October | Atlanta | D. Fran Morley

A Fabulous Trio Highlighting A ‘Renaissance’ In Atlanta

Site Visit By D. Fran Morley
While already known as a brand that boasts stylish and cutting-edge attributes, three Renaissance hotel properties in Atlanta are living up to their monikers and have undergone revitalizations. Far more than your average renovations, the work these sister hotels revitalized have undergone highlights why Atlanta is one of the top cities for hosting meetings.

The Renaissance Waverly on the northwest side, the Renaissance Downtown, and the Renaissance Concourse, located just minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, have completed more than $18 million in improvements not only to their guest rooms and lobbies but also to their meeting spaces and restaurants. Each has also implemented a new “Eat, Drink, Balance” program that promotes healthy menu options and updated fitness centers, a new BarArts initiative to replace bottled cocktail juices with fresh-squeezed, and advanced guest room technology. But don’t think these hotels now look alike. Keeping with the Renaissance spirit of individuality, each property is unique in style and personality.

The Renaissance Waverly is a planner’s dream with 60,000 square feet of on-site event space and direct connection to the 320,000-square-foot Cobb Galleria Convention Center. It sits at the junction of U.S. Interstates 75 and 285, and is part of the Galleria campus that includes shops, restaurants and the new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre that has just opened. Michael Taormina, CFE, managing director of the center, said the highway access is just part of the draw. “With 2,750 seats, it’s the perfect size for traveling shows, ballets, concerts, operas and corporate events,” he said. “No seat is more than 160 feet from the stage, which makes for a very intimate experience.”

And, if you’ve toured the Renaissance Waverly in the past, it’s time for a second look. The $8 million makeover is what the hotel’s new general manager, Joe Uhl, called a “contemporary New South style.” Improvements include a great room design for the lobby with comfortable zones for casual business gatherings. The upgraded and expanded Spa Waverly offers a full menu of treatments plus special treats for young adults like the Chocolate Raspberry Body Buff and my adult recommendation, the Indian Summer Mud Wrap. Two new dining options on site, Medici, a Tuscan steakhouse, and the sophisticated bar, Tosca Blue, also get my highest approval.

The Renaissance Atlanta Downtown, conveniently located one block off—you guessed it—Peachtree Street is within sight of a station for Atlanta’s public train and a 10-minute walk from the historic Fox Theater. More than $6.5 million in upgrades have been made to the guest rooms and the health club, of which the details are pristine. Plus, great room elements were enhanced with wireless connectivity and customized scent and music zones. Immediately, you’ll notice the subtle and relaxing scent of lavender when you walk into the lobby. Concierge level rooms have iPod ports and Ethernet connectivity and offer easy hookups between personal electronics and the flat-screen TVs. The hotel has 31,000 square feet of event space, including rooms on the 25th floor with 360-degree views stretching from downtown to Stone Mountain. Looking directly down, you can catch a birds-eye view of Georgia Tech University and an Atlanta icon, The Varsity.

At the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport, using the hotel’s complementary shuttle, you can leave the airport and be checked into your room within 15 minutes. But, it’s more than just the convenience factor to the airport that can draw in groups. The property recently competed more than $5 million in upgrades throughout. The 34,000 square feet of renovated meeting space includes a new 2,000-square-foot junior ballroom on the atrium level.

Honestly, I could have spent the entire stay in my room, watching planes take off and land—it was fascinating, and the view gave me a new perspective on the airport and the bustle of Atlanta. Being so close to the concourse, you would think the jet sounds would keep you awake, but it’s peaceful and quiet in the hotel, and heavy drapes black out light in the guest rooms.

Another view of the airport, a panoramic one, can be enjoyed at the hotel’s Concorde Bar, which was recently renovated with a new sleek, contemporary style. The food is just as enjoyable and diverse as the travelers in the airport—from sushi to antipasto, salmon and a delectable chocolate fountain.

See Atlanta

With the three Renaissance options in Atlanta, it’s easy to see the city in a new light with each visit. While on Atlanta’s northwest side, I took a float down the Chattahoochee River. There are 16 separate park areas in the 48-mile-long Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area with group rental facilities. Plus, this big-city escape offers boat rentals and multiple launch points, trails, fishing spots and more—none of it more than 15 minutes from the city. Groups can paddle down the broad, shallow river with nothing more than trees and birds in sight.

Downtown Atlanta around Centennial Park continues to grow. The highly anticipated new World of Coke is now open next to the Georgia Aquarium. Having the two world-class attractions next door to each other simplifies planning but makes for some hard decisions. I visited the aquarium. Open now for almost two years, the facility has become an Atlanta must-see attraction, and it continues to draw huge crowds. And even though it was busy on the day I visited, I never felt crowded or had trouble getting a close-up view of anything, from the mesmerizing jelly fish to the tremendous whale sharks.

Events at the aquarium have exceeded expectations, according to officials. Less than a year after opening, the aquarium invested more than $13 million to expand event facilities, including the popular Oceans Ballroom that provides views of the Beluga whale and whale shark habitats and cuisine by Wolfgang Puck Catering. Groups of 100 to more than 2,000 can be hosted at the aquarium.

The High Museum of Art is also a must-see, especially with , its current exhibit “Louvre in Paris, the Royal Collections.” An unprecedented partnership between the High Museum and the Musée du Louvre in Paris will put hundreds of works of art from the Louvre’s collection on display in Atlanta over the next three years. The rotating exhibits continue with “The Ancient World,” October 2007-September 2008, and “The Louvre of Today and Tomorrow,” October 2008-September 2009.

We stopped for lunch and a little shopping at Atlantic Station, a 138-acre multi-use development carved out of an old industrial site. There are nearly 20 dining options in Atlantic Station, but we were treated to lunch at Rosa Mexicano. Like its restaurants in New York, Washington, and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., the Atlantic Station restaurant served authentic Mexican dishes in a stylishly chic atmosphere set off by a 30-foot, blue-tiled waterfall wall. The 200-seat dining room is available for special events.

Starting with the guacamole, made to order at the table and served with fresh corn tortillas, and continuing to the tres leches cake that was served with lime and mango salsa, each dish offered a fresh twist on a familiar favorite. Thank goodness that there was an arts fair going on the weekend I visited, so I was able to walk off a few of the calories—just in time for that night’s dinner!