The Westin Experience in Atlanta, Georgia

The Westin Hotels and Resorts are known for their eco friendly rooms and suites and spa offerings. I recently had the privilege of spending an evening at the local Westin located in the Perimeter North area. The hotel at this location is surrounded by a man made lake and boast views of the famous King and Queen buildings.

My first stop in any hotel is the guest suite. When I walked in I noticed the lovely view from the window of the lake and high-rise buildings. It was a spectacular view, however, I will admit that the room was oddly arranged, where the very plush King sized bed was facing the window view, but I suppose the designer wanted the guest to take full advantage of the lovely views. The bed was dressed with the Westin's signature Heavenly sheets and down comforters and felt oh so luxurious!

Next, I checked out the bath and loved the marble surround on the sink, but didn't' care too much for the tile on the floor that was slightly stained. Also, I have stayed in many 4 and 5 star hotels and have never seen the hair dryer resting on the rear of the toilet bowl, typically it is attached to some housing device on the wall or underneath the vanity. The shower was equipped with the eco friendly fabric shower liner and curtain and it was well stocked with plush towels and the green tea shampoo, conditioner and lotion.

This room was equipped with a fully stocked mini bar which offered everything from nice cold water to your favorite sweet treats. The armoire was small and left a lot to be desired in the design arena, but it was clean and functional. I noticed that there was a plush chaise lounge and office area near the window that was both beautiful and functional. Also, the drapes were very well done and the color was executed beautifully!

Once I felt good about the room, the next stop was the fitness facility. I typically look to see that the facility is well stocked with the latest fitness equipment as well as good hygiene practices such as having treated wipes on hand and bathroom facilities near by and they get two thumbs up in that department. Also, I was happy to see that this facility had a good number of popular machines such as the treadmill, the elliptical (my fav) and various other free weights and strength training equipment.

After working up a good sweat in the fitness center, it was on to the outside pool and lounge area. I noticed that is was small, but clean and well shaded from the outside, so there was an element of privacy there. They also had a little Jacuzzi area, which is great to take a dip prior to working out, so you can loosen up those muscles and get them ready to do work!

It was now time to check out the lobby and dining facility that I found to be ultra chic and very comfortable. However, we did not choose to dine in due to the game that was being enjoyed in the dining area, so we decided to go off site for a wonderful dinner. However, I understand that the restaurant closes at 10 p.m., but the lounge area is open 24 hours for the guests' convenience.

One of the primary things you want to look for in a 4 plus star hotel is the cleanliness and the luxury and I will have to say that this Westin fell short of it's 4 star rating. However, I would still give them a 3.5 Upscale rating. Although, I did not agree with their 4 stars rating, I will have to say that the price was more than right. You can book a 3.5 star to 4 star hotel suite/room online at Hotwire.com, Hotels.com or Priceline.com and get a $200 a night hotel suite/room for around $45.00 to $50.00 a night, so that's good news in this economy!

The bottom line: The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North was a nice experience with touches of Luxury so I would have to give it an overall three and half thumbs up~ For more information, contact the Westin at 770-395-3900 or visit www.starwoodhotels.com for a Westin nearest you.