This past March I was in Atlanta for a wedding. We booked our trip kind of late and missed out at the block of rooms at the W, so we found ourselves at the Aloft Atlanta Downtown. I’m still pretty new to Starwood’s portfolio but I’ve heard Aloft described as the W’s little sister hotel. It has some of the same flare with a less expensive price tag. The Aloft Atlanta Downtown is extremely close to all of the touristy offerings of downtown, think World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, and CNN Center. While we were only in town for one night, we packed a lot in! Here’s my review of the Aloft Atlanta Downtown.
I like the overall vibe of the Aloft brand. It’s nice to have a budget-friendly option with the modern twist of a boutique hotel. As a Gold Preferred Guest, I had the option of bonus Starpoints or two free drinks from the lobby bar.
The rooms are a little basic but the styling elements make you happy you picked Aloft over a similarly priced budget hotel. I think this is definitely a personal preference and I could envision some other folks not appreciating the long decorative pillows depicting a man with 3D glasses on one side and a pink-haired woman on the other side
The bathroom had a sink near the doorway with a sliding door separating it from the shower and toilet.
The sliding door offers some privacy but there always seems to be a slight crack no matter how hard you try to close a sliding door. This personally doesn’t bother me since I’m usually staying with my boyfriend. I could see it being awkward for new couples or for families with teenagers.
Any hotel with a shower stall over a tub gets major points in my book. Never will I ever bathe in a hotel bathtub.
Like W Hotels, Aloft also uses Bliss products. Unfortunately at Aloft, they are stuck to the wall. Also, two-in-one shampoo/conditioners are on my shit list. Aside from the subpar toiletries, I really liked the design of this shower.
The room also had a setup to make coffee in the room. Does anyone else struggle with those little Mr. Coffee makers? I always seem to get brown water rather than coffee! The bottle of water was also appreciated for post-Wedding rehydration. With Coca-Cola located less than a half mile away, of course it was Dasani!
Final Thoughts
With great proximity to downtown Atlanta’s tourist attractions, the Aloft Atlanta Downtown is a good choice for a weekend trip. While the bathroom design could use a little rethinking to enhance privacy, we had a perfectly comfortable stay here. I appreciate what Aloft is trying to do with its modern design though I could see some people not jiving with it. Overall, I’d recommend this hotel for quick trips to Atlanta but you may want to look for something that offers a little more if you’ll be in town longer.
