samschack

My wife is going to attend a math teachers conference (nctm) in late March. The meetings will take place at the Ga. World Conference Ctr. and Omni CNN. It appears that the Omni has already booked out so we are looking for options of other hotels nearby.
Of the hotels recommended, the Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency and Marriott Downtown seem like the nicest. Could anyone recommend one of these based on:
1. Proximity or convenience to the conference functions and,
2. Overall quality. We plan to extend our stay a couple days to visit Atlanta and want to make sure the hotel is reasonably nice.
Thanks for any advice.

mrsd2fan

I have stayed at the Marriott Marquis a couple of times and it's very nice.A few blocks from CNN, but in March the weather should be fine for a walk. Let me give you a tip- I've always booked through Priceline and asked for the highest star rating in this area of Atlanta and I end up at the Marriott Marquis, which, like I said, is a VERY nice hotel.

starrsville

The Hilton, Hyatt and M Marquis are all connected by skybridges to the Peachtree Center area (with some shops and food court). So, any of those are equally convenient as far as location to the WCC. I stay in each of the above (for conferences) and all 3 would be good choices.

LLindaC

Stayed there this summer. The Marquis was a good hike daily. I'm in shape, no big deal, but then you might have to hoof it another mile through the conference center, no kidding, it is HUGE. The Westin was very nice and a little closer. I agree with mrs on the Priceline bidding suggestion. I did that and spent 80 dollars a night versus the 175 which others in my group paid!I think that late March they will be GIVING the rooms away. I would wait till Feb and start bidding on Priceline. Take the money you save and take cabs and eat out at great restaurants! BTW...I wasn't impressed with that area so much. A few good restaurants,but be prepared to drive or take the train to shopping and better choices for dining in Buckhead!

starrsville

The NCTM will provide shuttle buses from the downtown hotels to the WCC.

samschack

Thanks for the suggestions. Priceline suggestion sounds good and may go with that. We did read that the NCTM will have shuttles to the conference meetings but thought that if the weather is nice it might be nice to walk. Never been to Atlanta before so we are really looking forward to it.

formerfreqflyer

I was just in Atl for a convention/conf at the World Congress Center & stayed at the Mar Marquis. Our group too had shuttles which we utilized to save on cab fare ($8 to $12, same route, different cab companies). The Marq is being renovated right now -- the fitness center is a joke with very limited, in-poor-shape equipment, one restaurant closed, etc. -- but I guess that is good as the hotel feels very dated, very 80s to me. My room (concierge floor) was very nice, big bathroom, great 42nd floor view. Front desk staff, bellmen, etc., friendly, helpful & polite. Weather was iffy (rain) and while I wanted to walk at least one way daily, I didn't, due to that and also I had to lug heavy briefcase around. There is an Embassy Suites right across from the Congress Center but it too needs some love. Walking distance restaurants from Mar Marq are many due to the aforementioned skywalks; I had good eats at Azio Italian and Pacific Rim Bistro sushi. Took a customer to Horseradish Grill (via cab), excellent eats and service. If you get the chance, visit the Georgia Aquarium -- I've been twice and cannot describe it without getting all giggly like a child. You will be too early for a Braves baseball game. But the Hawks may be home (and losing). Enjoy the big A!

GoTravel

I've stayed at the Hyatt, Marriott Marquis and the Westin and the Westin is my favorite.

One thing to keep in mind, if the conference is really big, priceline might not get any rooms.

samschack

Funny thing, just for the heck of it I checked the AAA website and was able to find rooms available at the Omni (where the conference is hdqrtrd) and reserved a room. The price is about $30/night higher than it would have been booking through the conference but those rooms are already gone.
If anyone thinks the Omni is a poor choice we could always do the priceline route and cancel the Omni but for the sake of convenience we may just stay there. Not sure why I didn't think about trying AAA sooner. I had checked the usual sites (Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc) and they all showed the Omni booked.
Thanks again for the advice and recommendations. The Aquarium sounds like something we would both enjoy.

LLindaC

I would have loved to stay at the Omni. I think you will be happy there. Have fun!