The Hotel Palomar, one of Atlanta's newest boutique hotels, is located in the Midtown area of the city. Nearby attractions include Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the High Museum of Art, the Margaret Mitchell House and the Alliance Theater. The hotel is accessible from the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector. MARTA, Atlanta's public transit system, has a train station two blocks away.
The Hotel Palomar, part of the prestigious Kimpton group of hotels, opened in April 2009. The 21-story, 304-room hotel opened in Midtown, an area that "is still starved for quality hotel offerings,'' said one of the hotel's partners in the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Most Atlanta luxury hotels are in the Buckhead area, but Midtown's proximity to many of Atlanta's cultural institutions fit the Palomar's image. "We're a lifestyle hotel,'' says the general manager of the hotel, quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We're above and beyond just boutique.''
The Palomar's rooms are available in three grades with a variety of views. In-room amenities include wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, honor bars with organic options, bathrobes, and in-room spa service. Executive rooms feature upgraded baths. Suites have separate seating areas and upgraded baths, including Fuji spa tubs. All rooms feature the Palomar's signature rich, but subdued, colors and stylishly understated furniture.
Hotel amenities include a complimentary morning coffee and tea bar and an evening wine hour that is very popular with guests. The 1,000-square-foot fitness center is open around the clock and offers cardio and weight machines, yoga mats and small exercise apparatus. Personal trainers are available. In-room spa services include massages and wraps. The Palomar features the KimptonKids program, which offers convenience for parents and fun for children. The hotel also has a generous pet policy with pet amenities available. Dining options include Pacci Ristorante, which features elegant and modern Italian cuisine, and the AltoRex Rooftop Lounge, with small plates and drinks offered in the open air or under cabanas.
The Palomar has 10,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 4,400-square-foot ballroom that accommodates up to 350 guests reception-style; a 1,200-square-foot meeting room that can be subdivided; and an executive boardroom that seats up to 12. The hotel has meeting consultants and packages, including a "green'' package that uses recycled products and a "fun'' package that adds playful elements to meetings.
Reviewers of the Hotel Palomar have been very positive so far - 87 percent on one well-known travel website rated the hotel either "Excellent'' or "Very Good.'' One guest said, less than a month after the hotel opened, "I will choose this hotel as my (new) favorite'' in Midtown Atlanta. Many visitors like the location near Atlanta's cultural and performing arts centers. Some reviews have noted that the staff did not "have it down'' yet, but others found the staff extremely helpful and professional. One woman who visited about two months after the grand opening even expected that the hotel would not have "work[ed] out the kinks,'' but she found "friendly and helpful employees ... a large, beautiful room ... a gym filled with brand new ... equipment ... and the AltoRex lounge.'' It seems that the Hotel Palomar has hit the ground running.
