The St. Regis Atlanta: Atlanta's New Luxury Hotel with Old World Style

The St. Regis Atlanta, one of only 18 properties of this luxury hotel brand in the world, is located in Buckhead, Atlanta's upscale residential, shopping and business district. The Buckhead area is home to many of Atlanta's finest hotels and restaurants, as well as world-class shopping. Nearby attractions include the award-winning Atlanta History Center and exclusive shopping at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. The hotel can be reached easily from Georgia Highway 400 and Interstate 85.

The St. Regis Atlanta opened in April 2009 to great fanfare. The Wall Street Journal calls it "by far the prettiest hotel in town ... with spectacular public spaces and spacious rooms and baths decorated in soothing cream and aqua shades.'' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution raves about the hotel's features, "In addition to its world-renowned butler service, the ... hotel ... features fireplaces in public areas, Turkish limestone and Venetian plaster in the Paces 88 restaurant and a pool piazza with the feel of Italy.'' The 26-story hotel has 151 rooms and 53 condominium residences. The rooms come in six styles, from the 440-square-foot Superior Room to the 2,800-square-foot Empire Suite. Standard amenities in all rooms include luxurious bed linens and bath amenities, a 17-inch television embedded in the bathroom mirror, a soaking tub, wireless high-speed internet access, a leather-covered writing desk and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Other features of the hotel include the pool piazza, a 40,000-square-foot, Italianate area for relaxing by the pool and a small but very well-equipped fitness center. The 8,000-square-foot Remide Spa offers facials, body treatments and massages. Dining options at the hotel include the "casual sophistication'' of Paces 88 American Bistro, an upscale eatery serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner; the Poolside Cafy & Bar, with light fare and cocktails; the St. Regis Bar, an elegant, clubby bar with a unique Atlanta Bloody Mary, a St. Regis tradition; and the Long Gallery, which serves a traditional English tea every afternoon.

Another St. Regis tradition is the butler service. Going far beyond bell service or room service, "the butlers are the liaison between the guest and the hotel,'' says Philip DeAngelis, head of butler services. Butlers greet each guest personally, pack or unpack, bring coffee or tea, rearrange the furniture, or just about anything else you could want, according to the AJC.

The hotel provides nearly 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space, both indoor and outdoor. The largest ballroom is over 9,000 square feet and can seat up to 570 guests banquet-style or 1,235 reception-style. Four meeting rooms are appropriate for small conferences. All rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. The hotel hopes that it will become a favorite Atlanta wedding spot. The ballroom and the outdoor Grand Terrace both provide elegant venues, and the hotel offers full catering and personal assistance with planning.

Reviews of the St. Regis Atlanta on travel websites are glowing. On one site, 91 percent of reviewers rated the hotel "Excellent'' or "Very Good.'' The facilities, dining, dycor and in-room amenities all win raves, but the elite service seems to be what sets this hotel apart. One guest said, "Everyone treats you like you just saved their drowning child.'' Another calls it "by far one of my best experiences with a hotel.'' This visitor sums up the experience at the St. Regis, saying that it "truly sets the level [to which] all luxury hotels should aspire.''