Will be 4 couples, old high school friends, meeting in Atlanta in late March for the weekend. Need recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities. Had wondered about a tour of CNN or Coca-Cola, shopping in Buckhead. Could stay at the Hilton or some boutique hotels if anyone has recommendations. Any help is appreciated. Thanks already.

We thought Coca-Cola was a waste of time, liked the Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta History Center, Martin Luther King, Jr sites, Chatahoochee Nature Center.

We still want to get to CNN and the High Art Museum.

The new aquarium is a world class destination. The High Art Museum is a good visit. There is a Courtyard hotel at the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont that is convenient to Lennox, Phipps, and MARTA in a very safe neighborhood. Weekend rates at that location should be competitive.

The aquarium is still hugely popular, and the other sites mentioned are all great. If you want to go shopping in Buckhead, by all means try to stay near Lenox or Phipps, but another option is to stay in Midtown, near the High Museum. There are a lot of restaurants and sights near there (including the Margaret Mitchell house), and it's a more walkable area. I wouldn't stay downtown. Restaurant recommendations in midtown: South City Kitchen, One Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Trois, Taurus, and Tap, which is a casual "gastropub."

Thanks for your replies. The aquarium idea is an interesting one. Does anyone have experience with the Midtowm vs Downtown hotels and restaurants? Are there also good choices for restaurants downtown in case our group chooses that location? Thanks already for any suggestions. This is a great help to us.

Downtown caters to the convention crowd. Not really much there to draw you at night.

Buckhead used to be the place to be. Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza are the shopping meccasu and there are lots of restaurants. But, you really need a car to move around that area.

In the last year or so, Midtown has really experienced a resurgence. I would never had walked around there at night 2 years ago. It's now the place to be at night. Everything is easy to get to via MARTA and Piedmont Park is great during the day.

So, I'd stay at Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown in that order.

Also, check out Atlantic Station for restaurants and some shopping. Only 1 hotel to choose from there.

A midtown restaurant is Trois. Excellent and reasonably priced.

Downtown has safety issues. After dark you must taxi from hotel to restaurant. In the daytime you walk around or step over the homeless.

Midtown is safer, has more restaurants and things to do.

Another vote for the aquarium.

I'd definitely stay in midtown over downtown. A lot more restaurants etc. I love Nan and South City Kitchen. French American Brasserie is a great place to go downtown - very close to the aquarium and open for lunch. Make reservations as it's crazy busy at lunch time.

Twelve at Atlantic Station is a great hotel....loft-like suites with a full kitchen, flat screen tvs, etc. The Twelve downtown (at the north end, so close to midtown and downtown attractions and restaurants) may be open by Spring.

You guys are great. Thanks again for all the help with our trip!

The W (Formerly Sheraton Colony Square) is slated to open Feb '08 with great introductory rates. You can walk to Botanical Gardens, High Museum, Piedmont Park, restaurants, etc. and they're offering specials as introductory rates.
Definitely worth checking out.
Great Greek food and wonderful service at AVRA on Juniper and 5th. Chocolate Pink is a fun dessert place also on Juniper. Combine these two with a visit to the High Museum and you've got a great day planned!

I've heard they are delayed, and sure enough, when I checked online, they aren't taking reservations for March, April, or May yet.

I had no idea that the Sheraton Colony Square was becoming a W. That's fantastic! That corner of 14th and P'tree is definitely the place to be lately with all these new places opening up.

I agree with starrsville said: stay in Midtown, Buckhead, and Downtown, in that order. I wouldn't stay in Buckhead without a car and I wouldn't stay Downtown unless you had a compelling reason to be there, like a business meeting or convention or something.

Yep, it's gonna be nice. I had hoped to get another upgrade to a suite the last time I stayed there. They had already closed the suite floors and were starting to move out the furnishings and waiting until the end of the month to start the gutting.

They did a great job converting the Days Inn across from the Fox to the Hotel Indigo (Holiday Inn's first go at a boutique hotel). Can't wait to see the W!

I agree with the previous posters that staying in Midtown is your best bet. Buckhead is congested and not very walkable.

Another area you may want to consider for shopping is Virginia Highlands. March will be a nice time of year to walk around that area, and there are lots of unique shops and great dining as well.

Cheryl gave some great restaurant suggestions. Most are part of the same restaurant group (Concentric), and we enjoy all of them. Murphy's in the Highlands is a nice lunch spot.

You may also want to see if anything is playing at the Fox Theatre during your visit as that is always a fun experience.

The aquarium is still jam-packed on the weekends. I went a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning (10am), and by the time we left it was so crowded and the security line outside was 5 times as long as when we went in (no joke!). You may want to go later in the day or before closing to avoid the crowds and kiddies.

Yep, if you go around 1:30 you'll at least have less little ones who go home for a nap! That's when we left and I noticed a bunch of other kids leaving at the same time.