Trip report March 13-15

Went to Atlanta for a business trip last weekend. Arrived at the airport and headed for MARTA. It was very easy, in fact, a MARTA employee stood at the entrance helping people purchase their tickets from the machine. She also told me which train to take to get to Buckhead (the Northern line, on the right at the top of the escalator). I rode the train with my carry on luggage and there was plenty of room for them, despite the car being fairly full. Lots of others also with luggage riding the train. It was a wonderful alternative to a taxi, and so much cheaper (only $2.25 one way). One word of advice to those using MARTA for the first time: keep the MARTA ticket handy as you need it to exit the station at the end of your trip.

Arrived at Buckhead station, and instead of taking the stairs I took the elevator to the street level (there was no escalator). I turned onto Peachtree and got to the Grand Hyatt quickly as it was just two short blocks away. Check in was rapid and I was surprised to see that I got a corner King room on the 5th floor (I thought I%26#39;d get a regular room not on the corner). Interestingly, it was a handicapped access room, with a very large walk in shower and high toilet seat. It was more than adequate, very spacious. It was clean, and the only criticism would be the furnishings and television were a bit dated/old. The bed and pillows were very comfortable, and the clock radio easy to use. The hotel was also very quiet, I didn%26#39;t hear any street noise.

I was a bit tired (very early AM flight) and pretty hungry so decided to eat in the hotel restaurant rather than go back outside (especially as weather a bit chilly and damp). The food was fine, service very attentive. The restaurant was mostly empty, looked out on a pretty garden.

That evening the hotel called me to ask if I wanted turn down service and ask if there was anything else I needed. I thought that was a very nice example of hospitality and good customer service.

After the end of my meeting Sunday I had a lot of time before I had to go to the airport, so I headed for the Lenox shopping mall. It was raining, but I had my raincoat and also borrowed an umbrella from the hotel concierge. The hotel also held my luggage for me after checkout. The walk to the mall was not too far, about 10-15 minutes depending on how fast you walk. I wanted to eat either in Prime (a steakhouse I had read about on researching the mall) or maybe the restaurant in Neiman Marcus, but Prime was not open until dinner and Neiman Marcus not open till 1 or 1:30, so went to the Corner Bakery. Food was ok but probably would choose Panera Bread the next time. I spent some time in Teavana, a shop devoted to tea, and bought several teas to bring home for myself and as gifts for others. The saleslady in Teavana was extremely nice and we had a nice chat. The teas in Teavana are amazing, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves tea. I also visited the Godiva shop (twice!) for a couple of treats for myself and another gift for folks back home.

After a couple of hours wandering the mall I returned to the hotel, got my bags, and went back to MARTA. The trains run less frequently on Sundays, so I waited about 15 minutes before it came, but I had given myself plenty of time to get to the airport so was in no rush. Again, the train ride was just fine, plenty of room, got progressively more filled up the closer we got to the airport.

Check in at the airport was quick (I had checked in on line the night before, so went straight to security) and I had some time for dinner before my flight. I ended up in Chili%26#39;s in the D terminal. Here is the most amazing part of my trip: the waitress was incredible. She was extremely busy, the whole place was packed (flights being a bit dealyed all day due to rain), and she managed to serve me so efficiently it was unbelievable. She was very friendly and pleasant and she was concerned about making sure I had fresh iced tea without the ice cubes melting too much. Food came rapidly and was hot. Exactly one second after I put down my empty iced tea glass she put a new one on the table. Her service was unobtrusive, I barely realized she was there as she put things on the table. Who would have thought I would have the best service in a restaurant that I can remember in more than 20 years at Chili%26#39;s? The only other service that ever equalled this was when I went to Perino%26#39;s (a very famous and expensive restaurant in Los Angeles that closed years ago). After telling the waitress that she gave me the best service I%26#39;ve had in years, I handed her a 100% tip. She insisted on giving me a hug, she was so grateful.

Overall, I had a very good trip to Atlanta. The people in Atlanta that I met were uniformely friendly, pleasant, helpful, and made the trip very enjoyable. I look forward to returning (may return again in a year or two if the meeting is held there again).

Trip report March 13-15

What a great report! I think people respond so positively to you bc you are clearly a positive person:-) So glad you enjoyed the southern hospitality you experienced and we welcome you back any time!

Trip report March 13-15

Thanks JJ61NorthGA. I think it is easy to be positive in the face of Southern charm.