A gentle tour de force has risen in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. For more than a decade, this corner of the southern city has gleamed as a shining example of reinvention, taking an area that was an amusement park in the early 1900s and transforming it into a 17-acre greenspace, the Historic Fourth Ward Park, which opened in 2011, and enhancing it the next year with the city’s most prized mixed-use destination Ponce City Market in an old Sears, Roebuck & Co. building. But last summer, the area finally got the cake topper it had been missing in the form of the aptly homophonic named hotel Forth Atlanta, propelling the revitalized neighborhood into a new era.
The 16-floor boutique concept hotel serves as the Old Fourth Ward’s new anchor, a hearty 189,000-square-foot showpiece mixing brutalist and modernist vibes with a criss-cross lattice exterior. Despite its size and grandeur, Forth manages to nonchalantly blend into its surroundings, a sign of its forward-thinking future.
Its precise concrete-and-glass exterior is left exposed inside, with its beams purposefully obstructing its floor-to-ceiling windows and its shape playfully leaving unused spaces hidden behind curtains in its corner rooms, delightful reminders of the building’s innovative design. Inside its rooms, phones and radios are rotary and analog at first glance, but actually digital, while the clean lines of the bathrooms offer a juxtaposition to the warmth of the cozily decorated rooms, oozing with a homey and sophisticated vibe. With a game-ready checkerboard painted onto a wooden table and local Old Fourth Distillery bourbon on the bar, it’s almost like spending the night at the guest room of your trendiest friend in town.
Of its 196 keys, 157 are guest rooms. King rooms average 375 square feet and double queens are 430 square feet, while its chamfered corner room’s premium kings start at a spacious 543 square feet, including a soaking tub. There are also five suites averaging 600 square feet and another three with private patios, including an outdoor fireplace. The other 39 units are residential suites, best for extended stays, ranging from studios of 565 square feet to two bedrooms covering 1,165 square feet.
Also tucked into the building are a quartet of dining options, each paving its own reputation in a city with culinary innovation in its soul. Each space stuns with gasp-worthy decor, starting on the ground floor with its star attraction, Il Premio. At its core, it’s a modern steakhouse offering everything from an 8-ounce filet mignon to a 41-ounce Florentine steak—plus an entire wagyu menu—but the entire experience is embellished with a sense of Italian whimsy. Also downstairs is the versatile Bar Premio, which almost feels like a posh soda-pop shop, operating as a coffee shop in the morning, casual eatery at lunch, and Italian bar at dinner.
On the fourth floor, just next to the pool is a more light-hearted and airy beach setting for the Mediterranean food of Elektra, which serves breakfast (Turkish eggs, breakfast hummus, and shakshuka) and dinner (mezze platters, grilled meats, and even a beef short rib tagine). But its crown jewel is the rooftop Moonlight, which has quickly become one of the city’s most distinguished elevated bars. Its distinctly 70s vibe glows in its creative cocktails and key lime ice cream pop dessert, while a contemporary glamour radiates with its caviar and kristal service, and snack menu of lobster and steak tartare rolls.
But perhaps the best guest amenity is access to its 20,000-square-foot gym, spread across two floors. Gym rats and vacationers alike will revel in the best-of-the-best equipment: Peloton and Assault fitness bikes, Concept2 row machines, Technogym Skillrun treadmill with a sled and parachute, and GymRax functional trainer—plus a sauna, steam room, and host of compression sleeves and Theragun massagers to recover from it all.
The latest addition is Forth’s in-house spa, which opened in December, with massage services that focus on release, relief, recovery, and nourishment, with optional hot stone and CBD add-ons.
As another badge of Forth’s coolness quotient, it’s also home to a private Forth Club, a social members-only club for the city’s curators and innovators, with its own work, meeting, and dining spaces, that are off-limits for hotel guests. But that creative vibe transcends the entire property.
Top Takeaways
Location: Atlanta, Georgia’s Old Fourth Ward
Rating: Four-star
The Vibe: Industrial, sleek, and chic, with a sense of sophistication equally suited for trendy jet-setters, business travelers, and casual vacationers.
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The 360-degree floor-to-ceiling views make it feel like you’re floating above ATL’s favorite neighborhood, with Midtown and Downtown skyline views. Plus, its central location makes it walkable to key Westside sites and a quick car ride to all Atlanta area attractions—even Stone Mountain is a mere half-hour drive to the east.
Food + Drink: Bar Premio starts the day with coffee and pastries and transitions to sandwiches and salads for lunch, crudo, and pasta by night, while its adjacent Il Premio offers an upscale Italian steakhouse experience. Elektra serves Mediterranean fare on the fourth floor, while the rooftop lounge Moonlight delivers cocktails, caviar, and elevated snacks.
Any Neighborhood Recs? Forth is steps from Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail. Walk, bike, or e-scooter north to Piedmont Park or south to Krog Street Tunnel. Explore Ponce City Market—don’t miss El Super Pan’s guava pastelito, Bellina Alimentari’s ragu, and Botiwalla’s boozy frozen drinks. Grab coffee at Dancing Goats, play vintage games at Skyline Park, or visit 12 Cocktail Bar. Across the BeltLine, Rina serves tasty Middle Eastern street food.
Amenities: Four dining options, an outdoor pool with cabanas, a spa, and a massive 20,000-square-foot gym offering yoga, spin, and HIIT classes, plus a sauna, steam room, and recovery tools. Forth Club offers a private retreat, while rooms feature Le Labo bath products and Bellino linens.
What’s Nearby? Forth is at the heart of the Historic Fourth Ward, near Ponce City Market and the Atlanta BeltLine. Downtown attractions like Centennial Olympic Park and Midtown spots like the High Museum of Art are just a few miles away. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library is a mile east, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Park and Sweet Auburn slightly farther south.
Rooms: 196
Pricing: Rooms start at $345/night
Closest Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
