Grand Re-Opening Party Launches New Era for Landmark Hotel



    ATLANTA, July 24 /EMWNews/ -- Atlanta VIPs will toast the $138

million renovation of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta's largest and

most prestigious convention hotel, at a spectacular launch party tonight.

Presented in conjunction with Atlanta Peach magazine, the evening will be

hosted by Senior Vice President David Marriott and other company

executives.



    [Editor's note: photos from tonight's event will be available on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marriott/sets tomorrow]



    "This is an exciting event for the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, a huge

statement for our Marriott Brand, and a great introduction to our new lobby

'M.i. Great Room,'" said Don Semmler, Executive Vice President, Marriott

International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR). "Host Hotels & Resorts, the hotel's owner,

has made a major investment in the Marquis, and this is truly symbolic of

the ongoing investment Marriott is committed to making to its hotels around

the world."



    With the completion of the three-year long renovation, the Atlanta

Marriott Marquis now sets the standard for convention hotels in the south.

The hotel's stunning "M.i. Great Room" atrium lobby reinvents the way

guests socialize, work and relax with the use of modern technology, great

food and service, and unique spaces. The hotel features 1,663 guestrooms,

including 94 suites, and over 160,000 square feet of flexible meeting

space, every inch of which has been masterfully redefined to accommodate

21st century meeting needs. The 42,818 square feet of additional meeting

space now available on the Atrium Level includes the new 25,000-square-foot

Atrium Ballroom, accommodating 2,000 comfortably for a one-of-a-kind

experience.



    As the third largest hotel in Marriott's global profile of more than

3,000 hotels, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis has served more than 20 million

guests over the past 23 years. Designed by the famed John Portman, the

hotel is an iconic symbol of the Atlanta skyline and one of only two

Marriott properties to share the Marquis moniker -- the other being the New

York Marriott Marquis also designed by Portman.



    The hotel's new dining concepts include Sear, a signature restaurant

offering fire-inspired cuisine, High Velocity, a lively, tech-savvy sports

bar and Pulse -- a classically cool cocktail lounge located in the atrium

featuring a 50-foot color changing sail -- the new iconic symbol of the

Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The hotel provides guests with plenty of

opportunities to relax and unwind with an indoor/outdoor heated swimming

pool, a new 6,500-square-foot state-of-the-art Fitness Center and The Spa

at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, a spacious facility featuring seven

treatment rooms and a variety of beauty and wellness services.



    "This is a proud moment for our managers and all of our 800 associates

who make the Atlanta Marriott Marquis such an exceptional hotel," said

Erica Qualls, General Manager, Atlanta Marriott Marquis. "We hope that

former guests and new guests alike will come here and discover a completely

transformed hotel, and enjoy amenities that are unlike any they have

experienced in Atlanta."



    Additional event sponsors include Presenting Atlanta, AirTran Airways,

Jim Ellis Porsche, and the American Audio Visual Center.



    Located only 10 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International

Airport, the hotel is within close proximity to the Georgia World Congress

Center, Phillips Arena, Georgia Dome, Turner Field, World of Coca Cola, and

the Georgia Aquarium. For more information about the Atlanta Marriott

Marquis, please call 404.521.0000 or visit

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlmq-atlanta-marriott-marquis.



    Visit http://creativeservices.0catch.com/boilerplate/ for Marriott

International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MAR) company information.