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Kimpton Sylvan Buckhead Atlanta

Hello STYLE! If you’re looking for throwback vibes and the feeling that maybe you need a poodle skirt, frayed bottom jeans, and a headband cause you’ve been teleported to the 60s…you’re not alone. The Kimpton Sylvan officially opened its doors early in 2021 and feels fresh, stylish, and exudes a Palm Springs, mid-century, come to be seen vibe.

The Kimpton Sylvan is the latest addition to an ever growing fleet of luxury hotels that line the streets of Buckhead – the Beverly Hills of Atlanta, Georgia.  Away from hotel row, you’ll find the Kimpton Sylvan situated on a sidestreet within Buckhead Village, walking distance to high end shopping, great dining, and even a Shake Shack ( yes, I used my $10 Amex Gold credit there).

Over the past few years I’ve visited Atlanta a lot. I’ve stayed at quite a few of the hotels nearby including The Whitley and the Grand Hyatt, and honestly I’m not the biggest fan of hotel row since most of the hotels feel a bit tired, in need of TLC, and sit off a very busy PeachTree Road . The Kimpton Sylvan is the antithesis providing much needed boutiquey vibe to the Buckhead hotel scene.

I hemmed and hawed over using my IHG credit card anniversary nights at either the Intercontinental or the Kimpton. Rates were running around $250 a night at both properties, and both priced under 40k points, which meant they qualified for free nights. I’m really glad I chose the Kimpton Sylvan.

*Don’t forget the secret password – “No More Sweatpants” to receive your free welcome gift

IHG Credit Card Award Nights

A couple of weeks ago, IHG extended Anniversary Nights until the end of 2021. I took full advantage redeeming both of mine, seen below, and 3 more that my family wouldn’t be using from other accounts. In total… I redeemed enough for a 5 night stay. As I mentioned before, each night would have been roughly $250 which is roughly 3x the annual fee of the card.

If you’re looking to do a similar thing, you’ll need to book every night separately and either call to merge them, of like me, just let them know at check in.

Any hotel that prices under 40k can be redeemed for a free night

Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier

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IHG Resorts & Hotels

IHG Hotels & Resorts has really increased their footprint via acquisitions over the past several years. Not only did they purchase Kimpton in 2014, but they folded in Regent hotels on the high end, and most recently added uber lux Six Senses to their portfolio.

Stay Details:

• When: May 2021
• Where: Buckhead – Atlanta, Georgia
• How much: 5 anniversary award nights
  • $250/night or 26k to 39k points
• Status: Ambassador Platinum
• Upgrade: Yes, to Premium King, Pool View

Check In

One thing to note if you’re driving to the hotel, there is only valet parking and it’s $42 a day.  We were promptly greeted and checked in without any problem. Don’t forget to the google the current secret password for a little welcome treat – usually free parking, a drink, etc.

The only gripe I would have has nothing to do with the hotel itself, but rather the way that the award nights have to be processed. Since they are all individual nights, each night needed to have a credit card added to the reservation rather than one card across all nights. Each night also needed to be checked out and back in. I believe you could avoid this by calling into IHG ahead of time and linking the reservations…so don’t be like me lol.

Daily drinks

Don’t forget that Kimpton has a happy hour every evening for guests. As for hours at the front desk as they may vary, but they were hosting it in this small sitting area adjacent to check in.

The Room

Vibes on vibes on viiiiiiibes. We were upgraded to a 4th floor Premium pool view king and would have been a $100 premium over the base room rate. It’s roughly 310sq ft and features a small sitting area, king bed, plenty of outlets, and a nice pool view. Space was also economized by using a barn door for the bathroom.

You can link your device to the tv via Chromecast and there is a small wireless speaker that can be used via bluetooth. There are two closets, one featuring a safe and empty mini bar.

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The Bathroom

Large, open shower with a single vanity. Bath products provided by Atelier Bloom – small individual soap and lotion with large multi use bottles for the shower. Personally…I’m not a fan of the multi use bottles even though I’m sure they are more environmentally friendly. I love to take bath products home as a reminder of my stay, but I understand the choice.

Dining

There are three places to dine at the hotel and we enjoyed two of them while staying at the property.

• The Betty
• St Julep
• Willow Bar

The Betty

Each morning you can grab a self serve coffee and there are little snacks as well. We had dinner one night – delicious food and cocktails. Total vibes.

St Julep

This is a very cool spot to grab a drink whether you’re at staying at the hotel or not. It’s open starting at 4pm and has various closing times depending on the night. Sweeping views, nice breeze, and we enjoyed the ambience as well

Willow Bar

A plant based menu that is located just off the lobby in the hotel’s courtyard

Fitness/Pool

We had a great view of the pool, 90+ degree weather, and it was definitely utilized by many during our stay.

The fitness center is just off the pool and features a couple of Peloton bikes, treadmills, and free weights.

Between the fitness center and pool you’ll find a water station

Overall

This is a departure from anything else you’ll experience on Buckhead’s hotel row. Every other hotel, thus far, that aims at the upper end of the hotel spectrum does so from a traditional luxury perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional luxury, but Kimpton brings an effervescent charm to the market that will make this a favorite amongst both the staycation and roadwarrior crowd.