3 minute read
Hotel Hospitality - Atlanta
100 Year Anniversary of Glenn Hotel Building
Built in 1923 and located at the intersection of Marietta Street and Ted Turner Drive (formerly Spring Street), this site was originally the home of Major Hamilton Goode of the Confederate Army, and one of the few structures that survived Union General Sherman’s burning of Atlanta on his March to the Sea.
The property was purchased in 1888 by John Thomas Glenn, son of Luther Glenn, Atlanta’s mayor from 1858 to 1860. John T. Glenn, a lawyer who led Atlanta Steel for years and sat on the board of Coca-Cola, became mayor of Atlanta in 1889, a year after acquiring the property where the Glenn Build-
ing would be built more than three decades later. When he died in 1899, his estate included the land on which the 10-story Glenn Building was to be erected in 1923 and subsequently named after him.
Waddy B. Wood, a well-known Washington, D.C. architect, designed the Glenn Building. Considered an excellent example of the Neoclassical Revival style, Wood reinterpreted classical motifs from earlier historical styles in the first decades of the 20th century. Featuring a smooth, limestone facing and terra cotta detailing, the Glenn Building’s heavy cornice is its crowning glory, constructed of brown limestone deco-rated with egg-anddart, bead-and-reel, and dentil molding capped with neoclassical terra-cotta panels. 39 lion heads serve as guardians of the property. The Glenn Building’s ornate exterior remains unchanged and is among only a few tall office buildings that survive in Atlanta from the early 20th century.
In 2006, the building reopened as the Glenn Hotel, Atlanta’s first boutique hotel, completely preserving the exterior but renovating the interior in contemporary luxury. Glenn Hotel recently underwent a top to bottom renovation, which was completed in 2022.
Wm. Millard Choate, the founder of Choate Construction and Packard Capital, acquired the building and hotel in 2018. Legacy Ventures manages the hotel’s overall operations and its food and beverage components.
“The Glenn is interwoven into the fabric of Atlanta and symbolizes the pride and determination of this inde-fatigable city, spawned during an unprecedented era of development,” said Wm. Millard Choate, owner. “I am personally thrilled to witness such an important part of Atlanta in excellent shape and providing such impeccable service now. We should certainly celebrate Atlanta’s first true boutique hotel and its contribu-tions over the past 100 yearsand look to its renaissance for the next 100 to come!”
When entering the lobby, history yields to modern design. An upscale, polished club ambiance prevails with contemporary light fixtures, abstract art and bright orange pillows accenting leather couches. Glenn Hotel Living Room is a unique gathering space for coffee, conversation or cocktails.
Glenn Hotel’s 110 guest rooms are appointed with substantial luxury amenities from rain flow shower-heads and LATHER® bath products, to spaciously designed desk areas featuring complimentary wireless internet access, ergonomic desk chairs and 52-inch HD LED TVs.
The chefs at Glenn’s Kitchen, craft American comfort food with southern flair, from appetizers such as Pickles & Pimento Board, to entrées like Shrimp & Grits, Fried Georgia Chicken and a classic GK Cheeseburger. The restaurant features a completely redesigned interior, designed to recall the intimacy of supper on a Southern porch.The renovation also reimagined the Glenn’s rooftop venue, SkyLounge, as a comforta-ble yet elegant veranda with its renowned panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline.
