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THUMP-THUMP ... THUMP-THUMP ... THUMP-THUMP
At six o'clock a heartbeat sounds as Pulse comes to life. As a hotel lobby bar, Pulse doesn't have a huge seating area and unless there is a wild convention going on, is typically not in the middle of the action. But it has a great mellow lounge vibe that is hard to beat, especially after night has fallen.
Pulse is best for small groups. If you're on a date, the lighting and mellow tone are romantic but sitting in the heart of John Portman's greatest atrium hotel does not create anything close to a feeling of intimacy. For large groups, Pulse isn't right since it is too mellow and the layout of the seating isn't conductive for conversation amongst many. If your group is between four and ten people, it is perfect, especially as a place to take a breather between other high energy activities or to wind down the evening.
The drinks and service are good but nothing earth shattering. What does separate Pulse from every place else is the setting. Oh, they like to brag about the huge sail like structure over the bar that changes color but lets face it, color changing LEDs are everywhere now and are getting a bit played out. The use on them here is far superior to just about anywhere else in town as the colors don't change fast enough to be distracting (Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom, I'm looking your way) and are limited to colors and intensity that set a mellow mood.
No, what makes the setting so different is the view upwards. Despite being a terribly ugly building on the outside, the atrium lobby of the Marriott Marquis set the standard for all other atrium hotels around the world. There may be something larger, brighter, and more spectacular in a city like Dubai, but only here do you feel like you're looking up through the belly of a whale. The redesigned lighting effects and the removal of Christo's now tired fabric sculptures work with Pulse's light sail to provide a feeling of being in a slightly different universe in which the new millennium has been fused with the 1970s.
Before leaving, be sure to hop on one of the glass elevators and press the highest floor number you can. After a few drinks, the view down through the atrium is even more pulse quickening than viewing it from Pulse.
Pulse, along with the Marriott Marquis, is located just over a block from the Peachtree Center MARTA station.
