Marietta Square sits at the center of one of metro Atlanta's most walkable historic districts, with restaurants, live music venues, and the Gone with the Wind Museum all within steps of the town green. Staying near the Square puts you inside a genuine neighborhood rather than a highway corridor, which is a meaningful distinction in a region where most budget hotels cluster around I-75 interchange ramps. The six 2-star hotels reviewed here range from properties less than 2 miles from the Square to extended-stay options in neighboring Kennesaw, giving you real choices across different distance tiers and price points.
What It's Like Staying Near Marietta Square
Marietta Square is a functioning town center, not a tourist enclave - on weekday mornings it moves at the pace of local coffee shops and law offices, while Friday and Saturday evenings bring live performances on the green and heavy foot traffic around Glover Park. Walkability is genuine within about a half-mile radius of the Square, covering dining, the Marietta Museum of History, and the Strand Theatre without needing a car. Beyond that radius, most of Marietta shifts to a car-dependent suburban grid, so hotel location relative to the Square matters more here than in a denser urban core.
Budget travelers should know that weekend noise around the Square can be noticeable until around 11 PM during event nights, which is worth factoring in when choosing between a property steps from the green versus one a short drive away on a quieter corridor.
Pros:
- Direct walking access to restaurants, bars, and the Saturday Marietta Farmers Market without moving your car
- Easy access to Truist Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) via a short drive or rideshare, making the area useful for game-day stays
- Cobb County's lower hotel tax rate compared to Fulton County makes nightly rates more competitive than equivalent Atlanta intown options
Cons:
- Weekend evenings near the Square generate noticeable foot traffic and music noise, a real issue for light sleepers at the closest properties
- Public transit connections to downtown Atlanta from this area are limited, making a rental car or consistent rideshare use necessary for broader sightseeing
- Budget hotel inventory closest to the Square is thin - most 2-star options sit along highway corridors requiring a 5-10 minute drive to the Square itself
Why Choose 2-Star Hotels Near Marietta Square
Two-star hotels in the Marietta-Kennesaw corridor typically run around 40% cheaper per night than the limited select-service options closer to Truist Park or the Cumberland Mall district, making them the practical choice for road trippers, Braves game visitors, and anyone visiting Dobbins Air Reserve Base. What you trade off is mostly aesthetic - rooms are functional, parking is free and plentiful, and several properties in this category include kitchenettes or full kitchens, which is unusually useful at this price tier. The extended-stay format appears across multiple options here, meaning you can prepare meals rather than eating every meal out, a meaningful cost difference over a multi-night stay.
Room sizes at extended-stay 2-star properties in this area tend to be larger than equivalent-priced standard hotel rooms, since the suite-style layout is the core product. The trade-off is that daily housekeeping is often bi-weekly or fee-based rather than automatic, which is worth confirming at check-in. Free parking is standard across all six properties reviewed, which alone saves around $15-20 per night compared to parking costs at Atlanta intown hotels.
Pros:
- Free parking included at every property, removing a cost that adds up quickly on multi-night stays
- Several options include in-room kitchens or kitchenettes, reducing daily food spending significantly
- Larger room footprints at extended-stay properties compared to standard rooms at the same nightly price point
Cons:
- Daily housekeeping is not guaranteed - some properties only clean bi-weekly or charge a fee for daily service
- Properties closest to the Square in this category are limited; most require a short drive rather than a walk to reach the town green
- Amenity sets are basic - pools, fitness centers, and on-site dining are exceptions rather than the rule at this price tier in Marietta
Practical Booking & Area Strategy
For direct access to Marietta Square, the tightest positioning puts you along the Franklin Road SE and Roswell Street corridors, both within a 10-minute drive of the Square and connected to I-75 for quick highway access north or south. Properties along Windy Hill Road and George Busbee Parkway in the Kennesaw direction add around 15 minutes of driving distance to the Square but sit closer to Kennesaw State University and the northern Cobb County retail and dining strip along Barrett Parkway.
Book at least 6 weeks ahead for any weekend that overlaps with a Braves home game at Truist Park - that stadium is under 5 miles from the Square and its schedule drives significant regional hotel demand from March through October. The Square itself hosts the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Tour in December and Jazz on the Green events through summer, both of which compress local availability. Beyond the Square, nearby draws include Six Flags Over Georgia (around 15 miles southwest), Cumberland Mall, the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, and the National Infantry Museum for day trips. Weeknight rates drop noticeably compared to Friday-Saturday, so structuring a stay with check-in on a Sunday or Monday can recover meaningful savings at every property in this review.
