12 Best Atlanta Hotels for a Weekend Getaway with the Family

By Carol Carter

Published May 30, 2025
Last Updated June 3, 2025

Ready for a family trip to Atlanta? We are offering suggestions for things to do around hotels in Buckhead, Downtown and Midtown. Even though we have singled out just four hotels per neighborhood, rest assured that there are many more, and we provide a link to the full lists for each neighborhood. We’re also providing information on popular things to do in each neighborhood so that, if you prefer, you can spend your entire trip without the need to travel too far throughout the city. The name of the game is relax and have fun.

Buckhead

Shopping, shopping, shopping. If you love to shop, Buckhead is where you’ll want to stay. Popular shopping destinations are Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, shopping malls located just across the Peachtree Road from each other, and Buckhead Village, just a few blocks away. In addition to top-notch shopping, Buckhead offers several popular family attractions:

Atlanta History Center. Kids and adults will be wowed by the 10,000-pound painting, a cyclorama, in the round of the Battle of Atlanta. The cyclorama was recently moved from its long-time location, restored and presented in magnificent fashion. History buffs in the family should love this. Nature lovers will want to walk the beautiful grounds of the History Center, and those who appreciate architecture should make time to tour the historic Swan House. Don’t miss the Smith Family Farm, a circa 1840 Georgia farmhouse moved from a neighboring county to the history center. Brand new as of January 2025 is the Goizueta Children’s Experience, a 5,000-square-foot immersive and interactive bilingual exhibition with the theme “Our Great Big City.” It features several interactive stations for kids to learn about Atlanta’s history. Also at the History Center are a restaurant, fascinating bookstore and coffee shop.

Where: 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW

LEGO Discovery Center. Find LEGO Discovery Center inside Phipps Plaza. Among the many things to do are Kingdom Quest, where kiddos can hop in a chariot and zap trolls; Duplo Park, for the youngest members of the family; a 4D cinema; Spaceship Build and Scan, where kids can build a LEGO spaceship and launch it; and Pirate Adventure Land, where youngsters can play aboard a pirate ship.

Where: 3500 Peachtree Road NE

Sloomoo Institute. Located on Peachtree Road in Buckhead, Sloomoo Institute is THE place to go to get slimed. You can walk on slime. play slingshot slime. dance in day glow and customize your very own slime.

Where: 3637 Peachtree Road NE

PATH400, perfect for walking or a bike ride or for roller skating, this 5.2-mile greenway through the heart of Buckhead connects neighborhoods, offices and retail locations with a path for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Where: 3475 Piedmont Road NE

Here are just a few popular Buckhead hotels. Check here for a complete list.

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta by IHG

The InterContinental Buckhead offers curated staycation packages, complete with staycation suggestions to help you get the most out of your getaway. Featured artists, whose works adorn the walls, are Niki Zarrabi, an Atlanta-based mixed media artist, and Heather Evans Smith, a photo-based artist whose work reflects her Southern roots, motherhood, womanhood and a whimsical imagination. The.hotel is pet friendly and includes a pool, spa and fitness center. The Americano restaurant is located at the InterContinental Buckhead.

Where: 3315 Peachtree Road NE

J.W. Marriott Atlanta Buckhead

Talk about convenient, J.W. Marriott Atlanta Buckhead is directly connected to Lenox Square. Walk out of the hotel and into the shops. There is a fitness center and indoor pool.

Where: 3300 Lenox Road NE

Nobu Hotel Atlanta

Nobu Hotel Atlanta is located at Phipps Plaza. It’s impossible to get much closer to the shopping at Phipps. And, don’t forget, LEGO Discovery Center also is inside Phipps. There is a rooftop saltwater pool and a fitness center plus Nobu Atlanta restaurant.

Where: 3520 Peachtre Road NE

Thompson Atlanta Buckhead by Hyatt

Thompson Atlanta Buckhead is pet friendly and includes a pool, fitness center and Tesserae Restaurant.

Where: 415 East Paces Ferry Road NE

Downtown

If you are staying in downtown Atlanta with a family, we promise that the kids will not get bored. While we’re featuring just a few of the many Downtown hotels, know that all hotels in the city’s Downtown are close to the following attractions:

Atlanta Magic Theater. This is the longest running show in Atlanta and Atlanta’s highest rated show and nightlife entertainment option on Trip Advisor.

Where: 267 Marietta St. NW

Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame. If you love college football, you won’t want to miss this attraction. Find you favorite school on the helmet wall. See how far you can pass a football. Sing your school’s fight song. The hall is a immersive, interactive and engaging experience using a blend of historic college football artifacts and state-of-the-art, interactive multimedia exhibits. Let the folks at the front desk know your alma mater (or if you’re a kid, your parents’ alma mater) and information about that school will be highlighted during your tour.

