors were black, purple, & gray - so even with all the lights on, it was still dark during the day (these pictures are bright b/c I added light for clarity)
Same with the hallways - low light and too dark for my preference
No shower door - so the concept is nice b/c it's all glass but b/c there was no door, the floor outside just got wet which could be a hazard if you are not careful
Safety wasn't necessary a concern but outside you can see random folks doing random things so I am not sure it was in the best part of town but it's certainly a possibly
All in all The W did the trick for a 2 night stay. Will I return? Not for a night's stay just yet but definitely to hit up The Living Room to hear to good music and sip a cocktail or two!
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