Art on high: Visit Atlanta's High Museum to view famous pieces on loan from the Museum of Modern Art. Credit: Sapoague.
By Erin Behan
With the High Museum of Art’s “Picasso to Warhol” exhibit showcasing more than 100 world-famous works of art through April 29, 2012, it’s time to make a modernist-inspired weekend trip to Atlanta. (more…)
By Vince Font
Style with a Southern accent: The oh-so-chic aesthetic of the W Atlanta - Midtown.
There’s an awful lot to discover in Atlanta, but before you dive into planning your day’s adventure you’d best set your sights on a place to lay your head when the day’s through. One of the most comfortable and classy Atlanta hotels to stay in that will help you accomplish that task with minimal traveling distance from the boatload of nearby attractions is the W Atlanta - Midtown.
From here, it’s just a hop, skip and a low-impact jump to places you probably never knew existed — like the World of Coca-Cola historical museum. What’s great about this place is that you don’t even have to be a soda pop enthusiast to appreciate it, although sweet drink avoiders should be warned: You may just emerge from the experience with an acquired taste. If sugar overload is your main concern, you can walk off your buzz by heading downtown and touring Atlanta’s Centennial Park a few miles away, taking a guided tour of the nearby CNN Center, or patrolling the Midtown Mile’s vast number of shops and sights. (more…)
The Loews Atlanta Hotel's Market Eleven offers picnic baskets to-go! Credit: langalex.
By Whit Honea
I’d describe the recently debuted Loews Atlanta Hotel as “contemporary Southern style meets classic luxury.” Here, the Southern flair extends to their signature restaurant, Eleven, which serves fine farm-to-table cuisine. Bar Eleven features live music and local microbrews, and Market Eleven has coffee and picnics to go — just grab a basket and enjoy your Atlanta vacation wherever it takes you. (more…)
Homewood Suites La Quinta
By Joe Brancatelli
Throughout 2009, the hotel industry was awash in waves of property openings just as occupancy rates and nightly room rates were collapsing. That was an accident of timing since the hotel pipeline tends to be planned 2-3 years in advance and can’t be plugged when business turns south.
But 2010 will be much different.
A lot of projects have been halted in the planning stage, and there are some empty holes out there that were going to be hotel foundations. And the flow of properties has definitely slowed down.
Here’s what’s new lately:
A 129-room Homewood Suites La Quinta, California, has reopened after closing in August due to financial problems.
Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
By Liz Lippow
My husband and I love to visit major cities with our kids. Maybe because we have embraced city living ourselves, we are in love with experiencing other big cities’ cultural and educational attractions, as well as soaking up each location’s unique vibe. And of course, we like to compare and contrast with our beloved hometown!
One urban adventure took us to downtown Atlanta for a family wedding. We carefully chose our Atlanta hotel to be within walking distance of some excellent Atlanta attractions. We were happy to be "on the ground," as we put it, experiencing Atlanta without a car.
Our first stop was at the Georgia Aquarium, only a ten-minute walk from our hotel. It opened in 2005, and immediately became one of the most popular places to go in the city. Tickets are a little pricy at $26 for adults and $19.50 for children aged 3-12, but it was worth it! The giant tanks with floor-to-ceiling windows allow small children to walk right up to the fish. Visitors can view one enormous tank by walking through a tunnel beneath the fish. A tide pool exhibit lets kids touch the crabs and sea stars (if they’re brave enough -– mine weren’t). The amazing variety of marine life kept our kids entranced.
Another great choice was Centennial Olympic Park, right across the street from the aquarium. This park was designed for the 1996 Olympic Games, and was later repurposed into a beautiful public space. We ate a picnic lunch in an open pavilion at one of the many inviting picnic tables. The park also boasts a playground and a fountain, and is the site of numerous outdoor cultural events. It was great to have some "run around" time, and even better to have it in such a prime people-watching area.
Our only regret for this urban challenge was that we didn’t need to use MARTA (Atlanta’s transit system), even though our hotel was just blocks away from the nearest stop! As public transit geeks, we enjoy taking our kids on other cities’ buses and trains. And what kid doesn’t like to ride a train? Next time we’ll definitely sample the MARTA.
Despite the fact that Atlanta is known for its sprawl and its choking traffic, we had a fabulous downtown experience. I’d encourage Atlanta visitors to venture beyond Buckhead and see what downtown has to offer.
