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On this week’s All About Real Estate edition of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, our hosts Bryan Nonni and Todd Schnick catch up with Kevin Kobishop, general manager of Sheraton Atlanta and Chef Marc Suennemann of Fandangles restaurant, located at Sheraton Atlanta.
The downtown Atlanta area had seen a lot of growth in the past few years, and Sheraton is excited to be part of its continuing evolution. Located at 165 Courtland Street Northeast, just at the corner of Courtland and International Drive, the hotel is currently in the middle of a huge $20 million renovation that is scheduled for completion by the end of September. The renovation involves major changes to the interior of the hotel including new carpeting, new flooring, new drapes and the biggest facet of the renovation, a guest room expansion project. During this undertaking, the corners of both of the towers of the hotel are being extended to create 65 suites, which leads to the hotel having the largest suite to guest room ratio of any other hotel in Atlanta. This expansion will dramatically change the exterior appearance of the hotel.
All 763 of the interior guest rooms have also been renovated. This was a tremendous undertaking, which began in January. Changes to guest rooms include granite countertops, marble bathrooms, new carpeting, drapes and furnishing. These changes will ensure that Sheraton Atlanta has the freshest and newest hotel product in the city.
The decision to renovate a hotel of this size was not a decision that was made on a whim. Kevin Kobishop explains, “There are a lot of exciting things going on downtown now, so many new attractions, things to do and people coming back and living downtown. Restaurants are popping up every single day, it’s a happening place now so we certainly want to be on the cutting edge of that.”
In addition to enjoying new guest rooms and a sleek, modern exterior, guests will also have access to new and improved amenities while staying at the hotel. Sheraton Atlanta is a group hotel and it hosts numerous convention and meeting crowds year-round in its convention and meeting spaces, which have also received a facelift. The hotel also has the number two Trip Advisor restaurant in the entire city of Atlanta out of 3,300 restaurants called Fandangles. Guests will also have access to a 24-hour deli, the Collage restaurant that is open for breakfast and lunch and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The hotel also features a lovely Garden Courtyard, which features as stunning pool, a retractable dome and lush greenery.
During the second half of our Sheraton Atlanta interview, Chef Marc Suennemann of Fandangles restaurant at Sheraton Atlanta joined our hosts to discuss how Fandangles is changing the face of culinary excellence in Atlanta. Fandangles presents a stunning atmosphere for patrons choosing to dine there. One side of the restaurant is glass, providing guests with a picturesque Garden Courtyard view while enjoying the delicious food being served. Chef Marc explains the cuisine visitors can expect when visiting Fandangles. “It’s innovated Southern Cuisine with a European twist. We’ve taken all of the classic Southern dishes and put a little spin on them.” An example of the items on the menu at Fandangles is the braised short rib over parsnip mashed potatoes. Chef Marc also makes sure to source local ingredients for the dishes prepared at Fandangles. He adds, “All of our prime cuts and the short rib comes from Florence, Alabama. They are all-natural, antibiotic free and are 28-day aged.”
Atlanta continues to become a major competitor in food and cuisine. Achieving a number two ranking on Trip Advisor was a major accomplishment forFandangles. Chef Marc recalls that when he initially came to the hotel more than three years ago, the thought of achieving such a ranking was impossible. “When I first came to the Sheraton, everybody said it’s almost impossible to have such a ranking for a hotel restaurant. We looked at the whole menu and really put in a lot of thought. We wanted to speak to the people through our food and our service. It took about a year-and-a-half to move up, but we are striving to be the best, and here we are at number two.”Kevin adds that there is a trend for more local people to visit Fandangles for dinner, which really helps to transform it from being thought of as just a hotel restaurant.
With a new look and phenomenal food, Sheraton Atlanta is a stop both Atlanta residents and those visiting the city should make sure to check out.
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Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio’s “All About Real Estate” segment airs on Fridays and highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact 770-383-3360 or via the contact form on this site.
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