The Hamilton; Exploring in Alpharetta
The entrance to The Hamilton-part of the Curio Collection by Hilton in Alpharetta, GA
Author: Artsy Chow Roamer
The Hamilton
EXPLORING IN ALPHARETTA
On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Country Music Singer – Willie Nelson
This blogger and writer is big on exploring in your own backyard so it should be no surprise we decided to break out of our wet soggy surroundings late one afternoon and head to downtown Alpharetta for the night. An architect friend of mine suggested The Hamilton was a new property that I might enjoy and would put us close to Avalon which I really like and have written about in the past.
We took a speedy tour online and liked what we saw. A fresh modern look to the interior of a typical Georgian designed exterior. Located in the heart of the downtown area of Alpharetta, there are lots of cute shops, restaurants and bars to take advantage of as you walk about. This post will give a good idea of what to expect should you book your own quick get-away.
CHECK IN
We opted to take the back roads instead of the shortest route from our mountain location as we like to discover new places for later exploration. Upon arriving, the valet offered to park us, help us with our bags and gave me directions to the free parking garage across the way if we preferred. I dropped my husband and parked in the new, clean and well-lit parking deck.
THE TOUR
After parking I went in and my husband had swiftly been checked in and already had the keys to our room on the third floor. I chatted with the friendly lady at the front desk and told her I was there to review the property and she introduced me to a very nice young woman from the marketing department who took me on a brief tour around the public spaces.
The front desk offers friendly swift service and contemporary styling
THE ARTWORK
I noticed right away that the property had a nice collection of artwork on display and I asked the young woman about it. She said the property worked with local galleries to display and highlight the artists they represent. Each piece was selected especially for the hotel and are changed out routinely to keep it looking fresh and different. Selections included fabulous abstract paintings, sculptures and fun pieces like a portrait of the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor holding court over the lobby.
Contemporary artworks adorn the walls of the public spaces at The Hamilton
The front lobby is gracious with many different seating areas to gather whether its low-slung comfy chairs, overstuffed modern sofas or big tables to take a quick meeting before heading out to do your business for the day. There is a breakfast room right off the lobby that can be inclusive to your room rental (be aware it really is a coupon for $30 towards your breakfast total-any overages are on you).
CARRIE’S CONSERVATORY
After settling in, we walked down to the bar for happy hour drinks where smartly dressed young business types were already starting to gather. Carrie’s Conservatory is obviously a popular watering hole for a quick drink after work in the downtown area. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable offering us a different gin to try for our go-to drink of choice. He also seemed to be pretty crafty as he shaped a tiny dining table and chairs out of the champagne corks he pulled out of bottles.
Fashioned after the chic Parisian Cafe de Flore, Carrie’s pays homage to the never-changing favorite spot to see and be seen in the famous City of Lights. It implores you to just listen, grow, reset and be while enjoying an afternoon glass of wine, a signature cocktail (like Red Rain, Peach Bellini or Whiskey Smash) or a light French bistro meal.
While the menu offers some usual suspects like Steak Tartare, French Onion Soup and Steak Frites it also highlights a pretty darn good burger (we shared one in the late evening hours), duck confit, Caesar salad and charcuterie platter. There is a lovely patio with festive lights for evening gatherings and we enjoyed feeling like we were in Europe again for drinks and apps.
THE ROOM
After enjoying our drinks we headed back up to change for dinner. The spacious rooms were well appointed with sleek upholstered headboards, comfy rich bedding and a well designed storage unit that housed the flat screen TV, luggage rack and storage drawers.
The lounging area had a sizable L-shaped sofa that offered a good spot to work with your computer, dine on the provided table, snooze or catch the news. Amenities included a fridge which is not a mini-bar (bring your own until that changes). There is also a nice water, tea and coffee station to get your morning going just right with a single serve espresso style pod machine.
We were surprised at how big the bathroom was with a full step-in shower with glass doors and rain shower head instead of a tub unit. The large counter space allowed for plenty of room for our toiletries on both sides with a storage shelf beneath that held extra towels and a hair dryer. Black out drapes allowed us to sleep in late with a noon check out time and the room was very quiet to outside noises from the hall.
WHAT TO PICK FOR BREAKFAST
Breakfast was more like brunch for us and began with a cold fresh squeezed mimosa and a lovely hot pot of Earl Grey tea. They presented a lovely tea box for you to pick from 8 different kinds if black tea is not your thing and a server was circulating with a silver pot of steaming hot coffee as well.
Delicious Eggs Benedict was just one choice available for breakfast
The breakfast rush was over so we had a nice and quiet dining room with all the attention to ourselves for the most part. I was very glad that it was a menu with many choices as opposed to a buffet. I quickly settled on Eggs Benedict and was not disappointed.
The muffins were crisp, the eggs perfectly runny and the sauce was heavenly with the brightness of lemon and bits of green onion. The lady who served us was super friendly and she brought us a small basket of toasts to have with our butter, jams and jellies.
CONCLUSION
Exploring in your own backyard is always a fun adventure. The staff were very considerate of us and patient with all of my photography attempts. You can tell they want you to have the best visit so you will return.
This is a little gem of a property in the Hilton Curio Collection. They are still working out some kinks since opening last August. We weren’t able to order room service for that late night burger for instance but I still enjoyed it at my little table in the corner after going down to retrieve it for myself in the bar. Book your backyard adventure soon and enjoy the video tour below.
Enjoy a short tour
If you enjoyed what you read you might also like other posts from Explore the World. Look for my next post on the speakeasy that was located on property called Roaring Social. We had a roaring good time! Until then…
Cheers!
ArtsyChowRoamer
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TO MY READERS: This post will appear in a shortened form in my column, The Curious Corner, for Smoke Signals Newspaper.
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