The hotel also is launching a $24 million renovation that will restore the property to its position as a premier meetings hotel in downtown Atlanta. The refurbishment features a whimsical design, which will put a contemporary spin on the property. Projected to be completed by spring 1999, the enhancements will include changes to the lobby, meeting rooms, guest rooms, restaurants, and the exterior. To accompany the renovations, amenities will be added to meet the personal needs of business, leisure and convention guests.

"The new design will restore the Spirit of Atlanta Hotel to its rightful place as the hotel that best represents the warmth, hospitality and liveliness of Atlanta," said Michael J. Deighton, General Manager of the Spirit of Atlanta Hotel. "The whimsical design underscores our belief that a hotel stay - even to conduct business - can and should be enjoyable."

The Spirit of Atlanta Hotel is an asset to the local convention hotel community because of its unique position as a "boutique" business hotel. With 747 rooms, the hotel is Atlanta's fifth largest and can easily accommodate convention groups of various sizes. By combining personalized service with quality business amenities, the Spirit of Atlanta Hotel provides comfort in an intimate setting for the business, leisure, and convention guest.

The new name, the Spirit of Atlanta Hotel, celebrates the hotel's past steeped in tradition while embracing the excitement of change and anticipating the bright future of both Atlanta and the hotel. Built in the 1960s as Atlanta's first large convention hotel, the facility occupies a special place among the city's hotels. Situated at the intersection of International Boulevard and Courtland Street in the heart of Downtown, the Spirit of Atlanta Hotel is woven into the very fabric of the city and was a leader in developing the large convention market in Atlanta.

The hotel has also been central to many of the historical events shaping the city. The cabin and farm of the earliest known settler of Atlanta, Hardy Ivy, was situated where the hotel now stands.

Deighton, who joined the hotel as general manager in July from Caesars Tahoe, is well-suited to lead the hotel at this juncture. A 24-year veteran of national hotel and resort management, Deighton has a strong background in operations management and has directed multi-million dollar renovation projects.

Prior to Caesars Tahoe, Deighton held management positions at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, the Westin Renaissance Center in Detroit, the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix and the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

The hotel property was purchased in May for $54.4 million by Amerimar Enterprises, Inc., a Philadelphia-based firm specializing in the redevelopment of urban commercial properties. Amerimar Enterprises, Inc. has transformed numerous other properties such as the Rittenhouse Hotel and the Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia, and the Hotel George on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.