A view from the hotel of the sign outside of it.

Paige DiFiore

Hotel Clermont is a fairly unassuming building (so much so my Uber driver passed it twice) along the very traffic-heavy Ponce de Leon Avenue in downtown Atlanta.

It was built in 1924, fell into disrepair by 2009, and was purchased by the Nashville-based Oliver Hospitality group in 2012.

After millions of dollars worth of investments and renovations, Hotel Clermont reopened in 2018 as a boutique hotel with 94 rooms, a rooftop bar, a lobby bar, and a French brasserie downstairs.

Oh, yeah, and it’s got a strip club in the basement.

The Hotel Clermont is the brick building on the left and the sign for the lounge is right next to it.

Paige DiFiore

Almost every local I mentioned my hotel to asked if I went to the Clermont Lounge, the strip club below it.

Although they share a building, the two businesses are not affiliated.

The lounge is a landmark in its own right — it’s considered the oldest strip club in Atlanta and has been visited by celebrities ranging from the late Anthony Bourdain to Lady Gaga.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t have realized I was sleeping above a strip club at all if no one had brought it up to me. (And no, I didn’t end up stopping by.)

The café basically operates under an honor system.

Paige DiFiore

When I arrived, I was welcomed into a dimly-lit lobby and offered a glass of sparkling wine (or a beer) I could take to my room.

On my way to my room, I stopped by the lobby’s small café. It has complimentary coffee and tea for guests, plus a serve-yourself honor system in which you grab a snack, fill out a paper bill for said snack, and leave it at the front desk.

It was nice to be able to pop down here during my stay when I didn’t feel like walking to the nearest convenience store.

I saw floral carpets in my hallway.

Paige DiFiore

The hotel had elevators, but I didn’t find the wide staircases to be bad, either.

The hallways felt moody but clean, like what you’d get if a Palm Springs partier and a history buff mixed their tastes and shared a studio apartment.

The space mixed dark wood with light walls and pops of color.

Paige DiFiore

My bed felt incredibly cushy and plush, and the artwork and colored headboard made me feel like I was in an Instagrammer’s paradise.

The dark wooden furniture, light walls, and mid-century-style light fixtures worked together well.

I used the desk while getting ready in the morning.

Paige DiFiore

I also appreciated the small details throughout the room, like the dimmable lights above each nightstand and collection of Hotel Clermont postcards in the desk.

The room came with a handheld steamer, pink robes to borrow, and a pink safe, too.

I wanted to take the mugs home with me.

Paige DiFiore

On one side of the closet, I found a colorful tray of teas, pink Hotel Clermont mugs, to-go cups, packets of local instant coffee, and a trendy gooseneck kettle.

I also received complimentary Hotel Clermont-labelled water bottles that were replenished every afternoon with the housekeeping service.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a miniature fridge or microwave. It didn’t bother me except for a few nights when I had to turn down incredible leftovers from nearby restaurants (including the one downstairs, but more on that later).

I loved the pops of color on the walls and in the shower.

Paige DiFiore

The bathroom felt modern and clean.

I liked that the marble countertop actually had enough space for all of my toiletries.

I loved the artwork throughout the hotel.

Paige DiFiore

One of the stand-out parts of the hotel’s design is its signature style. Quirky doodles appeared throughout the shower on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers.

The « do not disturb » door hangers also had fun doodles of upside-down legs with heels or loafers.

Even the hotel’s eatery had plates with similar doodles.

The rooftop has a small taco truck, a bar, and seats.

Paige DiFiore

During the day, the rooftop is a fantastic place to read a book and escape the feeling of being in a busy city.

Picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and other seating arrangements were spaced throughout the turf-covered area.

Hotel Clermont’s rooftop felt alive at night.

Paige DiFiore

In the evening, the rooftop taco truck opens and the music plays in full force.

As Chappell Roan blared through the speakers, people spoke quietly or laughed over cocktails with views of Atlanta’s skyline in the background. The vibes felt very cool and effortless.

The rooftop was pretty full but didn’t feel crowded thanks to the many seating options throughout.

It felt like the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night if you’re in your 30s or 40s.

My room didn’t have a great view.

Paige DiFiore

The view from my room was mostly of a parking lot and construction, but the room was so cute I didn’t mind. I also wasn’t expecting to be looking at a lake or mountaintops, given I was in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US.

Since the hotel is about a century old, its walls are quite thin. Hotel Clermont seems to be aware of this, as staff thoughtfully left pairs of earplugs (in cutely designed envelopes) in my room.

Still, from my bed, I heard people sneezing in the hallway outside or my neighbors’ phone alarms going off. On weekdays at 7:30 a.m., nearby construction began just outside my window.

