• Atlanta was first called "Marthasville" and nicknamed "Terminus" before being officially named in 1845.atlanta image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  Founded in 1837 as the southeastern terminus of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, Atlanta also has a storied history as a pivotal player in the American Civil War and the hub of the Civil Rights Movement. Home to four professional sports teams, theaters and museums, botanical gardens and the world's largest aquarium, this now rapidly growing city caters to every type. Victorian mansions and authentic eateries, high-class hotels and trendy boutiques line the streets of the "city not too busy to care."
  
  

Glenn Hotel

• Billed as downtown Atlanta's first boutique hotel, the Glenn is in the heart of the Luckie Marietta District, the city's only walking tourist district. Grass-lined hallways lead the way to each of the hotel's 110 guest rooms. These include plasma televisions and rain-flow showers, and each is complemented by original commissioned art work. Glenn's Kitchen serves Southern-style comfort food in its laid-back dining room, while cocktails and bar bites are available seasonally at the chic SkyLounge, Atlanta's first rooftop bar. The rustic Living Room bar opens early for coffee and pours drinks into the evening. Additional amenities include an on-site fitness room and personal host services. The Glenn Hotel is under half a mile from both the Georgia Dome--home to the Falcons and the Thrashers--and Philips Arena, stomping ground of the Hawks. The District itself boasts the Georgia Aquarium and the Children's Museum of Atlanta.
  
  

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta

• The InterContinental Buckhead is on the outskirts of north Atlanta, about five miles from the city center. The hotel offers 21 suites and 422 rooms, all of which include typical amenities like bathrobes and satellite televisions. Guests have access to the on-site, state-of-the-art fitness center and spa, which provides a variety of services like organic woodsprite exfoliating body treatments, detoxifying salt wraps and deep-tissue massages. The brasserie-style Au Pied de Cochon is open for all meals and serves traditional French dishes and local seafood in the dining room or out on the terrace. The XO Bar boasts a selection of over 69 cognac varieties and treats guests to live entertainment, while the Lobby Lounge's menu consists of bar bites and a list of wines and cocktails. Both Centennial Olympic Park--home of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games--and the World of Coca-Cola are about six miles from the hotel. Tours of the Coca-Cola factory include a viewing of the world's largest collection of Coke memorabilia and its Pop Culture Gallery, as well as taste tests of over 60 of the company's international beverages.
  
  

The Mansion on Peachtree

• Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, is just seven mile from The Mansion.turner field in atlanta image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  This four-star boutique hotel is situated in the affluent Buckhead neighborhood, less than a half mile from both the Lenox Square Mall and the ritzy shops of Phipps Plaza. The Mansion on Peachtree houses 127 rooms and suites. Accommodations are complemented with over-sized cotton bedding, Macassar ebony and velvet furnishings and Bose music systems. Framed retractable artwork hides the room's 37-inch flat-screen LCD television, and bathrooms include deep-soaking tubs or frameless marble showers. Three dining options are available: the sophisticated NEO restaurant, which serves breakfast daily overlooking the hotel's English Garden; the upscale Craft Atlanta serves a selection of seasonal dishes using locally sourced ingredients, while its sister, Craftbar, features a menu of Southern-style items like pulled pork, spicy fish stew and bourbon-glazed pork belly. The Mansion's 14-room spa provides an extensive variety of personalized services, while the Technogym Fitness Suite -- the first of its kind in Atlanta -- features state-of-the-art gym equipment. Less than a dozen miles from the hotel is the High Museum of Art. This museum's permanent collection consists of over 12,000 pieces of African and American art, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th-century French impressionist pieces and a variety of folk and contemporary works.