Things can get competitive in a market like Atlanta, which is constantly hosting conventions and catering to tourist hordes. So hotels must be crafty to stand apart, and this sometimes means offering free stuff. And we're not talking complimentary Wi-Fi and stale breakfast. How do free, customized dog tags, shoe shines and nebulous "Special Welcomes" sound? We've rounded up a few exceptional perks from across the city for ATL-bound travelers — or locals looking to get out of the house as spring blooms.
The Loews Hotel in Midtown is offering free nights for YouFirst rewards members who stay more than five consecutive nights. Gold and Platinum member may also qualify for a "Special Welcome" — which is a concept that ignites the imagination.
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Keep an eye peeled for sports-centric hotel deals, such as this price slash at the Hotel Capitol Park near Turner Field. It's not the Intercontinental, but the lodge is slashing rates by 45 percent through May — and that includes opening day on April 8. The deal includes parking ($18 value) and buffet breakfast for two ($30 value)
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At the Omni downtown, Select Guest members will surely impress their clients in Atlanta. Members immediately qualify for free shoe shines and pressings!
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Bicyclists should especially enjoy the tranquil Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island. Cars are prohibited on the protected national seashore, so the lodge offers free bikes to guests, which we hear is the best way to see Georgia's Golden Isles anyhow.
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The Westin Atlanta Airport, like many other lodges, offers a free shuttle to Hartsfield-Jackson. As it very well should, damn it.
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What do the boutique Glenn Hotel and a 10-foot-high Connect Four board have in common? Guests who book the eat + drink + play package earn a free $25 gift card to Game-X, the adult arcade and restaurant three blocks away. Rates from $144.
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Fido has it made at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel near Piedmont Park. Pets are greeted with a water dish and homemade dog biscuits. And then the protocol gets really over-the-top, according to the lodge's website: "While you check-in your pet can relax on the ultra plush dog bed located in the hotel's lobby, while we create a personalized silver dog tag for your pooch to wear home." That's hardly ruffing it.