Best Value Stays
These properties offer the lowest entry price points in the Marietta-Kennesaw corridor, with functional rooms, free parking, and access to the Square via a short drive rather than walking distance.
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1. Extended Stay America Select Suites - Atlanta - Marietta - Windy Hill
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Just a few rooms left at the best rate!
fromUS$ 83
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2. Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Marietta Near Dobbins Arb
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Just a few rooms left at the best rate!
fromUS$ 70
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3. Comfort Inn Kennesaw
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Hurry – almost gone at this price!
fromUS$ 122
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4. Suburban Studios Kennesaw-Marietta North
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Hurry – almost gone at this price!
fromUS$ 48
Best Premium Budget Options
These two properties offer stronger location positioning or notable amenity advantages within the 2-star tier, making them the top picks for travelers who want more than a bare-minimum stay without stepping into a higher price bracket.
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5. Western Inn Marietta
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Rooms filling fast – secure the best rate!
fromUS$ 55
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6. Candlewood Suites - Atlanta - Kennesaw By Ihg
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Rooms filling fast – secure the best rate!
fromUS$ 123
Smart Travel & Timing Advice for Marietta Square
The Marietta area operates on two distinct demand cycles: the Braves baseball season (March through October) and the summer holiday corridor (Memorial Day through Labor Day). During Braves home series weekends, hotel rates in the immediate Marietta-Smyrna corridor spike sharply, and properties along the Windy Hill and Franklin Road corridors fill faster than many travelers expect given their distance from downtown Atlanta. Book at least 6 weeks ahead for any Friday or Saturday night that overlaps with a home game.
December brings the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Tour and heavy Square activity through the holiday season, compressing availability at the few budget properties with direct proximity. The quietest - and cheapest - windows are January through mid-February and mid-October through late November, when neither the baseball calendar nor the holiday circuit drives regional demand. A two-night minimum stay is the practical sweet spot here: one night is rarely enough to cover both the Square and a day-trip destination like Six Flags or Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Last-minute rates do appear midweek year-round, but weekend last-minute availability in this corridor is unreliable, especially during any event period at Truist Park or Cobb Energy Centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which of these hotels is closest to Marietta Square?
- The Econo Lodge Inn & Suites on Franklin Road SE is the closest budget option to Marietta Square in this review, sitting off I-75 at a position reachable in around 10 minutes by car. Western Inn Marietta is the tightest overall on the map but orients more toward Truist Park than the Square itself.
- Which hotel offers the best value for a multi-night stay near Marietta?
- Extended Stay America Select Suites on Windy Hill is the strongest multi-night value due to its fully equipped in-room kitchen. Cooking even one meal per day removes a significant daily expense and justifies the slightly longer drive to Marietta Square.
- Do any of these 2-star hotels include free breakfast?
- Yes - both the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites and the Comfort Inn Kennesaw include free breakfast daily. The Econo Lodge's breakfast inclusion makes it particularly competitive for travelers who want a full-service start without paying for a mid-range property.
- When should I book to get the lowest rates near Marietta Square?
- Mid-January through mid-February and the second half of October through November are the lowest-demand windows in this corridor. Avoid booking last-minute for any weekend that overlaps with a Braves home game at Truist Park - those dates fill quickly and rates climb noticeably.
- Is a car necessary if I stay at one of these hotels?
- Yes, for all six properties. None are within walking distance of Marietta Square, and Cobb County's public transit network is limited for tourist use. A rental car or consistent rideshare budget is necessary to access the Square, Truist Park, and regional attractions like Six Flags or Kennesaw Mountain.
- Which hotel is best for guests visiting Dobbins Air Reserve Base?
- The Econo Lodge Inn & Suites explicitly positions itself near Dobbins Air Reserve Base and sits on the Franklin Road SE corridor that provides the most direct road access to the base. Extended Stay America on Windy Hill also references base proximity and adds the kitchen amenity for longer assignment stays.
- Are any of these hotels part of a loyalty program?
- Candlewood Suites - Atlanta - Kennesaw is the only IHG-affiliated property in this review, making it the best option for IHG One Rewards members looking to earn or redeem points. The others are independent or smaller chain properties without major loyalty program affiliations.
- Which hotel has a pool?
- Suburban Studios Kennesaw-Marietta North is the only property in this review with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. It's available during warmer months and represents a standout amenity at the 2-star price point in this corridor.
