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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

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Is “seedy stylish” a thing? It should be

Annie Elliott | September 17, 2023

Have you been to Hotel Clermont in Atlanta, Gentle Readers? It is WILD!

Old brick building converted into a hotel

When we checked in, I asked nice guy at the desk about the building. He said, as he handed us glasses of champagne, that it was built in 1924 and originally housed people who worked at the Sears, Roebuck & Co. down the street. (That’s now known as Ponce Market.)

Brick factory building converted into a marketplace

Then he cheerfully added, “Until about 5 years ago, it was a brothel!”

Huh!

black and white floral wallpaper along a set of stairs

He may have meant, “strip club;” the Clermont was — is? — famous for its “lounge.” But perhaps the owners diversified.

Here’s the lobby:

Hotel check-in desk with black and green palm fabric drapes and wallpaper
Hotel reception area with light green print sofa

Rather than just call the style “midcentury,” I think we can get more specific: it reads film noir to me. ’40s and early ’50s. Kinda seedy!

Hotel reception area with palm-patterned drapes and bamboo tables

I do love that bamboo rattan, though.

The elevator was rather ingenious, with wallpaper behind reeded plastic and edged in brass.

Elevator interior with large-scale floral wallpaper on top half
Close-up of flora wallpaper behind ribbed plastic

I also love the humor.

Directional writing on wall pointing to elevator buttons

Our room really cracked me up. I had forgotten that when John was planning this trip, he had called out from his computer, “Hey, there’s a really cool hotel in Atlanta…but the rooms are…limited.”

Me, distracted: “Yeah? Meaning what?”

John, hopeful: “Well, the only rooms available have bunk beds.”

Me, looking up: “Bunk beds?”

John: “Bunk beds.”

Me: Are there no other hotels available?

John: None as cool…and it’s only one night. We’ll be tired from moving Ruthie into her dorm anyway.”

Me, shrugging: “I mean, okay. As long as it’s cool.”

I’d forgotten that conversation until we walked in:

Hotel room with 2 sets of bunk beds
Wooden bunk beds

As promised! But the room WAS cool — and big!

Hotel room with bunk beds and plaid carpeting

See what I mean about film noir? The moody colors, the Venetian blinds and raking light…I mean, that last is because of the time of day, but it certainly contributed to the noir-y vibe.

Hotel room with plaid carpeting
Venetian blinds with green window trim

Here’s the view from one bunk to the other.

View looking from one bunk bed to another

The thing that made this all ok was that it was so CLEAN. Wall-to-wall carpeting can be kind of gross, even in the nicest hotels, but this was obviously newish.

Close-up of plaid carpeting

The bathroom was kind of hilarious:

Larbe bathroom with pink and green tile
Large bathroom with pink and green tile and marble console sink

Cute dispensers in the shower:

Funny shampoo dispenser in hotel bathroom
Man sitting in room with wall painted green on bottom half

Anyway! Hotel Clermont in Atlanta. Worth considering, especially when there’s more of a…variety…of room offerings.

Not that bunk beds don’t have their charm.

Exterior of brick hotel building with people waiting to get in

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, D.C. If you ALSO are based in Washington, D.C., come hang out with me at 2 book events! The first is this Thursday, September 21, from 12-2:00 at the Stark showroom in the Washington Design Center, and the second is next Wednesday, September 27, from 6-7:30 at Proper Topper, 3322 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Hope to see you there!

Category: HotelTag: Atlanta, brothel, bunk bed, film noir, Georgia, hotel, Hotel Clermont, midcentury modern, midcentury style, Ponce, wall to wall carpeting

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