Hotels: Atlanta, Montreal, Dublin, Austin, San Juan

In hotel news, a Marriott Luxury Collection property in Atlanta is finally ready in its new incarnation; Four Seasons cuts the ribbon on a new Montreal location; Marriott adds a pair of options in Dublin for Bonvoy members; a new Texas property opens in Austin; and a Caribbean classic reopens in Puerto Rico.

The former Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, in the upscale Atlanta neighborhood of that name, was rebranded a year and a half ago as The Whitley, but it remains in the Marriott family as a member of the prestigious Luxury Collection. The rebranding also brought with it a major overhaul of the hotel that started last fall and will finally be finished next month. All 507 guest rooms and suites (which range from 720 to 1,800 square feet) have been redesigned, and all offer marble bathrooms, hardwood floors, Frette linens, honor bars and Luxury Collection feather beds. Guests in Club-level rooms and suites can access The Whitley Club Lounge for custom-cooked breakfasts, snacks, desserts and drinks. The expanded lobby area is surrounded by social spaces including the Hearth Lounge (with a fireplace), the Front Porch Lounge, the Sanctuary Lounge and the Explorers Library. The hotel's spa has been enhanced with the addition of the only Himalayan salt rooms in any Atlanta hotel, and the Trade Root Restaurant specializes in locally-sourced Southern-inspired cuisine. During June, weeknight advance purchase rates for Bonvoy members range from $177 to $391 plus 18 percent taxes and fees.

Downtown Montreal's so-called Golden Square Mile is home to the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Montreal at 1440 Rue de la Montagne. The property has 169 guest rooms and suites fully equipped with modern technology and luxury amenities; those on the upper stories have floor-to-ceiling windows. The lobby is on the third floor, surrounded by what Four Seasons calls the Social Square -- a restaurant, terrace, day bar, and night bar and lounge. The restaurant is Marcus, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- the first Canadian location for Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has other outlets in New York City, Bermuda and outside Washington D.C. And, of course, the new Four Seasons has a notable spa with nine treatment rooms, a Kneipp hydrotherapy facility, sauna, whirlpool, gym, and indoor pool. Advance purchase rates in June start at $396 a night plus 18.5 percent tax.

See images of all hotels in the slideshow at the top of this post. 

Marriott Bonvoy members have two new lodging options in Dublin, Ireland, including one historic luxury hotel and one Millennial-oriented new location. The historic property is The Shelbourne, an iconic five-star hotel that opened in 1824 and has just become a member of Marriott's Autograph Collection of independent hotels. That makes it bookable through Marriott's reservations system and a participant in Bonvoy. Located on St. Stephen's Green in the heart of Dublin, the 265-room Shelbourne has long been frequented by celebrities, heads of state and royalty. June rates start at around $450 a night including taxes and fees. Elsewhere in the Irish capital, Marriott has opened a new Aloft property, the Aloft Dublin City Hotel. It's located at 1 Mill Street in The Liberties, a fast-growing gentrified neighborhood. The new Dublin hotel has the Aloft brand's usual signature amenities including a Re:Fuel restaurant, W XYZ Bar and Re:Mix lounge, along with loft-style guest rooms. Prepaid Bonvoy rates in June start at $259 a night including taxes and fees.

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The newest place to stay in Austin, Texas, is the East Austin Hotel, an independent property at 1108 East 6th Street, about five blocks from downtown. The hotel has 75 rooms including – in rising order of cost -- queen-bedded "cabins" that are "adjacent to multiple private bathrooms and showers;" superior rooms with private bath and shower and one king or two queen beds; poolside rooms with private balconies or patios; and poolside suites with separate seating areas and wet bars. The hotel's Sixth and Waller restaurant serves up comfort food, sandwiches, plates, and pies, and there are bars both beside the outdoor pool and on the rooftop. June rates for a room with private bath start at $179 plus $27 in taxes and fees.

The classic Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico -- the first Hilton outside the continental U.S. when it opened in 1949, and birthplace of the pina colada in 1954 – has been closed for the better part of two years after it got slammed by Hurricane Maria in September 2017. But the landmark 652-room resort along the city's oceanfront has finally reopened after a $150 million overhaul brought the hotel and its grounds up to better-than-pre-hurricane quality. That included a comprehensive renovation of all guest rooms and public areas, upgrades to the hotel's infrastructure, storm-proofing of the exterior, restoration of landscaping, an overhaul of the hotel's 11 restaurants and bars, a redesign of its open-air lobby, and a total reconstruction of the fitness and spa building, including all new equipment. June weekday rates start at $310 a night, plus a $40 per night resort charge and 9 percent tax.

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.