At night, I could faintly hear the music and conversations from the rooftop above (one night was a 30th birthday party). I found it almost comforting, though.

Once the rooftop cleared late into the night, the room was completely, jarringly silent. If the room had temperature controls, I might have abused them by keeping the fan running just to hear something.

Tiny Lou’s can be accessed from the hotel.

Paige DiFiore

The Michelin-recommended spot, Tiny Lou’s, has a name based on Atlanta folklore.

As the story goes, Tiny Lou was a dancer at this hotel before the Clermont Lounge existed — and she built a reputation as the woman who refused to perform for Adolf Hitler.

Although she was not French, the food served at her namesake restaurant is.

I loved the floral wallpaper in one area of Tiny Lou’s.

Paige DiFiore

Each of its nooks is a mixture of dim lights, pink velvet, wood, and brown leather with different themes.

One wall has paintings of dogs, and another has artfully framed patents. A more private dining area had floral wallpaper and light-pink tables.

My breakfast at Tiny Lou’s was delicious.

Paige DiFiore

The small menu, which features mostly French-inspired dishes, had many of the same styles of doodles I came to appreciate throughout the hotel.

I started my day with a French press of coffee that my server timed, pressed, and poured. He walked me through the menu and highly recommended the fresh almond croissants. He described them so deliciously that I ordered one even though it hadn’t even been on my radar, and I don’t really like almonds.

I’m glad I listened to him. I knew no almond croissant I’d have after this would ever live up to my expectations.

Its layers flaked right apart, and it was so delightfully buttery that crumbs stuck on my fingers after each bite.

For the main event, I ordered the highly recommended croque monsieur — an elevated French ham and cheese sandwich with a creamy bechamel served atop a bed of greens.

It was rich and flavorful but not heavy. The portion size felt perfect.

Tiny Lou’s felt cozy at night.

Paige DiFiore

Around dinner time, Tiny Lou’s transformed into a dimly-lit fine-dining restaurant filled with couples and groups of men in suits.

It felt like a trendy steak house you’d take a possible business partner to mixed with the kind of place you’d take your picky mother-in-law who’s in town for the weekend.

The corn fritters were delicious.

Paige DiFiore

The menu was short but seemed to have something for everyone, from house-made brioche to a roasted rack of lamb.

My meal began with a tasty amuse-bouche, a gruyere cheese puff.

Next, I had the corn fritters topped with crème fraîche and salmon, which my server recommended. Once again, Tiny Lou’s staff had steered me in the correct direction.

I loved how the sweet crunch of the fried patty mixed with the creamy tang of the crème fraîche and the tender sweetness of the salmon.

I paired my food with a French cider.

Paige DiFiore

For my entrée, I went with the steak Diane tenderloin with foraged mushrooms. It was full of flavor, and the portion felt surprisingly generous.

My server helpfully guided me through dessert, convincing me to get the seasonal spice cake instead of Tiny Lou’s famous crepe cake. It wasn’t as Instagrammable, he warned, but it was way more special.

I agreed. The moist cake adorned with cream cheese, pistachio ganache, and orange marmalade was honestly one of the most interesting and tasty desserts I’ve ever tried.

If he hadn’t talked me through it, I never would’ve ordered it.

Tiny Lou’s staff seemed to have a real passion for the food being served.

Paige DiFiore

It’s been weeks since my trip to Atlanta but I still can’t stop thinking about the food I ate at Tiny Lou’s — and, perhaps just as important, the atmosphere.

Throughout both of my meals there, I was struck by the pure joy surrounding me.

I watched as servers brought out special homemade ice cream to celebrate one couple’s 16-year anniversary and wished happy birthdays to patrons as they sat down.

Since I was dining alone, I especially enjoyed listening to the staff thoughtfully recommend dishes and describe them in detail.

The clear passion for food at Tiny Lou’s felt infectious. I left wishing I could bring its staff with me to advise me on what to order wherever I go.

Hotel Clermont is famous for a reason.

Paige DiFiore

Atlanta locals I encountered spoke about Hotel Clermont with a sense of pride — it’s awfully beautiful, but it’s also soaked in history.

It’s got a real success story: A building that almost stayed rotten and forgotten along the busy Ponce De Leon was now a beautiful boutique hotel where people spend hundreds of dollars on dinner and plan milestone birthday parties on the rooftop.

For a few days, it felt like a cozy home base. And by night four, the soft bass and muffled conversations from the rooftop were just crickets serenading me to sleep.

I’d happily stay at the hotel again and I’d even morehappily return to its restaurant for any and every meal.

Business Insider paid a media rate of $500 for a four-night stay at Hotel Clermont. The full rate was about $800.