Great Escapes: 4 Stylish Properties Outside Atlanta

Our latest “Great Escapes” takes you outside Atlanta to four luxury properties near the city that deserve to be explored. Sure, you can visit for a night, but we recommend a weekend getaway to cap or kick off your business trip. Whether it’s in the Blue Ridge Mountains, on a scenic lake or in an emerging urban gem, the places we highlight are within a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Atlanta and give you the option for an activity-filled or do-nothing sojourn.

The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee

Greensboro, Georgia

Indoor spa pool at The Ritz-Carlton / Photo: Courtesy of The Ritz Carlton

Located 90 minutes from Atlanta, the 30-acre Ritz-Carlton is a gorgeous lakeside retreat that’s a throwback to a similar time when technology didn’t rule our lives. You’ll be spoiled for choice with what to do here. Among the many possibilities are a round of golf on one of five courses, water sports such as adventure tubing and paddleboarding, and evening fireside smores. You can also go fishing, enjoy lake boat tours or take to the sporting grounds for archery and clay shooting. A visit to the newly renovated 27,000-square-foot spa is also a must, as is a meal at the chic Italian restaurant Amore del Lago, offering lake views, or Linger Longer Steakhouse, where tableside carvings are the star of the show.

The Edwin Hotel

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Whiskey Thief bar at The Edwin Hotel, Chattanooga, Tennessee / Photo: Courtesy of Morgan Nowland

Set in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, The Edwin Hotel is the ideal base to soak in the best of the up-and-coming city. The upscale property features a rooftop bar, Whiskey Thief, serving more than 100 varieties of the namesake spirit, a spa offering excellent massages, a coffee shop stocked with packaged goods handcrafted by local chefs, and a museum-worthy art collection by Chattanooga area artists. When you’re here, you can walk to the Bluff View Art District and Tennessee Aquarium. The Southside historic district and its buzzy restaurants and bars are just a five-minute drive away.

Barnsley Resort

Adairsville, Georgia

Arbor Cottage at Barnsley Resort, Adairsville, Georgia / Photo: Courtesy of Barnsley Resort

A sprawling 3,000-acre property surrounded by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Barnsley Resort is approximately a 90-minute drive from Atlanta. We suggest hanging your hat in one of the 39 inviting cottages, each featuring a living room for more space. Top pursuits include sporty pastimes such as golf, disc golf, walking or biking on marked trails, horseback riding, archery, clay and wing shooting, and axe throwing. Or enjoy a more leisurely stay by unwinding in the spa and booking a garden-to-table body treatment or strolling in the scenic gardens.

Hotel Hartness

Greenville, South Carolina

The Great Room at Hotel Hartness, Greenville, South Carolina / Photo: Courtesy of Brandon Barre

Greenville, with its many attractions, is shaping up to be the next “in” city to visit. Get ahead of the trend by coming here and making the stylish Hotel Hartness your abode. Set amid a 180-acre nature preserve in the former home of a prominent family who made their fortune in manufacturing and bottling, the romantic property is a step back in time. You can look forward to a spa featuring a large room for couples, a fine-dining restaurant, Patterson Kitchen + Bar, offering alfresco seating on a wraparound porch and dishes based on produce from the on-site farm, and 15 miles of hiking trails.

Greenville is a 20-minute drive away and full of diversions. Vibrant restaurants, art galleries and Falls Park on the Reedy, known for its scenic waterfalls and bridge, top the list. The city also hosts festivals throughout the year, such as the wine and food extravaganza Euphoria in September.