I just had my most unique hotel stay at the Highland Inn in Atlanta. I say unique stay because this isn’t your standard cookie cutter hotel. This old hotel was established in 1927 and has stayed true to it’s old charms. Some people even report that this hotel is haunted.
We chose to stay at the Highland Inn because it was a short walk to Chantalanta and had a great price. There were some definite pros and cons to this choice.
Pros:
Friendly staff
Every staff member I met were very helpful. The guy working the front desk when we checked in was super nice and apologetic that we weren’t able to find a parking space when we got there. He gave us some helpful tips on where to eat since we got there late and few restaurants were open. The hotel GM was really friendly when he came to replace a light bulb in our bathroom.
Hotel Cat
We encountered a friendly cat who roams around the hotel, Pirate the Cat. He was a super sweet fella and added to the charm of the hotel. It made me happy every time I saw the little guy.
Super Convenient Location
The Highland Inn was a 2 minute walk away from the church where Chantlanta was hosted. This made it super easy for us to duck in and out of the hotel for a break between workshops. There are also some amazing restaurants close by. This area is super pedestrian friendly. There are even battery powered scooters that you can rent to get around town.
Cons:
Allegedly Haunted
This might actually be a pro for some folks. The ghosts didn’t really bother me and my husband never noticed anything funny. I only experienced one thing that made me think the rumors might be true. I woke up in the middle of the night both nights we stayed there to the feeling of something lightly touching my feet. My feet were sticking out from the blankets when I had this feeling. I woke up to see what was there and saw nothing and my husband wasn’t anywhere close to touching me. What do you think? Was a ghost trying to wake me up?
Small rooms and even smaller bathrooms
The room we stayed in was TINY. The GM actually told us that we had one of the smallest rooms in the hotel. The room was big enough for a queen size bed, side table and chair. The bathroom was super small. Even for a short person like myself I felt super cramped in the tiny shower and my legs almost touched the wall in front of me when I would use the bathroom. Check out my 6’2” husband in the shower!
Lack of hot water
When we took a shower it took FOREVER for the hot water to heat up. When it finally did it scaled us. Be careful what you ask for I guess.
Even with the cons I’m really glad we had the experience of staying in this hotel. It added a layer of uniqueness to our weekend and gave us some good laughs and stories. I might stay in this hotel again if we go back for Chantlanta (blog post coming soon about Chantlanta). But I would not stay here with the kids. Even though the kids would LOVE the hotel cat we would have to get a separate room for them and I’m not sure they would stay in a haunted hotel. : )
I would definitely stay here! I’m sensitive to energy and ghosts, meaning I can usually tell if a place is haunted. I’d be curious!
Perhaps the ghosts turned off the hot water? Actually, the hauntedness of the place would be a big plus for us. We love visiting haunted places. I almost laughed when you had it as a con, as I was so excited to read this after I saw the title. The con for me, I am super allergic to cats 🙁
I wouldn’t be able to stay here – the thought of it being haunted makes it a no for me unfortunately! Kinda scary 😅
The bathroom reminds me of Pennsylvania Hotel in Manhattan, which is also old.. like 1919 old. Maybe bigger bathrooms were in trend until later? I’m not sure I could be in a hotel that is allegedly haunted. Pennsylvania Hotel, the room I stayed in, had a vibe and I didn’t really like it. BUT, it’s not say that these type of old hotels aren’t interesting and adventurous! 🙂
Hilarious about the water (ouch)! But, at least the staff was friendly. In my opinion the place does look a little creepy.
It’s pretty cool that it is allegedly haunted, although I can’t say I’d choose to stay there! It does sound like a friendly presence though, based on your experience. But I do love hearing other’s experiences – and that’s so fun about the hotel cat! That can really make the experience.
-Jennifer
https://maunelegacy.com
I love visiting haunted places, but not to stay overnight! You’re very brave! Sounds like an interesting experience nonetheless. Also, I would love to meet that hotel cat!