Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta

By Rachel Shelasky
about.com

 

At the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta, the staff gets high praise for pampering guests, many of whom concur that it's Atlanta's finest hotel.  As a tired traveler, my check-in was swift — completed in under two minutes — and I was driven down the street to run an errand while my bags were brought up to the room. 

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The hotel is located in Buckhead, the third-largest business district in this Southern hub and a place also known for its magnificent mansions. Within a two-mile radius of the hotel is a mecca of dining and shopping, and the house BMW and driver can take you there. 

Guest Rooms at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
Hallways are hushed (we never saw another guest on our floor), service discreet, and rooms regal. We requested to have Champagne delivered at a certain time and it arrived from room service on the dot.

The 127 rooms and suites combine Oriental luxury with Southern comfort and charm. They feature dark wood furniture, velvet-upholstered chairs and modern abstract paintings and Asian-inspired prints on the walls.

Beds are covered in goose down comforters over fine linens and each bedroom has a 55” inch television, plus a smaller TV viewable from the soaking tub for two in the white marble-clad bathroom. It's equipped with double sinks, plush robes and slippers and amenities by Shanghai Tang. Housekeeping not only cleans, but also organizes; my makeup in the bathroom was transformed from disaster zone to a neat lineup by size.

Couples who make a request prior to their stay for, say, locally brewed beer or chocolate truffles can be assured of its presence when they arrive.

Dining in and around the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The hotel’s Café & Bar looks out onto an English Garden. It’s mellow and lounge-like during the day and is a perfect spot for morning coffee or Bloody Mary’s — although you may encounter a cohort of suits at day's end. The menu is standard as is the indoor atmosphere — we opted to eat at an artsier restaurant down the street. The Friday night live jazz is said to be worthwhile. 

However, it’s worth arranging your schedule to attend the hotel’s Sunday brunch. Savor good-ole Southern dishes such as buttermilk chicken & waffles or a chomp down on the special-blend burger served with Yukon gold potato chips. 

Del Frisco’s Grille, an upscale steakhouse, is just a few steps outside of the main entrance of the hotel. Aside from high-quality fare, it claims Atlanta’s only two-story dining patio. The view is mostly of congested traffic and surrounding hotels, but on a nice day, you can do some people-watching.

Destination Weddings at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta:
The hotel hosts about 20 weddings a year. Elegant venue options include The English Garden (holds 100 guests for a wedding ceremony), the Oriental Ballroom, with a covered terrace overlooking the garden (holds 200 guests) or the Azalea or Gardenia rooms, each holding about 60 guests. Other rooms are available for private dinners for smaller weddings for up to 40 guests. An onsite planner is available for a fee.
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Wedding packages are available or you can create your own. Personalized services include special menus, flowers, a live Internet feed to family and friends who cannot attend and a horse drawn carriage reserved for the two of you.

Plan to spend the night after the festivities: A Bride & Groom suite is complementary after the reception, as is Champagne and rose-petal turndown service and a private room for bridal party hair and makeup. For local couples, the hotel offers a bridal spa boot camp, a customized six-week spa program ritual to prepare for the big day.

Honeymoons/Romance Packages at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The Romantic Rendezvous package includes breakfast in your room or at the restaurant, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, rose-petal turn down service and chocolate delicacies. Couples also receive Asian-inspired trinkets when checking in and a welcome cake or macaron plate.

Activities at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The 14-room spa takes up the entire third floor of the hotel and has a fitness center, yoga studio, steam room, vitality pool and 60-foot indoor saline pool. You can order lunch while lounging poolside. There are two couples suites, both with a private soaking tub and shower. For those craving the full experience, the Couples Retreat package is nearly four hours and includes a body exfoliation, scalp massage, body massage and facial as well as a bath and shower. The Re-Connect package is an abbreviated version: an hour and a half body exfoliation, then massage. 

Nearby the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The hotel stands directly across the street from Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza shopping malls and close to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the High Museum of Art, Georgia Aquarium, Piedmont Park for a lovely picnic or jog, the World of Coca Cola (tours available) and CNN headquarters. 

Couples can also take a helicopter tour of Buckhead from the nearby local airport, Peachtree-Dekalb. The restaurant choices in the area are endless with most cuisines available. Taking a walk around the mansions in residential areas can be a romantic afternoon activity if it's not too hot out.

Pros/Cons at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
If you appreciate privacy, you will love this destination for a truly restful, luxurious and laidback vacation. The Mandarin's guest rooms are extremely clean, plush and cozy. There is complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby, although the lobby area is small and not made for lingering. The entrance of the hotel is also a little strange and there’s no outdoor space to truly enjoy. 

The Vibe at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
The hotel seems to attract a mature crowd of discriminating leisure and business travelers. You won’t have many opportunities to mingle. Instead, you’ll feel like the hotel is yours alone. A good thing, if you ask me.

The Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta Info and Reservations
3376 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404-995-7500