Hospitality, Embodied.
A few weeks ago, almost our entire team of seven gathered at Bacchanalia, one of Atlanta's most celebrated restaurants, Michelin-starred and beloved since 1993, for an evening that was equal parts team dinner and something I'd been wanting to do for a long time.
Before we even looked at a menu, I wanted to set the tone.I arranged gifts for each of our team members: a bottle of sparkling wine from France (my favorite country in the world, and where I happen to be traveling right now as you're reading this).
A bar of Savon de Marseille. Fleur de sel. Macarons. A note about what it means to move through the world as a traveler, and to carry that spirit of welcome back with you. These are the same gifts we've begun tucking into our properties for arriving guests, and I wanted my team to feel exactly what our guests feel when they walk through the door. A small expression of the big things travel has taught me over the years. I have never believed in simply describing a standard. I want to live it, and I want my team to live it too.
Over a four-course prix fixe and shared plates making their way around the table, we talked about what hospitality really is.
A mindset: thinking through every need before it arises, not out of control, but out of genuine care for someone who has never been in your home.
One of our own had just returned from western China and shared how the small hotel owners there treated her and her travel companion like their own daughters, making sure they were safe, that they were looked after, that they were fed for the day, had reliable transportation and were comfortable at every turn. It was hospitality in its most human form, and quite honestly a good push for us here in America to consider what else we can be doing as a more individualistic society.
We should always be learning.
Someone else shared a story I had honestly forgotten: the first time they ever came to my house. It was under construction. Dinner was spaghetti. Nothing was perfect. And by every account, it was the most hospitable evening anyone could remember, because everyone there felt completely, unconditionally welcomed.
I loved that. That’s EXACTLY what I want home and our properties we extend to others to embody.
The restaurant itself became a living example of everything we were talking about. The staff at Bacchanalia didn't just take our orders. They listened. They knew the menu well enough to make every recommendation feel personal, to steer us somewhere unexpected and exactly right.
The food was exceptional. The atmosphere, intimate and warm and perfectly dim, was made for real conversation.
But the service was what stayed with us, because it reflected what we are always reaching for: the feeling that someone truly thought about you before you arrived and can care for you well when you finally take a seat.
The week after, we pulled every property document we have across all 18 homes and went through them one by one, down to the battery type in each remote and the brand of every thermostat. Because great hospitality is not just a feeling. It is being ready. It is being able to answer any question, quickly, before a guest has to wonder.
New in Adair Park
Speaking of, we're excited to introduce two brand new properties in Adair Park; a neighborhood we've had our eye on for a while and are thrilled to finally call home base! We can't wait for you to try the macarons, wine and our new take on hospitality as a team:
The Mission on Adair
(2BR | Sleeps 4)
Where mid-century industrial loft meets Spanish mission. This two-bedroom home is five minutes from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and right in the heart of Adair Park, one of Atlanta's quieter, tree-lined neighborhoods that punches well above its weight.
Two queen beds dressed in long-staple cotton sheets, a full kitchen, an electric fireplace for the right kind of evening, and a front porch that earns its keep every morning. Perfect for a couple or small group who wants to feel rooted in the city, not just passing through.
The Designer House on the BeltLine
(4BR | Sleeps 8)
Beautifully styled by an interior designer and made for groups and families. Four bedrooms, a king, two queens, and a twin room that actually works plus a backyard with a swing set, two bikes ready to roll, and direct BeltLine access steps away.
This is the one for the extended family trip, the group of friends who've been planning it for a year, or the World Cup crew that wants a real home base in Atlanta.
