Despite the national real estate slowdown, Atlanta has experienced a rash of new luxury hotels rising around town.

The Mansion on Peachtree (3376 Peachtree Rd., 404/995-7500, www.rwmansiononpeachtree.com) opened in 2008 and immediately set a new standard for over-the-top opulence — even in pampered Buckhead. The 42-story boutique hotel has the appearance of a fashion model: impossibly thin and ridiculously stylish. With 127 ultra-high-end rooms and 45 residences (which sell for up to $12 million), the hotel also offers one of the neighborhood’s most gorgeous spas, which is open to the public. Rooms in the plush property run around $360 per night.

Not to be outdone, Midtown has fired back with exclusive accommodations of its own. The 304-room Hotel Palomar Atlanta (866 W. Peachtree St., 800/546-7866, www.hotelpalomar-atlantamidtown.com), the first foray into the Atlanta market by upscale giant Kimpton Hotels, opened in 2009 in a rapidly changing pocket of new high-rises and development. The attractive 21-story tower offers Kimpton’s signature in-room spa services and a unique design aesthetic tailored toward lovers of the arts.

A few blocks northeast, the Mandarin Oriental (1138 Peachtree St., www.mandarin-oriental.com) is due to open in 2011 along Peachtree Street’s up-and-coming Midtown Mile. The $250 million project will further transform Midtown’s skyline with a new 53-story glass skyscraper. The hotel will feature 200 guest rooms, 70 residences, and a three-story spa.