New Dual-Branded Hotel on Historic Midtown Corner Open for Business
Courtyard/Element Atlanta Hotel brands cater to both theatergoers and business travelers.
Published: 11/10/21
BY ELLIE HENSLEY
A new dual-branded hotel at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue has opened its doors, just as shows at The Fox Theatre and business travel begin to resume.
Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Midtown and Element by Westin Atlanta Midtown opened in October at 640 Peachtree after owner Noble Investments successfully completed its construction amid the pandemic. Tim Dahlen, GM of the hotels, said initial occupancy rates have been strong.
“Especially on the weekends, we’re seeing great occupancy,” Dahlen said. “Midweeks are picking up as well, as business travel comes back. We’re confident that with our premier location, we’re going to do outstanding.”
The Courtyard and Element share an intersection with The Fox, Georgian Terrace and Ponce Condominiums, three buildings with a distinctive architectural style and significant history. The hotels’ owner worked with the Midtown Development Review Committee and Atlanta City Studio to ensure the building’s exterior design fits in with its notable neighbors.
“These buildings have been here for nearly 100 years, if not longer, and we’re the new one,” Dahlen said. “It has to feel appropriate for this corner of Peachtree and Ponce. It was so important to [Noble] that it look and feel appropriate, and you can see the quality workmanship everywhere you look.”
A guest room at the Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Midtown.
Amenities for Every Traveler
Inside, the hotels offer two distinctly different vibes for travelers that are stacked on top of each other, unlike many other dual-branded hotels that rise side by side. It’s the first-ever combination of a Courtyard by Marriott and Element by Westin under one roof.
The 158-room Courtyard is designed primarily for business travel, with an in-room workstation, WiFi and coffee machines. The hotel also has a 3,300 square feet of conference space and a bistro area on the bottom floor that serves specialty Starbucks drinks.
Element’s 124 rooms feature light wood, spa-inspired bathrooms and extra space for people who might be planning extended stays, though overnight guests are also welcome. Some rooms also have full cooktops, refrigerators, microwaves, pots and pans, silverware and glasses. The hotel’s largest spaces, Element Studio Commons are four-bed, four-bath spaces with a shared kitchen and common area ideal for pharmaceutical business trips, legal meetings and bachelor, bachelorette and wedding parties.
An Element by Westin Atlanta Midtown guestroom kitchen.
Element offers its guests a signature Rise complimentary breakfast that includes hot items, as well as a large fitness center, Motion Fitness, that is also accessible to Courtyard guests.
On the building’s ground floor, a standalone bar and restaurant called The Ponce Room offers a full menu and walls that slide open so people can dine on barstools on the sidewalk with a view of the Fox Theatre while being served by the bartenders inside.
“On busier nights, we can overflow to the Courtyard lobby, which really comes alive and offers a great atmosphere,” Dahlen said.
The exterior of The Ponce Room, the bar-centric restaurant at the hotels.
The Ponce Room is already popular with guests headed to The Fox Theatre, and Dahlen is anticipating this will continue with the number of events scheduled over the next several months.
“Looking at the Fox Theatre’s calendar, we have a lot of great shows, many of which will also come close to sell out or sell out,” he said. “Any night there is a show, we have a large influx of people.”
Optimistic About the Future
There are plenty of reasons to plan a visit to Atlanta, which was the only U.S. city included in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel list for 2022. The guidebook publisher praised the city’s sustainability efforts, urban tree canopy and inclusivity.
Hotel occupancy levels, which dropped as low as 24.5 percent due to the pandemic, are now hovering around 60 percent, according to HospitalityNet.Org.
“There are still quite a few things that drive demand and occupancy to the hotel,” Dahlen said. “We’re very optimistic about the future.”
Hotel developers seem to share Dahlen’s viewpoint. Despite a tense past year and a half for the industry, there are 30 more hotels currently in the planning stages in metro Atlanta. Three development projects in Midtown that are currently planned or under construction have a hotel component, and combined these will add an additional 708 rooms to the district.
For more details about the Courtyard, Element and The Ponce Room, click here.
