Blending passions for travel and restoring historic places, innkeepers Ed and Debbie McCord have created an urban oasis in the heart of Midtown Atlanta’s theatre, restaurant, and cultural district. Their bed-and-breakfast offers glimpses of the past within this modern metropolitan area. Whether to explore the annual extravaganza of twinkling Christmas decorations at the city’s botanical garden or to experience a nearby stage production or holiday gala, sojourners are drawn to the bright lights of Atlanta, Georgia-and they find a welcoming retreat at Shellmont Inn.
While renovation older homes in the region, preservationists Ed and Debbie McCord visited several country inns around the nation. This allowed them and inside look at period architecture and ultimately kindled their interest in the art of hospitality. Nearly thirty-six years ago, the couple became the second owners of Atlanta’s circa-1891 William P. Nicolson House, opening the manse to the public as a bed-and-breakfast. Renamed for the intricate seaside treasures that adorn its exterior, Shellmont Inn stands as a beacon of luxury that shines most brilliantly during Yuletide. Accommodations at Shellmont Inn include five gust rooms and the Carriage House Cottage–each appointed with antique furnishings of classic Victorian style.
A fragrant evergreen bough dotted with ornaments and cards offering seasonal greetings invites entry into the Downing Room. After a day of sightseeing, guests may unwind with a leisurely soak in the suite’s porcelain claw-foot tub and find blissful sleep in the queen-size bed carved of tiger-oak wood.
In the hotel’s dining room, candlelight casts its glow on crystal, gold-trimmed china and glassware, and traditional filigreed silver. Befitting the festive setting, breakfast specialities include savory baked eggs prepared with herbs and cheese, salad sprinkled with dried cranberries, pumpkin bread warm from the oven, and fruit compote paired with granola and yogurt.
