Photo: Maggie has her photo opportunity at Hotel Indigo. The sign on the chair says,

Don’t Forget the Little People. Courtesy of Hotel Indigo.

Pampered pets in Atlanta know to urge their owners to take them to Hotel Indigo, a boutique hotel where they dine and enjoy cocktail hour with their two-legged friends. The pets have their own bar, called Ruff Age Bar. For the health conscious pet, this bar serves vegan doggie treats.  Yes. The pets are living it up at Hotel Indigo, where pets are not tolerated, they are catered to. Every Tuesday, the pets can enjoy cocktail hour on the patio. Pooches dine on gourmet steak and chicken, and drink bottled water.  Pet owners can order from the casual Golden Bean restaurant and choose from weekly signature drinks including, aptly named, the Salty dog, Greyhound, and the Yellow Lab. The humans can make selections for the fury friends from Hotel Indigo’s doggie menu.

For everyone’s listening pleasure, the Hotel Indigo’s new band debuted this week. The band, The House Band with a Little Sax, features Brian Myler the Food and Beverage Director of the hotel on drums, and Eddie Barton, the front desk office manager on saxophone. Tunes that humans can sing to and pets can howl to are featured. So, don’t be surprised if you hear the band play, Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog.

Hey, if you are looking for a pet, come out to the festivities. The Atlanta Humane Society also brings pets looking to be adopted to the cocktail party. You may just make and new friend.

Now you’ve got to see this in person.

When: Every Tuesday (All summer long)

            6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Where: Hotel Indigo- Midtown Atlanta

              (Across from The Fox Theatre)

               683 Peachtree St. NE

               404.874.9200

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Take a look at this video that I made of a ritzy suite in the Omni Hotel downtown. Who lived in this two-story suite? How much does it cost to rent this pad? Well, I gave the answers away early in the video. Watch it and find out. These days, the room is rented out to bigwigs who are visiting for fun or company executives who are in town for a conference.

The Omni Hotel is located in the CNN Tower in Atlanta. The address is:

190 Marietta Street

Atlanta, Ga.

404-659-0000

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The luxurious 1,070 guestrooms boast Chinese granite countertops, marble floors, workstations. A sate-of-the art 24-hour fitness facility. and an outdoor pool are also available for guests. Rooms at the Omni have fabulous views of Atlanta. You will be enthralled by the view of  Atlanta city lights seen from your room.

Stressed out or simply need a little pampering? The Natural Body Spa is located inside of the hotel, providing a myriad of services included facials, massages, and body treatments. Although prices are subject to change, to get an idea of the costs for services, he signature facial is about $90 and massages start at $50 for 30 minutes.

Meeting Facilities

The Omni has a 120,000 square foot functional space for dinners and other special events. Included are the 12,000 square-foot Atrium Terrace and the 15,000 square-foot exhibit hall. There are also several break-out rooms available for smaller meeting and gatherings. The Omni is usually bustling with name-tag-wearing visitors who are in town for conferences or business meetings. Meeting planners seek to schedule meetings and special events in the beautifully lavish Omni.

Dining

The elegant Prime Meridian Restaurant, and comfortable Latitudes Bistro and Lounge are both located inside the Omni. I enjoyed the Baby Spinach Salad $8, the Grilled Black Angus Tenderloin $33, and I sampled desserts called Sinless Indulgences. They range from fresh fruit in a glass to  key lime pie in shot glasses.  I adored the chocolate mousse.

Reservations

Room prices vary according to the season, but during the summer months a single king guestroom may be reserved  for a one-night (Friday night) stay for $179. Packages are available to accommodate families, ladies getaways, and tours to the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, and other attractions. U.S. residents can call 1-888-444-OMNI for reservations.

Photos Courtesy of: Omni Hotel

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This 73-story Westin Peachtree hotel has floor to glass windows in all rooms. The rooms also have the famous Heavenly Beds, which is made up of down blankets, goose down pillows, a boudoir pillow, and a pillow-top mattress for extra comfort. Suites have a separate sitting area, a sofa bed, wet bar, and a  larger bath.  Standard rooms are about $230  per night.  Prices vary according to season, length of stay, bedding needs and other factors. This summer (2008) the hotel is offering a $25 gas credit which will be applied to your bill after checkout. In essence, you will receive $25 off of your bill. The Westin Peachtree hotel often has special offers for weekend getaways or special occasions.  Fitness buffs or people like me who are struggling to stay healthy will be happy to learn that the Westin Peachtree has a workout room, that is fitness equipment in your reserved room. The room comes complete with a spinning cycle, DVD player, and a Pilates machine.  The Westin Peachtree, of course, also has a traditional workout facility in the hotel. Massages are available by appointment. Other hotel amenities include a pool and a business center with fax services, copying, paper and cell phone rentals, help with shipping and computers. 