Where: 250 Marietta St. NW

Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Especially for children age 8 and younger and their parents or caregivers, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta emphasizes learning through play. In the Fundamentally Food exhibit, children can choose vegetables and fruits from the farm, climb on a John Deere tractor, milk the milking cow, “Buttercup,” load boxes on a delivery truck and operate a fork lift. The Step Up to Science exhibit features Catch a Wave: A Sound and Light Exhibit designed to enhance children’s STEAM understanding, offering interactive opportunities to explore shadows, sources of light, color theory, vibrations and properties of sound using waves. There are four more permanent exhibits plus temporary exhibits. CMA throws parties for special occasions and invites kids to skate at Sockerfella Plaza during the winter months.

Where: 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW

Georgia Aquarium. There’s a whole lot that’s fishy going on here. The aquarium’s 10 million gallons of fresh and salt water house the largest single aquarium habitat in the world and more aquatic life than any other aquarium in North America. Georgia Aquarium offers shows, interactive animal interactions, animal encounters, Behind the Seas tours and plenty more.

Where: 225 Baker St. NW

National Center for Civil and Human Rights (reopening fall 2025 after an extensive renovation). The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum and human rights organization that inspires people to tap their own power to change the world around them. Iconic exhibitions feature the papers and artifacts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States; and stories from the struggle for human rights around the world today.

Where: 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW

SkyView Ferris wheel. Towering nearly 20 stories above Centennial Olympic Park, SkyView Ferris wheel features 42 climate-controlled and private gondolas providing panoramic views of downtown Atlanta and the metropolitan area. The VIP gondolas have Ferrari style seats, glass floors and offer longer flight time.

Where: 168 Luckie St. NW

World of Coca Cola. Meet the Coca-Cola polar bear, visit the Vault of the Secret Formula, learn about Coca-Cola marketing through the decades, visit a small bottling operation, learn about scents, stroll through the new Coca-Cola Stories exhibit to learn the history of the iconic beverage. Don’t leave without sampling Coca-Cola products from around the world. Finally, do yourself a favor and vist the gift shop as you leave.

Where: 121 Baker St. NW

Downtown Parks

Centennial Olympic Park. Find the attractions listed above all around Centennial Olympic Park, which was the gathering spot for Atlantans and visitors during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Kids will love splashing in the Fountain of Rings.

Where: 265 Park Ave. W NW

Woodruff Park. The park includes a fountain, a performance pavilion and several monuments. There is a Game Cart chock full of a variety of games you can check out and use in the park. All games are free to play. There is a play area, bike share hub and a fitness station.

Where: 91 Peachtree St.

We’re highlighting four Downtown hotels here. For a complete list of Downtown Atlanta hotels, visit here.

Aloft Atlanta Downtown

Aloft Atlanla Downtown includes an outdoor pool and a fitness Center. Someme rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, perfect for snack-loving kids. Dogs are welcome.

Where: 300 Ted Turner Drive NW

Embassy Suites at Centennial Olympic Park

Near Centennial Olympic Park Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park features refrigerators and hair dryers. Dine at Ruths Chris Steak House. Grab snacks at the coffee shop/cafe. Mingle with other guests at the complimentary reception, held daily. A complimentary buffet breakfast is served on weekdays from 6 until 9 a.m. and weekends from 7:30 o 10:30 a.m.

Where: 267 Marietta St. NW

Marriott Marquis

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis is a preferred hotel of the Georgia Aquarium. The aquarium package includes anytime tickets, all-access to the aquarium’s permanent galleries during operating hours.

Where: 265 Peachtree Center Ave. NE

W Atlanta Downtown

The Spa @ W Atlanta Downtown includes upbeat music, and a WET Deck rooftop pool.

Where: 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW

Midtown

If you are staying in Midtown Atlanta, you will be in the heart of the arts and also close to Piedmont Park. Here are popular things to see and do in Midtown.

Alliance Theatre. The Alliance has premiered more than 135 original productions, professionally launching American musicals with a strong track record of Broadway, touring and subsequent productions, including the Tony Award winners “The Color Purple,” “Aida” and “The Last Night of Ballyhoo.” This regional theater is known for producing plays before they head to Broadway.

Where: 1280 Peachtree St. NE

Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Atlanta Botanical Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award-winning Children’s Garden, Storza Woods, a Canopy Walk, the Edible Garden and Outdoor Kitchen. The Fuqua Conservatory is an organicbiosphere, home to important collections of tropical and desert plants, and the Fuqua Orchid Center houses the foremost collection of species orchids in the United States. There is a splash pad in the Children’s Garden.

