A Stay at The Kimpton Sylvan (an IHG property) in Atlanta’s Buckhead Neighborhood
Meet Taylor
Hi friend! If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you inside the world’s best hotels and Airbnbs. My combined loves of travel, architecture, design and photography lead to my passion for finding the best designed hotels and accommodations available. I hope that my personal experiences help you as you decide where to book for your next grand adventure or weekend getaway!
In this post, I will be giving you a review of my stay at an IHG property that opened on February 10, 2021 in my home city - Atlanta, Georgia.
My combined loves of travel, architecture, design and photography lead to my passion for finding the best designed hotels and accommodations available and I hope that my personal experiences help you as you decide where to book for your next grand adventure or weekend getaway!
SEARCHING IN MY HOME TURF
Having lived in Atlanta for 4 years, I never had any need for the city’s hotel and accommodation offerings. However, in August of 2020 we decided to move to another state as we monitored how our lives would be impacted by the pandemic. This move opened up a need for an Atlanta accommodation as we came back to the city for work and personal matters.
While planning these return trips to the city, I quickly realized that there was a major lack of modern, boutique hotels available within Greater Atlanta. Of course, the city has plenty of hotel offerings, but I noticed that most were stodgy and old fashioned with high price points and mediocre aesthetics. And after enjoying unique and experiential hotels in other Southern cities like New Orleans, Nashville and Savannah, I was disheartened by the lack of such my home city had to offer.
Where was the modern, stylish, intentionally designed stay I was hoping for?
A NEW HOTEL ARRIVES ON THE SCENE
In early 2021, I can remember tapping through Instagram stories and seeing a friend or two of mine sharing themselves enjoying drinks and good company at a new rooftop bar in Buckhead (the “Beverly Hills” of the South). As I always do when I come across the latest and greatest places on social media, I did a little digging to determine what all the hype was about (and of course whether or not I need to check it out). I discovered that this hot new bar was seated at the top of an Atlanta hotel I’d never heard of nor seen before. A quick scroll through the hotel’s Instagram and website left me feeling excited that this could be the modern hotel option in Atlanta that I’d been waiting for.
SEEING IT FOR MYSELF
When the time came for our next travels to Atlanta, I knew I had to book a few nights at this new hotel to see it for myself and to determine if it would finally be a decent option for visitors to my home city. Below is a detailed review of our experience at the hotel in June of 2021 and whether or not I think you should book a stay there on your next trip to the ATL.
OUR EXPERIENCE STAYING AT THE KIMPTON SYLVAN IN ATLANTA’S BUCKHEAD NEIGHBORHOOD
Driving up to the hotel, I was initially underwhelmed by a boxy white building façade, lacking a grand entrance or any sort of indication that I had arrived. After dropping our car with the valet at the side entrance, we entered the hotel lobby and my underwhelm was instantly dissipated. Again, there was no grand lobby nor no over the top grandeur. Yet, there was something else, a simple serenity filling the space. This serenity was the result of a soft green and blue and orange and creme color palette, combined with the balancing act of both hard and soft textures of marble and tile and carpet and mid-century modern furniture. And my personal favorite: the modern, rectangular stain glass windows that were artworks of their own on both the front and the back of the lobby interior.
Check-in was as effortless as the space itself, and I noticed how kind and welcoming all of the staff were.
THE ROOM
With our key in tow, we took the elevator to the 7th floor and felt excited walking the long, black and white corridor towards our room.
Entering the room, we were greeted with views of the Buckhead skyline through the building’s original 1950s rectangular windows. It was raining and that added to the feeling of playful serenity within the space. Our large room was a continuation of the same interior design elements seen in the lobby, outfitted with additional textures of wooden panels and colorful geometric bathroom tiles. The room was spacious for a hotel room, and included a king sized bed, couch and small table, ideal for getting work done or having your morning coffee. Having experienced my fair share of tiny hotel rooms, the sheer square footage of the room was an added plus.
EATING AT THE KIMPTON SYLVAN
Willow Bar
Once we were ready for dinner, we were excited to try one of the hotel’s three onsite restaurants/bars: The Betty, Willow Bar and The St. Julep. In exchange for photography, the hotel offered us a meal and experience at Willow Bar, which is considered the hotel’s “secret garden.”
Willow Bar, features Chef Brandon Chavannes’ menu of dishes highlighting local produce, responsibly sourced proteins and sustainable seafood and drinks inclusive of biodynamic wines, botanical cocktails and punches. In the summer, the space feels as if you’re on an evening picnic in the heart of Buckhead, and our meal consisted of a cocktail, a glass of wine, a meat + cheese board, marinated peaches (Georgia is the peach state after all), and beets and feta with pita bread. Everything on the menu is finger food format, but combining a few options results in more than enough to make a meal of it. The food was delicious and the ambience of the space, the picnic style menu and the outdoor seating would make Willow Bar a great option for a pre-date casual dinner or an evening out with the girls!
The Betty
For breakfast the next day, we headed to the full service restaurant: The Betty. It instantly became one of my favorite spaces in the hotel, as we entered the dark and moody room off of the hotel’s main entrance. The interior of the restaurant is quite dramatic when compared to the rest of the hotel, outfitted with deep blue velvet furniture, dark fabric lined walls, heavy linen curtains and 1920s inspired décor. The menu selection was as rich and scrumptious as the room we were sitting in and we proceeded to feast on a traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast as well as a hearty oatmeal with seasonal fruit.
The St. Julep Bar
Although we didn’t spend much time there ourselves, the Kimpton Sylvan offers a third restaurant experience via their rooftop bar, St. Julep (this was the one I kept seeing all of my friends posting about on social media). The bar is a great option for after work drinks or a pre-date glass of wine, all with complimentary views of the Buckhead skyline.
Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at Kimpton Sylvan Hotel so much the first time, that when we needed a place to stay for a few weeks while we finished renovating our duplex prior to moving to Paris (both huge life changes for us worth reading if you have the time), it was a no brainer to book there once again. This second, much more extended stay (two-three weeks) was just as pleasant as the first, and this time we had an extra companion with us: our dog Boo! Pets stay free, yep free, at Kimpton Sylvan Hotel and being able to stay in such a comfortable hotel with our dog made those few hectic weeks of our lives much more manageable.
A FAVORITE HOTEL TO DATE
Whether you’re visiting Atlanta, just passing through or looking for a staycation, I cannot recommend booking Kimpton Sylvan Hotel enough. After previously staying at a not so great hotel in the city, and thoroughly searching all of the accommodations Atlanta has to offer, I can honestly say this is one of the best (if not the best) hotel in the city.
STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE
Want to see some of our other favorite hotels in the South?
Check out these modern floating cabins in Mississippi, a roundup of tiny house Airbnbs in Chattanooga or what we thought of our stay at Ace Hotel New Orleans.
FOLLOW ALONG
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