Sonesta Atlanta Airport North

I’m changing my rating to one star because of a serious safety concern. The power went out this morning, so I chose not to use the elevator. The stairwell door to the lobby was locked, which meant I had to go outside through the parking lot to get downstairs. I then learned the lobby door to the stairs is intentionally kept locked, and you can only get back to your room by elevator. It feels like a major fire hazard, and I won’t stay at this hotel or any associated hotels again. Avoid it. Earlier, our lock failed, and I was waiting at the empty front desk for someone to bring a new set of keys for the third time that day. I’d already been there about 20 minutes and wasn’t sure anyone would show up. The lobby is nice, but the rest felt substandard: musty hallways, bathrooms without extractor fans, the cheapest, worst toilet paper, and freezing lobby bathrooms with no hot water. Service was inconsistent. The restaurant staff were very nice and helpful, but the rest of the experience was severely underwhelming.

Our Delta flight was delayed, so we spent the night at the Sonesta. The rooms were quiet, clean, and comfortable. When we checked out, we met the GM, Heidi, who went out of her way to help us get back to the airport. She’s personable and a real asset to the hotel. A great place to stay.

Checkout turned things around for me. Shonda at the front desk greeted me with a lovely, friendly smile and was a great representative for the business. Kudos to her. I’m still leaving my rating unchanged, though, because there were black aints in my room. She was so helpful that I forgot to mention it to her. The stay started badly. There was nobody at the desk, and a woman who seemed to be from a side office asked if I needed something. The parking lot smelled strongly of weed, and at the front entrance, a man was stretched out on the bench with a bottle of liquor. Nobody said anything to him. The floor hallway smelled old and stuffy, though thankfully my room didn’t. This place has gone downhill since the ownership changed. I won’t return. Customer service can make or break a business.

I was hoping to be showered and well groomed for a job interview nearby, but in late January during the storm of the decade, the shower in room 1107 had no hot water. The sink did have hot water, but I didn’t discover the shower problem until the morning I needed to check out. It felt like an ice-bucket challenge. The room is tucked behind the elevators and was nice and quiet, but the front desk didn’t apologize or offer any recovery. The executive lounge on the 11th floor was also almost empty, with only bottled water and coffee machines.