Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Rooms and decor

Picture walking through the doors, tilting your head back, and finding a central well that climbs 52 floors until your neck nearly gives out — that's the first image of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, a giant of roughly 1,660 rooms in downtown Atlanta where the building is the star. The design is the work of John Portman, the Atlanta architect who pioneered the atrium hotel. He shaped the central well so both walls curve inward like a whale's ribcage or a vast cocoon, with glass elevators gliding up and down in rows and long fabric ribbons hanging through the open air. Tiers of room balconies stack upward to a glass ceiling, and kids tend to stop mid-step, mouths open, the moment they walk in. The rooms themselves run modern and warm, with beds soft enough that several reviews single them out, and space enough for a family to move around. Some have balconies facing the atrium so you can look down into the well as the elevators run like a movie scene; others face out over the wide Atlanta skyline, best from the higher floors by day and once the city lights come up.

Food and amenities

If anything wins families over after the atrium, it's the pools — there are two. The curved indoor one gets nicknamed the jellyfish pool for its rounded shape, and it works in any weather, hot or wet, so kids can cool off after a full day out. Alongside it sits an outdoor rooftop deck for sun and city views on a clear day. Eating is handled under one roof: several restaurants and bars ring the atrium, plus a cafe to grab coffee and a pastry before heading out. Sitting at the edge of that central well, watching the glass elevators slide up and down, is its own small experience. There's a fitness center for grown-ups, and because the hotel links straight into AmericasMart and the convention center, you can move around indoors without dealing with sun or rain. A family ends up with somewhere to eat, somewhere to swim, and somewhere to rest without really leaving the building.

Location and getting there

The Marquis sits in the middle of Peachtree Center, a downtown zone where towers, the convention center, and malls connect by indoor walkways. The handiest piece for families is Peachtree Center MARTA station, about a 3-5 minute walk from the hotel. From there, a few stops on the train reach Georgia Aquarium — the giant aquarium with whale sharks that floor most kids — and World of Coca-Cola, where you can taste sodas from around the world, all without driving or scrambling for parking. Downtown's restaurant blocks are within walking range too, and you're not far from State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium for big games and concerts. For the longer haul, the MARTA line through this station runs direct to Hartsfield-Jackson airport with no transfer — handy for a family or a convention guest who wants to base themselves downtown, walk and ride the train, and use the hotel as a launch pad.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, this is a very large convention hotel — around 1,660 rooms tied to the convention center and AmericasMart. When a big event or convention runs, the lobby and atrium get busy, and the elevators and check-in counter can mean a wait; anyone who wants quiet and privacy may feel it reads more like a meeting tower than a small getaway. Second, watch the extra charges — especially the daily valet parking, which runs high, along with in-hotel food and drink prices. Check the added fees when you book; if you skip the car, leaning on MARTA is much cheaper. Third, the building: it has been open since 1985 and has taken heavy use. It has been refreshed in stages, but some reviews note that certain rooms or common areas look dated for the price at times. Last, the outdoor rooftop pool tends to open seasonally — in some stretches only the indoor jellyfish pool runs, so check first if you're set on both — and parts of downtown go quiet after dark, so take a car if you head out late.

Our take

After reading through a stack of real guest reviews, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis is a hotel that sells the drama of its own building with full confidence — a 52-story whale-rib atrium that wows kids from the first step, plus a choice of two pools and a central spot within walking distance of MARTA. If the family trip in your head is staying in a tower that's a highlight in itself, letting the kids hit the jellyfish pool after sightseeing, then riding a few stops to Georgia Aquarium with no parking to chase, this is a strong fit. If instead you want a small, quiet, private hotel, or rooms that feel brand-new in every corner, the sheer size, the event-week buzz, and the age of the building give some pause. Overall we land at 8.5/10 — best for families who want a big, full-service downtown hotel where the building itself becomes part of the trip's memory.