The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta

Rooms and decor

Picture a round glass tower rising over downtown like a giant glass cigar — that's the lasting image of The Westin Peachtree Plaza, a large hotel of around 1,073 rooms where the building itself is the star of the trip. The design is the work of John Portman, the Atlanta architect behind several of the city's famous atrium hotels. He shaped this one as a round cylinder wrapped entirely in mirrored glass, rising 73 stories, and when it opened in 1976 it held the title of tallest hotel in the world for years. The charm of the round shape is that nearly every room gets a curved window opening onto a wide city view. Rooms run modern and warm, with the soft Westin beds many reviews praise as easy to sleep on, and enough space for a family to spread out. The higher you stay, the more panoramic the Atlanta skyline gets: rows of towers by day, a sea of city lights at night that kids love watching from the window. Overall the rooms are clean, good-looking and functional for several days of city sightseeing.

Food and amenities

The highlight everyone talks about, and the one that thrills kids most, is the top-floor restaurant, Sun Dial. The trick is that its floor slowly rotates, so you take in the full 360-degree Atlanta skyline without leaving your seat. The fun starts on the glass elevator that shoots up the outside of the tower with the whole city running past — plenty of kids squeal before they even reach the restaurant. Up at Sun Dial there's a restaurant level, a bar and an observation level for photos, and it makes for a dinner the whole family remembers. For swimming, there's a choice of pools: an indoor one that works in any weather, rain or shine, and an outdoor pool for nice days, so kids can cool off after a full day of walking. Parents especially appreciate the kids' menu in the restaurant and the babysitting that frees them up for a walk or a dinner on their own. There's also a fitness center, in-building restaurants and cafes, and full meeting rooms — so the family has somewhere to eat, swim and unwind all under one roof.

Location and getting there

The Westin Peachtree Plaza sits in the heart of downtown Atlanta, within an easy walk of the city's top kid-friendly attractions. A short stroll reaches Centennial Olympic Park, the downtown green space with the Olympic-rings fountain kids can run through. A little further is the Georgia Aquarium, the giant aquarium with whale sharks, and World of Coca-Cola, where you can taste sodas from around the world. The three sit together in one zone, so you can walk the family from one to the next all day without driving and hunting for parking. For getting around the city and beyond, it's about a 5-minute walk to Peachtree Center MARTA, where the train runs across the city and, very conveniently, straight to Hartsfield-Jackson airport with no line change — easy on both arrival and departure days. Around the hotel you can also walk to downtown's restaurant blocks, and it's not far from State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium for big events. It suits families who want to base themselves in the middle of the city and rely on walking and the train.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, this is a very large hotel of around 1,073 rooms tied to a convention center, so during big conferences or events the lobby gets busy and some reviews complain about long elevator waits at peak hours, since the lifts have to move people up and down 73 stories. If you stay on a very high floor, allow a little extra time when you head out. Anyone after a quiet, private feel may find this reads more like a convention tower than a small hotel. Second is the building's age — it opened in 1976, and while it has been renovated over the years, some reviews note that certain rooms or common areas look dated and not as polished as the price suggests at times, so expect a tower with history rather than a brand-new build. Third, and common, are the extra costs, especially the daily valet parking, which runs high, plus hotel food and drink, and Sun Dial itself being pricier than a typical restaurant. Check the added fees carefully when you book. If you skip the car, walking and leaning on MARTA saves a lot.

Our take

After reading through plenty of real guest reviews, The Westin Peachtree Plaza is a hotel that sells the icon status of its building with full pride — a 73-story round glass tower that was once the tallest in the world, a stomach-drop glass elevator, and the rotating Sun Dial that takes in the city at 360 degrees, all experiences kids get excited about and remember. Add two pools to choose from, a kids' menu, babysitting, and a central location that walks to the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Park. If the family trip in your head is staying in a building that is itself the highlight, letting the kids hit the pool after sightseeing, then heading up to dinner at Sun Dial as the city turns to night lights, this is a great fit. But if you're after a small, quiet, private hotel, or rooms that feel brand-new in every corner, the sheer size, the elevator waits at busy times and the age of the building may give you pause. Overall we rate it 8.4/10, best for families who want a big, full-service hotel in the middle of the city where the tower and the high-floor views are part of the memory.