Graduate Athens

Last minute reservation due to power outage at home. Booking, check-in, and parking were a breeze. Got upgraded to a room in the historic Hoyt House, which was spectacular; very comfortable, clean, and spacious with beautiful furnishings and artwork (see attached photos). Staff were all wonderful to work with. Food, from both The Foundry & Poindexter Coffee, was superb. Sufficient green space to walk our dog. Felt very safe in the hotel “compound.”

Floor of bedroom could have been slightly cleaner. Wish the restaurant offered delivery or call-in-for-pickup (super minimal annoyance though). Would be nice to be provided with additional blankets and feather-free pillows; to be fair, we didn’t even ask - I’m sure staff would have provided them.

The location was very convenient in Athens, we stayed there when we were attending a concert in Atlanta. It was a very easy drive there. The room was well themed like the other Graduate rooms we'd stayed in. The room was comfortable and spacious, great for a short stay.

I wasn't aware before I booked that the rooms were outside rooms, which was a bit surprising, but after reviewing the pictures there were pictures of the outside of the room, they were just buried under the pictures of the inside of the room. Still a great stay!

We were only in town for one night for our daughter's gymnastics meet. When we return to Athens, we will stay here again. The location was great, and we are looking forward to staying again.

My only complaint is that our feet were black not long after walking on the floor for a few minutes. We have hardwoods in our home, so we understand how hard it is to keep them clean. P.S. The brown spot on the sheet was from chocolate chips....our youngest daughter is 3 years old, and hasn't mastered eating in bed without making a mess :)

The Graduate is a motel anchored by a cool historic foundry, among other historic buildings. See: https://www.redandblack.com/culture/strange-happenings-at-the-graduate-hotel-in-athens/article_fcf6eeda-374a-11ec-aced-3fd7dd779a74.html The Graduate Athens styles itself a hotel, but the accommodations for guests are motel rooms. The location was great, convenient to downtown Athens. I believe the old Foundry houses the reception, cafe, and common lounge area for guests and was terrific. The were staff excellent. Our room was immaculate. The motel pool was closed. We thoroughly enjoyed swimming at the nearby community pool where the locals were friendly.

There was a strong smell of mold and/or mildew. We had a wall unit air conditioner and no window that we could open. When the weather permitted it, we kept our door open to allow fresh air into the room. I understand the challenges faced by the heat and humidity in Athens, GA in June. It may be necessary to install dehumidifiers and/or central AC to reduce the amount of mildew in the air in the rooms.

Great Location of property and love that you can just enter the room from parking lot when on first floor. Very cute vintage decor of rooms and just love the lobby! Great staff and welcoming feel. Love that they texted me before my stay also.

Only downside was that I'm not a huge fan of individual ac units that older hotels have and the mattress and maybe pillows on the bed might need to be upgraded to new one.

The hotel is more of a motel complex with a high end feel. It's very nice looking, giving an historic vibe. There's a really nice cafe right on site as well as a public playground directly behind the property.

You have to pay extra for parking. That's kinda weird. The cafe is pretty expensive, but not outrageous. The wifi is great in the lobby, but not so great in the room.

We have stayed here when in Athens many times and will continue to do so when their rates are affordable. It was a great value this weekend and the location in wonderful. It can get expensive on UGA game weekends, graduations and other special events.

There was some trash in the corner behind the curtains that was accidentally skipped during cleaning but all in all the room was perfect.

I really liked brunch on Sunday. The entertainment while I was at the hotel was convenient and a great venue. All the staff were very attentive.

When I turned AC off the room smelled of mold. So I kept the AC on at night. The coffee shop ran out of still bottled water for sell.

Nicely designed reception, though small common area (compared to other Graduates), relatively comfortable and clean with an additional sink/vanity area outside the regular bathroom

The room felt a bit dated (rather than updated and timeless), which didn’t meet the expectations from the nicer lobby building. And walking access from UGA feels a bit sketchy in the evening—although just a few blocks away, the location feels outside the fringe of the town through which homelessness is evident.

They keep large beach towels at the pool, which was a nice amenity. Front desk employees were very friendly. Free coffee/ tea in the lobby each morning.

I was surprised that I was charged extra for parking! Not told up front. Also, there were 2 bottles of water in the room, but note they were not free... $5 per bottle. It is an older property, but nicely upgraded, although there is no central A/C. The wall unit was difficult to use. Couldn't keep a comfortable temp. Person with bed next to unit (only one foot away) is freezing, but person in other bed is hot. We were constantly adjusting the temp. No maid service unless specifically requested, but that is due to the pandemic so understandable.