AtlantaEarly this year, the
JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
completed a $12 million renovation of all 371 guest rooms and suites.
The project also refreshed the lobby, restaurants and concierge lounge.
All rooms now feature new décor and furnishings, marble bathrooms,
wireless Internet capabilities and high-definition televisions. The
hotel also added 2,300 square feet of meeting space, for a grand total
of 23,300 square feet.
Attendees now can use their wireless devices freely at the
Georgia World Congress Center.
Provided by the facility's telecommunications supplier, CCLD Networks,
the wireless Internet access is available in all lobby areas and
lounges, and at Starbucks and restaurants throughout the center.
The 502-room
Meliã Hotel Atlanta
has newly renovated its 25th-floor event venue, Sky Twenty Five. The
space offers impressive 360-degree panoramic views of the city. In
total, the property has more than 31,000 square feet of meeting and
event space, including the 6,120-square-foot Georgia Ballroom.
The
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
last year completed a $60 million renovation. Improvements were made to
the hotel's 1,260 guest rooms, main ballroom and meeting space. The
entryways, lobby and lobby bar of the property also were revamped. The
hotel has 180,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 403-room
Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway
recently was awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green
Building Council for a number of innovative sustainable features. For
example, the hotel now uses 30 percent less water and 28 percent less
energy than a typical non-LEED-certified hotel. In addition, 20 percent
of its supplies are sourced from within a 500-mile radius. New hybrid
rental cars are available to guests, and premium parking spaces are
offered exclusively for low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles. The hotel
has a total of 21,000 square feet of meeting space and is connected to
the 400,000-square-foot Georgia International Convention Center by a
covered walkway.
This past May, the 127-room
Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta,
opened in Buckhead, one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods. The
property features more than 6,500 square feet of meeting space in six
rooms holding a total of 200 people, as well as a 15,000-square-foot
spa, an indoor lap pool, a fitness center and two restaurants. The hotel
is a 35-minute drive from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
has completed $5.4 billion construction project that expanded, repaired
and upgraded various sections of the facility. The $1.4 billion Maynard
H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal opened in May, and Concourse E
will see a 900,000-square-foot expansion that will add 10 new gates and
1,100 new parking spaces. With a new total of 40 international gates,
airlines will be able to introduce new routes and relieve the congestion
in the other five concourses.
In June, the
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
broke ground on the edge of Centennial Olympic Park. The center, slated
to open to the public in 2014, claims it will be first venue in the
world where visitors can learn about the tumultuous history of the Civil
Rights Movement, as well as contemporary human rights movements and how
they are all connected. The building will have an as yet unspecified
amount of space for events and seated dinners; stay tuned for details.
Atlanta's popular
College Football Hall of Fame
will relocate to a new $50 million multilevel facility adjacent to the
Georgia World Congress Center. The new 50,000-square-foot hall is
expected to open in fall 2013 with a multitude of exhibits and a giant
outdoor screen for viewing games.
Meeting Hotels
Among downtown properties are the 1,663-room Atlanta Marriott Marquis;
1,260-room Hyatt Regency Atlanta; 1,242-room Hilton Atlanta; 1,068-room
Westin Peachtree Plaza; 1,067-room Omni Hotel at CNN Center; 760-room
Sheraton Atlanta Hotel; 444-room Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, and 312-room
Atlanta Marriott Downtown.
In Midtown, major properties include
the 435-room W Atlanta Midtown, 252-room Georgia Tech Hotel and
Conference Center, and 191-room Wyndham Midtown Atlanta.
In
Buckhead, meeting hotels include the 553-room Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead;
438-room Grand Hyatt Atlanta; 422-room InterContinental Buckhead
Atlanta; 367-room JW Marriott Hotel Buckhead Atlanta; 151-room St. Regis
Atlanta; and 127-room Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta.
In Perimeter Center are the 495-room Crowne Plaza Ravinia and 400-room Marriott Perimeter Center.
Near Jackson-Hartfield International Airport are the 638-room Atlanta Airport Marriott and 387-room Renaissance Concord Hotel.
For a more complete list of area hotels, visit
mcvenues.com.Convention Centers Georgia World Congress Center; exhibit space, approximately 1.4 million square feet; number of meeting rooms, 106; (404) 223-4200
AmericasMart Atlanta; exhibit space, 800,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 41; (404) 220-2686
Georgia International Convention Center; exhibit space, 150,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 10; (770) 997-3566
Taxes Room tax, 7%; sales tax, 8%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venue The
High Museum of Art
on Peachtree Street, renowned for its collection of classic and
contemporary art, has several venues available for meeting and events.
Among these are the Renzo Piano-designed Margaretta Taylor Lobby, which
was built in 2005 as part of the museum's expansion. It can hold 650
guests for a standing reception and 400 for a seated meal. The museum's
signature Richard Meier-designed Robinson Atrium also is available for
private events for up to 350 attendees. The outdoor Sifly Piazza can
accommodate 500 attendees for a standing reception or 150 seated
banquet-style. (404) 733-4924
Contact The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, (404) 521-6600