The Westin Peachtree is located near Zoo Atlanta, the New World of Coca-Cola, and the Georgia Aquarium. Call 866-716-8128 for reservations.

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The Four Seasons is a luxury hotel, located at 75 Fourteenth Street in Atlanta. There are 244 guest rooms and 18 suites. Rates vary but start at around $330 per nigh for a standard room from May to December on weekends. The rates go up to $930 per night for a  one bedroom suite for that time frame at the Four Seasons.  For weekdays, rates start at $490 per night for a standard room and go up to $930 per night for a suite.

Standard rooms have living rooms, marble bathrooms, deep tubs and brass fixtures. The rooms have either one king or two twin beds.

One bedroom suites have a living room with a separate bedroom. The sitting area has a television, CD player and stereo, and a wet bar. The rooms also have beautiful views of the Atlanta skyline.

Take your visit to the next level by getting services at the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel. Massages, Swedish, aromatherapy, deep massages, tai, destress, and couple massages are offered. Rates range from $70 for a 25-minute destress massage to $350 for an 80-minute couples massage.

I visited the Four Seasons in London, and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. I can’t wait to try out the saline pool. What has your experience been like at the Four Seasons? Have you ever swam in a saline pool? What was it like? Tell me in a comment!

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Three New W Hotels

Three new W Hotels are scheduled to open in Atlanta this year. These Atlanta hotels will open in Buckhead, Downtown and Midtown. The Buckhead location will open this fall with 291 rooms and 7,000-square-feet of meeting space.

This December, a 237-room W hotel with 75 condominiums will open in the Ivan Allen Plaza.

The new midtown location for W Hotel is the current Sheraton Colony Square Hotel. This Sheraton will re-open as a sophisticated W Hotel this May

Hotel Indigo

In addition to the W hotel opening this December, a second Hotel Indigo, owned by Intercontinental Hotels Group will also open its doors on Ellis Street. Hotel Indigo uses colors and scents to create ambiance in its hotels.

Luxurious Mansion

Also next month, the Mansion, a luxury hotel with 126 rooms and a 15,000-square-foot spa is scheduled to open.

In 2009 two more Atlanta hotels, the Regis and the Hilton are scheduled for development in Buckhead and a new 450 million tower will be built at 1075 Peachtree Street.

What do you think about the new development in Atlanta?

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Breakfast and brunch at Brasstown Valley

Photo and video by Claudine Williams

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Photo courtesy of Georgia Parks

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Now that’s what I call a Valentine’s surprise. The Hotel Indigo in Atlanta has a Valentine’s package which includes a stay at the hotel, breakfast, a bottle of Dom Perignon and, you won’t believe this, a 1.5 caret ring.  Yep. The ring is included.  The wedding is not included. The Proposal Package at the Hotel Indigo is available through Feb. 16. Reservations, however must be made five days in advance. Hotel Indigo is a luxury hotel located in 12 cities in the U.S.  There are apparently, 60 future locations planned.

Photos courtesy of Hotel Indigo

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

There’s nothing like a stay at cozy bed and breakfast for heating up a romantic night. Tea Cakes at 1003 Lena Street is an Atlanta luxury bed and breakfast, offering chocolates, flowers and fruit. You can also have a romantic picnic at a local park (if it’s not too cold out) or book an appointment at a nearby spa to really make your evening special.

Below, is an outside view of other bed and breakfast in Atlanta, the University Inn at Emory, 1767 N. Decatur Road. This Inn’s location is fabulous. You are near neighborhoods, so you can take romantic walks, shop for special treats at neighborhood strip malls, and spend the rest of the time cuddled  with your honey.

In the spring, you’ll appreciate strolling through the gardens at the Inman  Park Bed and Breakfast, 100 Waverly Way, a historic home with 18th and 19th Century furnishings. The home has gorgeous high ceilings, and is only two miles from downtown Atlanta. It’s near the Underground, Phillips Arena, and the World of Coca Cola. You can walk to shops and restaurants.

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