Oftentimes, my husband and I like to travel the 75 miles from our North Georgia home to downtown Atlanta for special events such as Georgia Tech football games, celebrating our wedding anniversary or just having a night without the kids. When we do, we look for a comfortable hotel to extend our stay. When I heard about the Sonesta Gwinnett Place off of Interstate 85, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta, it seemed like the perfect location for a staycation. It turns out I was right.
The Sonesta Gwinnett Place offers the same high-end comfort as many other hotel brands found in the city, but with some distinct advantages. These include more affordable rates, free parking, free Wi-Fi and an onsite upscale steakhouse. This combination made the Sonesta Gwinnett Place a perfect choice for us. First, there are the guest rooms. Sonesta has some of the most comfortable beds I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping in while traveling. As a person who loves to sleep, they make it very difficult for me to crawl out of the warm, cozy covers and start my day.
Once I do, though, the hotel contains several amenities to get me moving. There’s the indoor/outdoor pool behind the hotel, and, if I’m really motivated, the fitness center as well. Of course, the hotel also is conveniently located to many of Atlanta’s attractions, including Stone Mountain Park (approximately 30 minutes away), Turner Field – home of the Atlanta Braves (approximately 30 minutes away), the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola (approximately 20 minutes away), and the city’s popular Buckhead community (approximately 15 minutes away) – home to high-end shopping, dining and nightlife.
But you don’t have to drive far to experience top-notch cuisine. Just off the hotel lobby, you’ll find Keats Steakhouse. Keats – steak spelled backward – represents a new direction for the traditional culinary concept of a steakhouse. It is at once both relaxed and upscale, so dining guests feel comfortable without sacrificing the high-quality fare they’ve come to expect from other fine dining brands. In fact, most of the menu is crafted around locally sourced meats, vegetables and even desserts. Yes, I said desserts. My choice was the handcrafted popsicles by King of Pops, a local vendor that began its business selling homemade popsicles from food carts. For me, the chocolate popsicle was a rich, yet light finish to a meal of filet mignon, vegetables and steak fries.
It was a true pleasure to skip the parking lot and head straight up to our guest room after dinner. Given the luxurious meal we had just devoured, my husband and I were happy to skip the drive home in favor of a brief elevator ride to our room. As I mentioned before, that comfortable Sonesta bed was waiting and I was willing to indulge in its cozy warmth. It was bittersweet to have to say goodbye to the Sonesta Gwinnett Place the next morning, but after our experience, we knew we’d be back. We couldn’t wait to plan our next staycation!