Tucked in between concrete towers and just on the edge of the bustle of Midtown, Hotel Granada is a quaint boutique hotel that brings charm and escape to a hectic, creative, and thriving city. Its white brick exterior is adorned with a mix of details that brings an almost New Orleans style with its vintage style Hotel Granada sign, open front courtyard, iron railings, and large driveway.
As a former Atlanta local, I consider my stays in the city a mix of vacation and staycation. A place to escape what might be a very packed week of travel from North to South and back again catching up with friends, exploring new exhibits or just looking for a place to relax & keep my beloved routines in place.
So during my recent 56 hour trip, I decided to give Hotel Granada a first try. And well, you can decide if you think I’ll stay again.
What To Know About Staying At Hotel Granada
First Impressions Of Hotel Granada
The first impression of any Atlanta hotel starts with valet. And if you’re staying in the Atlanta proper area, you’ll hope that this option includes a pull-off area that makes unloading easy. I arrived during peak traffic on a Friday afternoon. So, found myself unloaded and checked into my room in under 15 minutes.
If you want to be near the center of everything but not in the middle, it’s the perfect place. There are 120 guest rooms with a restaurant and cocktail bar. Also, a 24/7 fitness center, laundry service, and lovely staff. They also have tons of space to sit and work while enjoying a lovely atmosphere.
Every time I made my way to the lobby, I saw people scattered about with a cozy cocktail. They’re having a casual afternoon date, or finding a spot to get some work done. The courtyard and lounge spaces feel inviting and welcome.
Where Is Hotel Granada Located?
I would consider it upper Midtown (meaning before Buckhead but still a few miles away from the Georgia Aquarium or the Mercedes Benz stadium). But it’s essentially the northern part of downtown Atlanta just before I-75 & I-85 split off again.
It’s incredibly convenient. I rarely stay in downtown Atlanta but I could be persuaded to come again because of the location. It’s 7 minutes from SCAD Fashion and 5 minutes from Atlantic Station. Also, 5 minutes from the High Museum, 13 minutes from the Mercedes Benz stadium, and 10 minutes from Piedmont Park.
Being past where most of the 75/85 traffic jams up is a major benefit. Plus, you can easily walk to tons of places. Also, you can grab a Lyft if you’re not in the mood to drive.
What Are The Pros Of Hotel Granada
The historical feel paired with the kind staff and overall welcoming atmosphere have made Hotel Granada a major win in my book. When I’m in the city, I’m always looking for a space that will make my life easier. I want to make the most of the time I have while I’m here. Sometimes this looks like making sure room service is an option (not a feature of this hotel). Also, other times it’s wanting a 24/7 gym.
For this trip, I wanted something that would help me make the most of my to-do list. I didn’t want tto feel like I needed to spend hours in the car because my hotel was so out of the way. I often find myself spending double the time in the car. The time to travel between my destinations is 45 min – 1 hr each way. Staying in the middle of things means I gain back that time because I’m already halfway there.
Perks Of The Hotel Granada
It’s given me a lovely space to work and easy access to a gym. Also, they have an abundance of options for food (via doordash). You can do this when it feels like we’ve creeped into the hours that don’t feel safe to wander as a woman.
Surprisingly, I’m happy to see that there are snacks and drinks available in the room. Also, the at the prices that don’t seem utterly ridiculous. So, $3 for peanut M&M’s and $9 for a canned alcoholic beverage. Definitely better than even movie theater prices in the US.
The soap, shampoo, and conditioner offered as standard are from a mid-luxury brand. I was familiar the brandbut had yet to try, and were lovely.
What Are The Cons Of Hotel Granada
The Parking For The Hotel Granada
There are some things that are unavoided when staying in more central Atlanta and that’s valet parking. Hotel Granada only offers parking as valet. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be many alternatives unless you want to walk a few blocks. But it’s worth researching if you’ll be here for more than a few days.
The average cost of valet parking per night at the time of this post is $50/day. More on this in a moment.
