ATLANTA — Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE: HLT) has opened Signia by Hilton Atlanta in the city’s downtown district. At 976 rooms and 1.3 million square feet, the project represents the largest hotel development in the city in at least 40 years, according to Hilton. The property is also the first new-build hotel for the company’s Signia brand, as well as the first Signia property in Georgia.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), which owns and operates the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center, is the owner of the Signia hotel. Development costs were not disclosed, but the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the project cost roughly $450 million to develop.
Built on the grounds of the former Georgia Dome, a sports and concert arena that was demolished in November 2017, the 42-story hotel is the lodging component of the GWCCA’s “Championship Campus,” which is self-described as “North America’s largest combined convention, sports and entertainment destination.” The campus also includes Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is the home arena of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United.
The hotel is also adjacent to State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and Centennial Yards, CIM Group’s $5 billion mixed-use redevelopment of the city’s beleaguered Gulch district, which former Atlanta mayor and global ambassador Andrew Young described as the “hole in Atlanta’s heart.”
“Signia by Hilton Atlanta complements our vision for a compact and connected campus featuring a package of facilities unrivaled in any city in the United States,” says Frank Poe, executive director of GWCCA. “More importantly, it is a cornerstone of a strategy centered on aligning GWCCA with the evolving needs of its customers while putting Atlanta on the shortlist for the most prestigious live events the industry has to offer.”
The hotel features eight food-and-beverage experiences, as well as a spa, beauty bar, rooftop pool, fitness center and Club Signia, a members-only lounge that features all-day food-and-beverage options and club-style cocktail service.
A key draw for Signia by Hilton Atlanta is its capability as an events destination as the hotel features more than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including an outdoor event deck and lawn and the largest hotel ballroom in Georgia, according to Hilton.
The design-build team for Signia by Hilton Atlanta includes architectural firm Gensler, Boston-based developer Drew Co. and general contractors Skanska and SG Contracting.
In addition to property-wide amenities, rooms at the hotel feature walk-in rain showers, Serta Perfect Sleeper beds, Connoisseur sateen linens, Nespresso machines, NEST amenities, steamers, umbrellas, robes and slippers, custom lighting and modern technology. Select rooms feature Peloton bikes and upgraded health and wellness touches including air purifiers, aromatherapy and SleepHubs.
According to the property website, a room this weekend will range from $344 to $431 per night.
Hilton is a global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 brands comprising nearly 7,400 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms in 124 countries and territories. The company’s stock price closed on Friday, Jan. 12 at $182.16 per share, up from $136.88 a year ago, a 33 percent increase.
— John Nelson