Courtland Grand Hotel Downtown Atlanta offers recently renovated guest rooms, amenities like a heated glass-dome pool, and the ideal location just steps from Centennial Olympic Park.
Preparing to Cancel my Atlanta Business Trip
When invited to attend a business conference in Atlanta, Georgia’s capital city, it was no big deal. I’ve traveled solo to many business events. However, the closer the departure date was getting, the more concerned I was about traveling to downtown Atlanta alone.
I’ve witnessed so many desperate homeless people that line city streets in major downtown areas that I was anxious about navigating the area for night events and using public transit solo.
While I was just about to cancel the trip and lose the non-refundable conference fee, a colleague jumped at the chance to join me at the conference. She lived in Atlanta for five years (many moons ago), and welcomed the chance to spend 4 nights in her old stomping grounds.
Going For “Gold” at Courtland Grand Hotel Near Centennial Olympic Park
Since we were attending a business conference, the Courtland Grand Hotel in downtown Atlanta put us in walking distance of the event. Again, safety in numbers, so I was relieved to not have to walk the city streets alone.
The hotel was near major attractions like the Georgia Aquarium and State Farm Arena, but staying near Centennial Olympic Park was the highlight.
Centennial Olympic Park was the site of the 1996 Olympic Games. I remember it well. It was a celebration of the Olympic “centennial” bringing 197 National Olympic Committees together for the first time in history.
Sadly, it was also the sight of a tragic bombing so Centennial park is not only a place of reflection but also a sign of resilience as the Olympics continued to go on. In fact, the U.S. women’s teams won gold in both softball and in soccer that year.
I was most excited to view the Fountain of Rings, the world’s largest interactive fountain that’s synchronized with music, lights, and jets of water. Spectacular is the only way to describe it.
Today, the 22-acre park is filled with green lawns, sculptures, and tree-lined paths and features community events and concerts. On the ground, there are footprints of Olympians along with engraved bricks. We took advantage of the free self-guided audio tour.
Newly Renovated Courtland Grand Hotel
We stayed at the Courtland Grand Hotel for four nights. The hotel is reasonably priced for the downtown Atlanta area ($192 nightly rate for a standard room) and it has a 4+ star average rating from an impressive 4,500+ reviews.
The hotel was very nice, not sure I’d describe it as “grand” except for the fact that it’s a high rise, with 763 rooms towering up 12 floors.
The atmosphere definitely passed my hotel criteria by being clean, modern, and in the right location.
Hotel Amenities
At the Courtland Grand, we found amenities that we’d expect in any city hotel like a helpful front desk and concierge team, onsite dining, dry cleaning/laundry services, complimentary Internet access, and ATM banking. But the hotel also offers a surprising relaxing environment in the bustling city setting.
Swimming Pool
The hotel’s heated courtyard pool is enclosed by a unique, retractable glass dome that makes the pool accessible year round. The pool area has plenty of lounge chairs that sit among a variety of tropical plants and eye-catching, arched windows.
Fitness Center
The 24-hour fitness center had a huge variety of workout equipment. We used the treadmills, ellipticals, and stair climbers each morning. For a packed hotel, the fitness room was not crowded.
Parking
We took a Lyft ride from the airport but there is valet parking available for $60 per day (ouch!). There is no self-parking but you can park across the street and around town.
Pet-Friendly
We didn’t see one dog throughout our stay but the hotel is pet-friendly. The pet policy allows a pet with a maximum weight of 70 pounds and there’s a $50.00 per pet, per night fee. Service animals exempt from fees.
Event Space
Although the business conference we attended was not in our hotel, there is 100,000 square feet of meeting, wedding, and event space.
Rooms and Suites
The 12-story hotel offers 763 rooms from standard guest rooms and accessible rooms to corner, executive, and presidential suites.
Since I had originally booked a standard room with a King bed, when my colleague joined my travel plans, I switched to an Executive Suite to avoid awkwardness of sharing a tight-spaced guest room.
The suite had a separate bedroom, two living spaces, two televisions, a dining table, bar area, coffee maker, and 1.5 bathrooms.
Thankfully, the hotel was very convenient to the location of our business conference so it was nice to use it as a home base in between meetings.
The floor-to-ceiling windows with a city skyline view made the room feel open and airy. My bed was very comfortable and I could tell it was high-quality plush bedding. The pillows were a bit too fluffy and squishy but not a deal breaker.
While my roommate didn’t say that the sofa bed was comfortable, she did say that having the lit up city view as a backdrop for sleeping made for the most special sleeping area. I prefer to sleep in complete darkness so blackout curtains in any hotel are my friend.
I spent a lot of time sitting at the spacious hotel desk. The desk chair was more comfortable than my home office chair. The complimentary Wi-Fi was noticeably fast.
The bathrooms were nice, and each offered Pure by Gloss bath products.
Dining at the Hotel
The food at the three dining options at this hotel are equally delicious!
Collage
For the convenience of “short on time” mornings prior to heading to the business conference, we opted for the buffet breakfasts at Collage. It cost $25.00 per day and it was a slightly elevated breakfast buffet with delicious eggs, pancakes, breads, pastries, fruit, cereal, and more. Breakfast may seem overpriced but I’ve paid way more than $25.00 for breakfast in other major cities.
Courtland Café
The cafe was a great stop for a quick lunch and snack where we could pick up salads, sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, muffins, and much needed, much appreciated energy drinks to keep us focused during our business meetings.
Fandangles
This restaurant features a great menu of Southern and International dishes. The Country Fried Chicken and Signature Mac & Cheese were Atlanta comfort food at its best.
Some Extras That Come With a Cost
I’ll be upfront about what the hotel calls “WELCOME AMENITIES.” As with most hotels, Courtland Grand charges a daily destination fee of $25.00 plus tax. However, before you get judgy, the hotel provides some extras.
The fee includes a complimentary bottled water at check-in and a $10 food and beverage voucher, which can be used at the Courtland Cafe, Collage Breakfast, or Fandangles.
You also get discounted attraction fees at ATL – Cruzers, Illuminarium, and The Sweeney Zone.
Explore Atlanta: Things to Do Nearby
We didn’t have much time for sightseeing Atlanta but we did manage to walk 10,000 steps daily to appreciate Atlanta’s city skyline filled with modern high-rises.
Here are a few attractions we visited:
World of Coca-Cola
Fun fact: Coca-Cola began in Atlanta. As a Diet Coke enthusiast (I know soda is not good for me) the World of Coca-Cola is more than just something to see. It’s an interactive experience and the tasting room is a must-visit.
Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame
This was cool even for a non-college football fan like me. Lots of fun exhibits and we enjoyed learning about the college teams and players. I was traveling with a Florida Gators fan so she loved it!
Skyview Atlanta
The Skyview Atlanta Ferris wheel was fun to look at. And yes, it would have been an amazing view of the Atlanta downtown area, but Ferris wheels are not in my comfort zone.
The Yard Milkshake Bar
Last but not least, The Yard Milkshake Bar serves the craziest milkshake flavors, ice cream, cookie dough, floats, and sundaes. The Peanut Butter Brownie Bliss sundae was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
Hotel Takeaways For Future Travelers
It was a successful business trip to Atlanta and we would recommend this hotel to business travelers and families. However, with so many downtown hotels, I’d try a different hotel next time.
- Central Atlanta location near attractions and transit
- Friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere
- 750+ guest rooms and suites on 12 floors
- Heated pool with retractable dome
- Great restaurants
- Valet parking
- Spacious fitness room
- Pet friendly
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.