We’ve talked before on Hotel Scoop about using public transportation to your advantage to save money on hotel stays, with the bonus of not having to worry about parking. The Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway is a short ATL Skytrain ride from the terminal or the MARTA metro station, giving access to the city’s attractions without paying to be right in the thick of things.
I was recently in one of the largest cities in the south to see my daughter who lives there. For a while we were in a rental apartment and for a while out in Gwinnett County, which meant far too much driving through Atlanta’s notorious traffic than I would like. At the end of it, I holed up at this ATL Airport District Marriott instead and just took the metro to College Park restaurants and into the city. It felt good to say goodbye to the rental car.
The Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway is in a development with a cluster of several other hotels, close enough to the airport to see planes taking off and one stop over from the Skytrain stop where you pick up or return a rental car. So if you want to dine in the hotel or at another property nearby you don’t have to go anywhere, but if you do want to branch out you’ve got to get to easily because of the metro.
Dining and Drinking at the Atlanta Gateway Marriott Hotel
Like a great room in a large suburban house, this Marriott has a big and impressive lobby that also doubles as a place to eat, drink, and socialize. Chairs have outlets, so many end up getting some work done here as well. The centerpiece is the Flights Wine and Bourbon Bar, open 2:00 to 10:00, which also serves small plates
Then three other food options branch off from there. The biggest, serving lunch and dinner is the Champions Sports Bar, with the usual burgers, salads, and wings. Terminal East is a coffee and breakfast spot, with pastries and sandwiches. Then there’s a store with snacks and drinks to go.
Champions has upped its game quite a bit over the years, especially in the craft beer department. You can same several Atlanta-area breweries if you belly up to the bar here.
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If you want a change of scenery, you can cross the parking lot and street to the Renaissance Hotel and use your same room key to sign off on charges there. I headed over for a classic cocktail and just signed it to my room when the bill came.
They have the most interesting restaurant of the two: Hickory and Hazel Southern Table, serving regional and farm-fresh items for all three meals.
I wanted to get out and about though, so I headed to nearby College Park, a pretty small town, to dine at two spots there. I went to Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar for brunch and had some excellent fried chicken and waffles with iced tea. Then for dinner I made a trip to the Brake Pad, a fun bar and restaurant housed in a renovated service station.
Rooms at the Atlanta Airport Gateway Marriott
Six levels of rooms offer 403 rooms, with views of trees or the airport. Rooms provide standard Marriott layouts and amenities that you’ve seen in other properties of theirs. They’re great for getting work done, with a full desk that has easy-to-reach electrical outlets and an wheeled chair that won’t kill your back.
With carpet on the floors and good sound-blocking windows, these rooms are surprisingly quiet, which isn’t always true at an airport hotel. The plush bedding and blackout curtains help too in ensuring a good night’s sleep.
Amenities include a large TV, complimentary Wi-Fi, mini-fridge, safe, and ample storage space for your belongings. Marble baths have mirrors with built-in lights and full toiletry bottles in the showers.
There’s a club floor here for those with high Marriott Bonvoy status and there are hospitality suites with a Murphy bed that can be folded up and out of the way for meetings. If you upgrade to a regular suite, you’ll get twice as much space added with a full living room.
Other Marriott Amenities
This Marriott has enough meeting space to host conferences, with all the services available for catering and A-V needs.
If you want to get a workout in, there’s a full gym here with a good range of equipment. It looks through a window at an indoor pool open all year.
The Gateway area offers options for walking or jogging in the area, or you can hop on the Skytrain and metro to get to attractions in Atlanta. Nearby there’s a Delta Flight Museum and a basketball stadium that hosts WNBA games.
Booking a Room at the Gateway Marriott
Room rates at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway fluctuate a fair bit depending on season and occupancy level, but standards are generally starting at $180 to $320 with taxes and fees, suites run $320 to $600. In general, you’ll find rates here to be significantly less than corresponding properties in central Atlanta.
You can book a room directly with the official Marriott site, or check rates at one of the online booking sites like booking.com to compare.
Tim Leffel was hosted at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway hotel while doing an article on offerings in the ATL Airport District for another publication. As always, all opinions are his own.