Related Orbitz resources:
Liz
Lippow is a working mom with a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. She
enjoys traveling with her husband and kids, despite wistful memories of the days
when she only had to pack for herself.
And the winners are … the Boston Marriott Cambridge, Chicago’s Talbott Hotel, the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii and 95 other recipients of the first annual Orbitz Best in Stay Awards.
The awards unveiled this week honor hotels and resorts across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean that earned the best reviews from Orbitz guests.
The guests were asked to rate hotels on a scale of 1 to 5 for service, amenities, comfort, location and value. The award winners were those that stood above the rest among leisure travelers, business travelers, families and couples.
The Orbitz Best in Stay Awards recognizes hotels in 16 destinations, including San Francisco hotels, Los Angeles hotels and New York hotels.
The other destinations include Boston, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, Toronto and Montreal.
Travelers can save 15 percent at the award-winning hotels by entering a promotion code — HOTELAWARD15 — when they book on Orbitz.
See the full list of winners.
Related Orbitz resources:
One of the largest Atlanta hotels is celebrating the completion of a three-year, $138 million overhaul.
Renovations at Atlanta Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta include a new lobby — the "M.I. Great Room" — more than 42,000 square feet of additional meeting space, and several new restaurants. Among the new dining options is Sear, offering what’s described as "fire-inspired cuisine," the High Velocity sports bar, and Pulse, a cocktail lounge in the atrium fearing a 50-foot, color-changing sail.
The Marquis, one of the biggest hotels in the Marriott chain, also has a new, 6,500-square-foot fitness center.
Here’s a video of the hotel’s grand reopening party last week:
Related Orbitz resources:
If you’re looking to add an element of education to your family travel, check out these exhibits deemed "worth the trip" by members of the Orbitz Parent Panel.
These top contenders, many of which are touring North America, give both kids and parents the opportunity to take away tales of ferocious creatures, espionage and galaxies far, far away.
My my, what large teeth you have …
Walking with Dinosaurs
Fifteen life-like dinosaurs, each weighing about as much as a car, roar to life with the help of technology and a team of master puppeteers. This show, touring venues across North America, depicts the life and evolution of dinosaurs, like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Walking with Dinosaurs ticketsJourney with Gentle Giants
Or, if you want to sound impressive to your friends, call it: "Swim with the ‘Sharks’." These are actually whale sharks, the largest fish in the world. Jump into a 6.3 million gallon exhibit with these gentle creatures, as well as zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays and bowmouth guitarfish. This exhibit is at the Georgia Aquarium for ages 12 and older.
Open Sesame
Jim Henson’s Fantastic World
Peer into the imagination of Jim Henson, the late brilliant creator of Kermit, Big Bird, and other childhood favorites. Witness his process of "visual thinking" through artworks, photos, puppets and video. This touring exhibition is at the Smithsonian through Oct. 5, 2008.One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
Explore the sky with Big Bird, Elmo and friends in Sesame Workshop’s new planetarium show. "One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure" is scheduled to make its U.S. premiere at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium on Oct. 15, 2008.
Night at the museum … or zoo
KidSpy® Overnight: Operation Secret Slumber
Once the International Spy Museum in Washington DC locks its doors for the night on Nov. 15, 2008, top-secret spy training begins for kids 9-13. Pint-size secret agents disguise themselves with new identities and back stories, gather intelligence about espionage, and hunt for a mole within their ranks.Cincinnati Zoo Overnights
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden boasts "the wildest nightlife in town." Grab a sleeping bag and prowl for predators or doze off with manatees by your feet.
What’s old is new again
Day in Pompeii
Journey back to 79 A.D., when Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. View hundreds of artifacts, including seven original body casts of victims frozen in their last moments. Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC, is the fourth and final U.S. destination for this exhibit. It runs through Jan. 4, 2009.King Tut
The King Tut exhibit is returning to the U.S. for a second tour, beginning at the Dallas Museum of Art Oct. 3, 2008-May 17, 2009. "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" showcases the lives and splendor of many of the Egyptian rulers as well as the evolution life and art under their reign. Among the artifacts on tour: Tut’s gold burial sandals and a jar with his mummified internal organs. King Tut tickets
Related Orbitz resources:
We love to travel, and we love to talk about it. The Orbitz Blog is another way we can share our expertise, advice and the occasional random thought.
Check back often for fresh insight from Orbitz staff and contributors about cool places to visit, fun things to do and smart ways to save.