A Lack Of Transparency
Whenever I stay at a hotel, I try my best to make sure that I’m aware of the full cost expectation. Partly because I know I’ll be reviewing it for you. But also, travel is a luxury and no one wants to feel stressed by money when you’re trying to enjoy your time away.
That being said, I booked this hotel through Hotels.com as I often do sifting through all the info ahead of time only to find out after booking in a message from the hotel that they required a hold of a $100 per night for “incidentals”.
This hold is simply a hold because any additional charges will be charged on top of this to your card as separate fees but the hold was dropped quickly after my stay with the funds returned to my account in less than 48 hours.
However, you can’t find this information on their website. At all. If you walk through trying to book via their website, you won’t find it as a disclaimer. This feels like a red flag for me.
Lacking In The Rooms
While I don’t mind not having a microwave, I do find the lack of coffee or hot water options in the room annoying. And while it is more common for boutique hotels to only provide ice on request, they don’t tell you this is available until you call to ask the best way to get ice.
And if you’re a stickler for stain-free bedding, the white duvet might be too much for you. I noticed a few yellow stains that looked washed but still stained. Also, the bed could be more comfortable. The pillows as well.
*if we’re being picky and that’s kind of the job, it’s a 5/10 on the bed situation*
Lack Of Communication Between The Staff & Valet
Throughout my stay, I had more the one conversation with both the staff and the valet team about wanting to put the valet charges on my room. Essentially, I wanted to use the funds they were already holding for the cost instead of needing to pull more out because why not use it if you’re already holding it?
I was told by both sides that this was possible. But it was a hot mess and a half.
Valet parking is contracted out so the valet people don’t really talk to the hotel people unless you’re asking to do this. And even then, I was pushed by the staff to be the one to have the conversation with the other party. It very much gave the impression that even though I was being told this was an available option it was my problem to solve as a guest.
Both parties assured me this wasn’t an issue when I asked when taking my car out for the day after my first full night.
But if you were to request for them to grab your car via the link in your texts, you aren’t able to do so without providing payment. Unless you go specifically to talk to valet.
When I left Sunday, the hotel staff went outside to “help” resolve the issue because at the time I didn’t feel like it was necessary for me to have to be in the middle of how they run this portion of their business. I was told it was sorted and okay. Only to have to sort it out myself when I got to valet by speaking to their manager on the phone, being given a code that would sort me out, and then being charged for valet 12 days later.
Now of course, if you’re paying with a credit card, this might not be a thing. Because it all sorts itself out quickly enough. And if were to stay again, I would just note that I would need to budget 2x the amount planned to accommodate the nonsense. But as someone who stays in mid-luxury hotels often enough this felt like an issue that shouldn’t exist.
Is Hotel Granada As Advertised?
I often find myself double-checking website photos to make sure I’ve matched my expectations with reality. And in the case of my king-size bedroom, it’s definitely smaller than advertised. You can tell the room is meant for 1 person. Only one bedside table, a narrow-ish bathroom, and floor space that would be challenging with more than one suitcase. There is an armoire for hanging clothes that has a robe, ironing board, iron and safe.
But again, I think this just fits in with the theme of the entire experience. What I expected when I excitedly booked was not the experience I received.
Would I Stay At Hotel Granada Again?
In my mind, comparing this experience to other hotels we frequent like Hotel Clermont (Atlanta) or Hotel Effie (Destin), I think this ranks at a 4/10. The location and the atmosphere are lovely. If I needed a space that felt cozy to work over a few days, this would be a great spot.
The lack of price transparency as well as the valet situation don’t win any points here but I know that as someone who spends her time tethered to a laptop, it’s nice to have multiple, open spaces to stare at said laptop. And the location is amazing.
I don’t think this will be at the top of my list for a repeat any time soon (mainly because the beds were not up to my princess & the pea standards).
If you want more Southern stays and travel or enjoy mid-luxury content, make sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter so you don’t miss a thing. Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
