A financially troubled hotel in downtown Atlanta expects a renovation — and a new name — will help attract future tourists and travelers. The W Atlanta Downtown hotel, which recently went through a foreclosure sale, will rebrand under the JW Marriott flag under new ownership. The hotel off Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard will reopen in the spring after undergoing an overhaul to match the new name.
The JW Marriott Atlanta Downtown will be the brand's second hotel in the Atlanta area, joining one in Buckhead. Built in 2009, the hotel immediately became an Atlanta anomaly — its opening coincided with the Great Recession, thrusting it into instant financial trouble. The hotel went through foreclosure in October 2010, was acquired by Ashford Hospitality Trust in 2015 for nearly $57 million, and entered foreclosure again in 2023. A Stonebridge subsidiary then acquired the building for $24.8 million — a 56% decrease from what Ashford paid eight years earlier.
Atlanta once had four W hotels, but each has since rebranded. The Midtown location is now The Starling, the Buckhead W is now Hotel Colee Atlanta Buckhead, and the former Dunwoody location is now a Le Meridien. This downtown property's conversion to a JW Marriott leaves Atlanta with no W hotels remaining.
Renovations will include the brand's first "Mindful Floor" featuring two dozen wellness-focused rooms in the U.S., plus a new tranquil check-in lobby, Italian-inspired restaurant, and upgrades to the executive lounge and rooftop pool areas. "Every space has been reimagined — from 237 serene guest rooms and suites to thoughtfully curated public areas," according to Denver-based Stonebridge Cos., the hotel's operator.
The JW Marriott will compete with several new downtown hotels, including the Signia by Hilton that opened in January 2024 and Hotel Phoenix at Centennial Yards, as well as older properties like the Omni Atlanta Hotel, which is also undergoing renovations ahead of summer's World Cup.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution