Travel
Butter.ATL’s Staycations: The Wylie Hotel in Old Fourth Ward
Butter ATLJuly 2, 2021
Welcome again to Butter.ATL’s Staycations. This series of Atlanta hotel and leisure recommendations highlights some of the coolest places to stay and play in The A, even — especially — if you’re a resident.
This time our in-town escapade happens at the just-opened Wylie Hotel, located on Ponce de Leon Ave.
Built in 1929 and first opened as a hotel named the Garner-Wallace, the Wylie has had various other iterations between closures and falling into disrepair, before the latest renovations from Florida-based Mainsail Lodging & Development. Along with bespoke, all-unique rooms (no two are alike), smart room technology and app-driven guest experiences, the Wylie is also home to some amazing ATLien turn-up history.
The building is not only the original home of beloved ATL dance club MJQ, but it also hosted a basement restaurant named Mrs. P’s Tea Room, which opened in the 1950s, and within a decade became known as Atlanta’s first openly LGBTQ-friendly bar, catering mainly to a lesbian crowd and reportedly becoming the home of Atlanta’s first drag show.
From there it evolved into a gay men’s hangout, where the expected dress code leaned into leather and western wear. Today it’s a gorgeously sunlit breakfast and lunch restaurant named Mrs. P’s Bar & Kitchen, where you can get everything from pastries to go, on over to breakfast tacos, avocado tartine (toast), grilled cheese panini sliders, mini Wagyu beef burgers, and a daily market fish steak.
In what other city can you have hotels with crazy history and basements where the wild things went down deeper than the pull of gravity, where you can now eat a classy meal and feel sophisticated? #FILA.
Taking you on today’s tour is Mobs Robertson, Butter.ATL’s former creative lead and (as of this staycation) “Aspiring Rich Stepmom.”
The Wylie Hotel is the corporeal form of a Nancy Meyers movie; stepping into its zen minimalism from the chaos of Ponce was like popping a Xanax. I handed my keys off to the valet (the height of luxury) feeling like a rom com character arriving at a writer’s retreat.
The interior is outfitted with luxe textures and rich colors and staffed by delightful folks who could have been recruited from Chick-fil-A’s Employee of the Month roster. I was greeted with a craft mocktail, a *chef’s kiss* charcuterie board, and a gorgeous room for the night.
This spot is perfect for a night-long deep breath of a staycation. It’s regarded as “Hotel Clermont’s mature older sister,” and immediately passed that vibe check.
If the Clermont is Instagram, the Wylie is Pinterest. Even with Ponce City Market, the BeltLine, and several iconic nightlife spots within a walking distance that wouldn’t even hit my daily step goals, I opted to stay in.
I walked to grab dinner and pick up some wine (my room practically demanded a glass of Chardonnay), and kicked back in the crisp king bed to watch movies and enjoy my time in the hotel version of a float therapy spa.
In conclusion, if I could transport mid-2020 Dr. Anthony Fauci through time and give him a night at the Wylie, I would.
Overall Vibes
- Oasis of chill in a bustling, walkable neighborhood
- Great place to work on the next Great American Novel
- Point your camera almost anywhere and make it onto a Pinterest board
Rooms
- Clean and minimal
- Intentional and tasteful design
- Spacious
Amenities
- Great ice, like Zaxby’s-level ice
- Peach bellini mocktail when you check in
- Valet parking ($45 for overnight)
- Continental breakfast available
Food + Drink
- Mrs. P’s Bar + Kitchen (which wasn’t open when I visited, but is open now!)
The Extras
- Pet friendly rooms
- Local guides
- This building has a long, interesting history
Wylie Hotel
551 Ponce De Leon Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
WylieHotel.com