Hotlanta, Hollywood of the South, ATL, or simply the Big A — Atlanta goes by many names, but the Georgia state capital is a one-of-a-kind city packed with historical landmarks, fantastic restaurants, and plenty of great hotels. It has long been a hub of Southern culture, and today, visitors can learn about Black history and the Civil Rights Movement at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and National Center for Civil and Human Rights, stroll through Centennial Olympic Park (built for the 1996 Olympics), and shop around Buckhead for a taste of all the Atlanta area has to offer.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
Georgia’s largest city has hotels for every type of traveler, ranging from large luxury properties with all the bells and whistles to more intimate boutique options. Many of this year’s top-ranked hotels by readers initially appeared on our first-ever list of the best Atlanta hotels, which published last year. However, this year’s reader selection for the No. 1 hotel is making its debut in 2023, receiving praise for its service, location, event space, food and beverage outlets, and more. Other top properties on the list include last year’s No. 1 property, Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead, which came in fourth this year.
T+L readers picked these hotels in Atlanta as their favorites:
The Winner
InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
Located in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood just a short distance from some of the area’s best shopping and dining, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta offers a range of high-end amenities for guests staying in its 422 rooms. The Spa InterContinental has a new menu of Biologique Recherche treatments, and it’s adjacent to a heated saltwater pool and a 24-hour fitness center. The hotel completed property-wide refurbishments in September 2022, something our readers certainly noticed; several praised how great the hotel looks post-renovation. Readers also complimented The Americano, an Italian American restaurant, with one even writing, “I was shocked by the quality of food here. The restaurant is outstanding!”
T+L Reader
I was shocked by the quality of food at InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. The Americano restaurant is outstanding!
— T+L Reader
The Full List
1. InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
Reader Score: 87.27
Reader Score: 86.44
Reader Score: 86.00
4. Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead
Reader Score: 85.78
Reader Score: 85.41