Where: 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In its 79th season, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs more than 150 concerts annually and also performs with the world-renowned, 200 plus voice, all-volunteer ASO Chorus, which is featured on nine of the orchestra’s 27 Grammy Award-winning recordings.

Where: 1280 Peachatree St.

The Breman Museum & Cultural Center. The Breman is dedicated to Jewish history, culture and arts with special emphasis on Georgia and the Holocaust. The Breman and Center for Puppetry Art are right next to each other.

Where: 1440 Spring St. NW

Center for Puppetry Arts. Puppet shows at Center for Puppetry Arts are a real treat, but that’s not all that’s happening there. The Worlds of Puppetry Museum houses all kinds of puppets, and, notably, is home to The Jim Henson Gallery, which explores the imaginative mind and influential legacy of animator, inventor, filmmaker, screenwriter and puppeteer Jim Henson. Through the chronological path of his career, visitors encounter iconic and lesser-known Henson creations, and learn about the back stories behind his productions and innovations in puppetry. This gallery includes puppets, props and costumes from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and more. Center for Puppetry Arts and The Breman Museum & Cultural Center are right next to each other.

Where: 1404 Spring St. NW

Colony Square. Perched just across the street from the High Museum of Art, Colony Square is home to a green where movies are shown, yoga classes are held and neighborhood parties thrive. Inside, Politan Row Food Hall features 12 vendors.

Where: 1197 Peachtree St. NE

Fox Theatre. Atlanta’s fabulous Fox Theatre is one of the city’s popular venues for live entertainment. With 4,665 seats, the Fox Theatre hosts more than 150 performances a year, including Broadway shows, concerts, comedy and films. Visitors don’t soon forget sitting under the Fox’s cobalt “sky,” where twinkling “stars” create a festive atmosphere.

Where: 660 Peachtree St. NE

High Museum of Art. The art at the High Museum of Art begins right on Peachtree Street, where a dramatic entrance leads visitors inside the museum, which houses more than 20,000 works of art. But the High is not some stuffy museum. It welcomes visitors to jazz events, mindful events and offers opportunities for all of us to try our hands at making art.

Where: 1280 Peachtree St. NE

Museum of Design Atlanta. Across the street from the High Museum of Art, MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) is the only museum in the Southeast dedicated to all things design.

Where: 1315 Peachtree St. NE

Midtown Park

Piedmont Park. Midtown’s Piedmont Park is one of the city’s busiest and most popular parks. There’s a.pool, a lake, trails for walking, biking, running or skating, a playground for kids, events, festivals. In short it is the ultimate city gathering spot.

Where: 1322 Monroe Drive

We are including just four Midtown hotels here. Look here for a complete list.

Atlanta Marriott Suites Midtown

Atlanta Marriott Suites Midtown is a few blocks from Piedmont Park, making it perfect for families to walk to family-friendly festivals such as the Atlanta Arts Festival and the Dogwood Festival. Adding to the family fun is an indoor/outdoor pool.

Where: 35 Fourteenth St. NE

Four Seasons Atlanta

Four Seasons Atlanta offers amazingI amenities for families, including (1) child-sized slippers and robes; (2) cookie-decorating sessions in the pastry kitchen; (3) pack and plays, cribs, rollaway bed; (4) a personalized chocolate chip cookie; (5) purifiers, humidifiers and mini-refrigerators; (6) a personalized in-room tent; (7) a kettle for storing and sanitizing bottles; (8) manicures for little hands; (10) made to order baby puree; (11) complimentary food and drinks for children younger than 5.

Where: 75 Fourteenth St.

Hotel Granada Midtown

Walk across street and you’ll bump right into the Woodruff Arts Center, home to the High Museum of Art, Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Take a right, cross Peachtree Street and you’ll bump into Colony Square. Just a short walk from Colony Square and just across Peachtree Street from the High Museum of Art is MODA, the Museum of Design Atlanta.

Where: 1302 West Peachtree St. NE

Loews Hotel Atlanta

Book a special package at Loews Atlanta Hotel, and kids will receive a special welcome treat at check-in and eat breakfast for free. Plus, and families can enjoy a complimentary in-room movie together.

Where: 1065 Peachtree St. NE

If you are coming to Atlanta in the summer, take a peei at our Ultimate Guide to Summer in Atlanta. For things to do in Atlanta anytime, visit our calendar of events.

Journalist Carol Carter writes and edits for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.