Save on Your Georgia Getaway

October 21, 2019

By Maryann Hammers

Whether your ideal Georgia vacation includes a beachfront resort or a centrally located big-city hotel, we found military discounts on accommodations and activities throughout the State.

Holiday Inn Resort Jekyll Island offers active duty and retired military 10% off their stay year-round. The 157-room beachfront hotel has Atlantic Ocean views on a quarter-mile of beachfront, 21 suites with private balconies, oceanfront swimming pool, and pet-friendly accommodations. Families will appreciate the kiddy pool, complimentary Kid’s Club, and playground. Kids age 12 and under stay and eat free when sharing their parents’ room. Call (912) 635-2211.

Hilton Atlanta is located downtown near major attractions — including Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame — and is just 12 minutes from the airport. The pet-friendly hotel has a fitness center, basketball and tennis courts, a jogging track, and four on-site restaurants. With the hotel’s H.E.R.O. rate, active duty and retired military members can book a room for $89 on weekends, $119 weekdays through Sept. 2, 2020. Call (404) 659-2000.

The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, with inductees from the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy, is one of the nation's premier sports shrines. Active duty and retired servicemembers get free admission year-round, and family members with a dependent card receive 20% off at the box office. Exhibits include historic college football artifacts and interactive multimedia exhibits. Call (404) 880-4800.

Historic Banning Mills, an outdoor adventure park in Whitesburg (40 minutes from Atlanta), boasts 10 miles of zip lines — including the longest continuous zip line in the world — plus sky bridges, canopy tours, and outdoor activities. Founder Mike Holder, who began his career as a staff sergeant/Airborne Ranger in the U.S. Army and worked his way up to retire as a colonel, offers military members a 10% discount to zipline. Call (770) 834-9149.

State parks throughout Georgia and Lake Lanier also offer military deals. Here are some to check out.

Like water parks? Margaritaville at Lanier Islands in Georgia is an RV/camping resort, entertainment complex, and water park. Military members save 15% on lodging. (Use promo code MIL-1st if booking online.) Call (470) 323-3440.

Georgia state parks offer a 20% discount on lakefront and mountain accommodations and discounted park pass fees to current and former members of the U.S. military and National Guard. Learn more here. Choose from these locations:

Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club (part of Georgia Veterans State Park, which was established in 1946 as a memorial to U.S. veterans, with an onsite indoor/outdoor military museum). Call (800) 459-1230, and ask for the “First Responders Discount.”
George T. Bagby State Park & Lodge in Fort Gaines. Book online using the “Military Discount” rate, or call (877) 591-5575.
Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge in Southern Georgia’s rustic countryside. Use promo code “First” if booking online, or call (877) 591-5572 and ask for the “First Responders Discount.”
Unicoi State Park & Lodge in the charming Bavarian-style town of Helen in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Use promo code “First” if booking online, or call (800) 573-9659 and ask for the “First Responders Discount.”
Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge consists of 829 acres of mountain wilderness in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Military members get a year-round 25-percent discount off rooms, cabins, and Park Pass fees. Call (800) 573-9656.