The 441-room Ritz-Carlton Atlanta is one of the most luxurious hotel choices downtown, and offers big rooms with plenty of natural light, as well as modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs and iPod docks. The warm, Art-Deco-inspired room decor is luxurious, if lacking some wow factor, but bathrooms are on the smaller side and most have shower/tub combos (no separate tubs). The property does deliver the top-of-the-line service travelers expect from the Ritz brand, as well as impressive features -- a sleek lobby, a trendy bar, and a fine dining restaurant.

This stylish, 110-room boutique in Downtown Atlanta, part of Marriott's high-end Autograph Collection, is a hotel with a conscience: It's inside an adaptive reuse historical building; rooms have smart thermostats to conserve energy; high-end H20 bath products are organic; and the linens are fair trade. Although standard rooms are on the small side for the city, and can be a bit dark, they come with iPod docks and (albeit small) flat-screen TVs, as well as contemporary, upscale decor. The hotel's rooftop bar -- which boasts stunning views of the city -- is a highlight.

The three-and-a-half-pearl Ellis Hotel is housed in a stately building that dates to 1913, located on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Today, it’s a modern boutique hotel with 127 comfortable guest rooms that are all equipped with flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, robes, and high-end Gilchrist & Soames bath products, but units lack safes and not all have mini-fridges. There's no free breakfast, but highlight features include a farm-to-table restaurant that serves Southern cuisine and a 24-hour fitness center, plus perks like free Wi-Fi and $1 nightly wine tastings add value.  Travelers seeking a similar central location who want to spend less can check out Residence Inn Atlanta Downtown. 

The 237-room W Atlanta Downtown -- with its sexy infinity pool and dramatic design -- is a neighborhood hot spot. Beyond the funky, design-conscious decor, the W has all the amenities travelers expect from an upscale property: a luxurious spa, a large fitness center, a restaurant and chic lobby bar, and 24-hour room service, plus an outdoor pool that turns into a popular seasonal rooftop bar by night. Rooms are spacious and modern with plasma TVs, W's trademark lush beds, glass-walled voyeur showers, and other extras, but some amenities are missing -- fridges and coffeemakers don't come standard, and Wi-Fi is only free for SPG members (the hotel's loyalty program). For an independently owned boutique alternative, guests could consider The Ellis Hotel.

The huge, 1,070-room Omni Hotel at CNN Center is a typical business chain hotel, with a few extra perks -- an outdoor pool, a delicious restaurant, and a large fitness center. The large rooms are plain and a bit drab, but the location can't be beat -- in the heart of downtown, connected to Phillips Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center, and across the street from Centennial Olympic Park.

With 1,242 rooms, the behemoth Hilton Atlanta features the quality amenities travelers expect from the Hilton brand. In this towering hotel the spacious rooms are contemporary (if a tad generic) and have flat-screen TVs, and all the amenities of a big hotel are present: a well-equipped fitness center, outdoor pool, tennis courts, and even a rooftop running track. Parking is expensive and there's a fee for Wi-Fi, but the downtown location is convenient.