Four Seasons, Atlanta

A grand, sweeping, chandeliered stairway right inside the entrance of this hotel lets you know as soon as you arrive: old-school opulence with a southern flourish is alive and well. The public spaces—including the lobby, a mezzanine lounge, and the elegant Park 75 restaurant—all gleam with burnished rojo Alicante stone, gilded mirrors, and leather-upholstered chairs; attentive staffers, many of whom have been at the property for more than a decade, stand everywhere at the ready. A 2007 renovation enhanced all 244 of the hotel's rooms, giving them golden yellow walls, silky, earth-toned fabrics, and crisp white bed linens. There's also a new ground-floor spa, where a fleet of aestheticians provides peach manicures and chocolate-truffle body wraps in the nine treatment rooms; on the second floor is a spacious indoor pool with an adjacent sun terrace for lounging. Just across the street is the High Museum of Art, one of the city's don't-miss attractions.

Tip: For a terrific weekend brunch, try South City Kitchen, just a couple blocks away on Crescent Avenue. The southern-style eggs Benedict—with smoked beef brisket and Creole-spiced hollandaise—are excellent.

Room to Book: Premiere Rooms, while no bigger than Deluxe (both are 450 square feet apiece) have enormous double corner windows that make them feel much bigger.