A new crop of boutique hotels opens their doors in Atlanta, bringing cool designs and hot lounges

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Midday has quietly slipped into the cocktail hour and the new boutique hotels in the city's center are buzzing.

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A crowd of suited dealmakers mingles in the vast, muted lobby of Twelve Hotel Centennial Park. Hipsters indulge in Mint Julep Martinis on the patio of the Ellis, a sexy hotel soaring 15 floors into the sky. It's the same story at the W Hotel in Midtown, an Art Deco gem full of drama and attitude and the modelesque crowd, one of four Ws that will eventually call Atlanta home.

Finally, the city better known for its big-brand convention hotels and extended stays has become an urban playground with inspired places to eat, sleep and lounge in a hip stretch from downtown to Midtown to Buckhead.

Atlanta has been in a forward march to personify the "SoCo" label (Southern cosmopolitan) since hosting the 1996 centennial Summer Olympic Games, but only in the last several years has it joined the ranks of metros with choices of stylish stays. The hotels are all born of the same DNA: unapologetically modern, dressed in high-count linens and designer furnishings, a must-do restaurant and a signature lounge/lobby that begs jet setters (and wannabes) to stay for a spell.

Nearly a dozen boutique hotels are open or coming, all a stroll or cab ride from attractions that are helping this Southern city emerge as a bona fide destination driven by a strong sense of art, culture, cuisine _ native son and rapper Ludacris and chef Chris Yeo just opened Straits, a modern Singaporean restaurant this spring.

Fall is the perfect time to visit Atlanta, which is hosting three blockbuster exhibits: "China's Terracotta Army" at the High Museum of Art, a new King Tut show at the Atlanta Civic Center and "Titanic Aquatic" at the Georgia Aquarium.

Just three years ago, the High opened three new buildings designed by star Italian architect Renzo Piano, doubling the museum's reach. That same year, the Georgia Aquarium opened. More than 3 million visitors came the first year to what is billed as the world's largest aquarium, wowed by 100,000 fish and sea creatures. Two years later, the new World of Coca-Cola opened, a 75,000-square-foot celebration of the iconic soda and its enduring place in pop culture.

Still, as the attractions grew, the boutique hotel population didn't exactly keep pace.

Now, you can stay in lodgings fashioned in beachside chic at the Indigo Hotel in Midtown, one of the first boutique hotels to arrive. Indie, a chipper little Jack Russell Terrier, hosts the lobby.

Or head to Buckhead for a luxurious stay at the Mansion on Peachtree an opulent 127-room hotel that opened in May. The glam hotel (think chandeliers, fresh flowers, twice-daily turndown service) is close to upscale shopping at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza and is the first in the South to offer complimentary tuxedoed butler service to all guests. The white-gloved butlers deliver convenience: selecting cigars, ironing, even personal gift shopping.

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W Hotels, often a mark of a city's hip quotient, opened this spring in midtown with its signature Bliss Spa and Spice Market restaurant. Its first location in a suburb north of downtown has been open nearly a decade. Sister spots come to toney Buckhead (next month) and downtown by the end of the year. Only New York, boutique hotel central, has more W Hotels.

More boutique hotels are on the way: The Palomar and Hotel Monaco, both Kimpton properties, are opening in Atlanta in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

"Atlanta is a tremendously exciting city and is among the ranks of America's most culturally interesting and socially responsible places to be," said Mike Depatie, president and CEO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

The Ellis, among the new crop of downtown hotels, opened last October, a rebirth for the historic brick building that has presided over Peachtree Street for nearly a century. It opened in 1913 as the graceful Winecoff Hotel, but made headlines as the site of the nation's deadliest hotel fire when 119 people died there in 1946.

The hotel was rebuilt as another hotel, then a senior center, then simply abandoned for 15 years before getting a $26.8 million renovation. Now, it's a distinctly modern space with a bold personality _ from the bamboo walls to the ostrich-embossed leather headboards.

But perhaps the most interesting feature: an entire floor dedicated to the female traveler, whether she's there for business or a girl's getaway. The women-only floor is equipped with Spanx, curling and straightening irons and Bath & Body Works toiletries.

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IF YOU GO:

WHAT TO DO:

_"The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE; 404-733-4400; www.high.org. The exhibit, running from Nov. 16 to April 19, features more than 100 excavated pieces of art including nine warriors and six other figures from the Terracotta Army.

_"Tutankhamun: The Golden King & The Great Pharoahs" at the Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave. NE; 404-523-6275; www.kingtut.org. This new King Tut exhibit, on view from Nov. 15 to May 25, includes 130 artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun and other sites.

_"Titanic Aquatic" at the Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker St. NW; 404-581-4000; www.georgiaaquarium.org The exhibit tells the story of the world's most famous shipwreck, from the building of the RMS Titanic to its tragic sinking to the restoration of the artifacts recovered from the wreckage 2 ˝ miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. The exhibit runs through spring 2009.

WHERE TO EAT

_Thrive, 101 Marietta St.; 404-389-1000; www.thriveatl.com, a hybrid food lounge, good for sushi and sashimi or a gourmet salad. More ambitious eaters will find a fusion menu ranging from pan-seared sea bass over asparagus to macaroni and cheese with smoked country ham to candied lamb chops with Israeli couscous. Entrees $12-$32.

_Taqueria del Sol, 1200-B Howell Mill Rd. NW; 404-352-5811; www.taqueriadelsol.com. Diversity is deliciously embodied in this three-eatery chain that serves dishes such as fried chicken tacos with lime jalapeno mayo and refried black-eyed peas. Don't leave without sampling the signature South-meets-Southwest dish: spicy turnip greens. Entrees top out at about $11.

_One Midtown Kitchen, 559 Dutch Valley Rd. NE; 404-892-4111; www.onemidtownkitchen.com. This sexy spot serves an American contemporary menu in a renovated warehouse in one of Atlanta hippest hoods. Treats range from jerk duck to lamb ribs with Israeli couscous. Entrees $12-$27.

_Straits Atlanta, 793 Juniper St. NE; 404-877-1283; www.straitsrestaurants.com. Rapper/actor Ludacris owns this Asian-inspired restaurant and names the chicken lollipops among his faves. Entrees $16-$39.

WHERE TO STAY

_The Ellis, 176 Peachtree St. NW; 404-523-5155; www.ellishotel.com. Rooms $154-$400.

_Twelve Hotel, 400 W. Peachtree St.; 404-418-1212; www.twelvehotels.com. Rooms $189-$359.

_The Mansion on Peachtree, 3376 Peachtree Rd. NE; 404-995-7500; www.rwmansiononpeachtree.com. Rooms $345-$4,200.

_W Hotel Midtown, 188 14th St. NE; 404-892-6000; www.starwoodhotels.com. Rooms $299-$509.

INFORMATION

_Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau, 404-521-6600; www.atlanta.net.

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© 2008, The Miami Herald.