18+ hotels in Athens

Georgia's hotel-motel fee is $5 per room for each night of an ordinary taxable short stay. Sharing a room doesn't multiply that fee by the number of guests. For two nights, the state fee alone comes to $10.

Athens-Clarke County also has 8% sales tax and a separate 7% hotel-motel tax on room rent. Those percentage charges are separate from the fixed nightly fee. For a room quoted before taxes, adding only the $5 fee would still leave the percentage taxes out of your stay budget.

Street meters are enforced Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with holiday exceptions. Between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., the parking limit is two hours. You can purchase additional time after 6 p.m. An evening arrival doesn't remove the two-hour limit if the next morning is an enforcement day.

If you're leaving the car while you sleep in or head out, work that daytime limit into your stay plan. The College Avenue and Washington Street parking decks offer a free first hour, then charge $2 per hour at their regular rates. Football game-day parking has separate terms, so those hourly prices aren't a game-day budget.

Groome Transportation runs a shared shuttle between Atlanta airport and Athens, giving you an arrival option without driving. Reserve ahead if you plan to use it; service without advance notice isn't guaranteed.

In Athens, the service stops at its office at 3190 Atlanta Highway, Suite 20. The Classic Center stop, at 300 N. Thomas Street, requires a reservation.

University of Georgia game days and special university events can restrict stops away from the office because of congestion. Groome recommends its main office for game-day pickups and drop-offs. If that's when you're traveling, plan the shuttle arrival around the office rather than assuming the Classic Center stop will be available.