"Regency Hyatt" by ucumari photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Georgia’s iconic Polaris restaurant in Atlanta has been named among America’s top 100 hotel restaurants in a new national ranking.

🏨 What’s Happening: OpenTable and KAYAK have released their first-ever list of the Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America, with Polaris being Georgia’s sole representative. The list comes as new research shows 73% of Americans would return to a hotel because of a positive dining experience, and 38% have booked a hotel specifically for its restaurant.

🍽️ Why It Matters: This recognition puts the Georgia restaurant alongside famous destinations like Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants and Michelin-starred establishments. For Atlanta residents, it confirms what locals have long known about the quality of the revolving blue dome restaurant atop the Hyatt Regency.

🔍 Between the Lines: Hotel restaurants are transforming from convenient options for guests to culinary destinations that attract both travelers and locals. KAYAK reports a 51% year-over-year increase in travelers using their “restaurant” hotel filter when booking accommodations.

🌎 The Big Picture: Food is becoming a primary driver of travel decisions, with nearly half of Americans (47%) saying they’ve specifically planned trips around restaurant visits. This shift represents a fundamental change in how people approach travel planning—choosing destinations based on culinary experiences rather than just attractions.

📱 Social Impact: The research found 45% of Americans admit to posting more about their meals than sightseeing attractions during trips, showing how food experiences have become central to travel identity and social sharing.

The Sources: OpenTable and KAYAK.

Publisher at  – btclark@thegeorgiasun.com – Web

B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.