Marriott International will be the operator for the two new convention hotels at the Georgia International Convention Center in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, according to the venue. In addition, the new Automated People Mover linking the GICC with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport could begin service as early as November 2009, ahead of the 2010 openings for the hotels. Together, the developments promise to significantly raise GICC's accessibility and convenience for attendees.
Located at the Gateway Center mixed-use development next to the GICC, a 150-room secondary property will raise the SpringHill Suites flag in spring 2010,while the 400-room headquarters hotel, opening later that summer, will carry the Marriott marquee. They will solve the GICC's lack of on-site lodging since the convention center debuted in 2003. Currently, there are several airport properties about a mile away serving the facility.
"This is generating a buzz from planners, and we've got a campaign out communicating with our clients about the hotels and [APM] project," said Hugh Austin, GICC's executive director. "We feel by being directly connected to the world's busiest airport, we will truly become a destination facility for the international market." Austin said the venue will be keying on the Central and South American markets.
Marketing director Andria Towne said the GICC will be the U.S.'s first convention center with a physical airport connection.
The hotels and APM line should make conventions much more appealing, raising convenience and cutting ground transportation costs to and from Hartsfield-Jackson despite it being just one-mile from GICC. Instead of shuttling on buses or taking cabs, convention-goers can take the three-station, elevated transit line that traverses I-85.
It is expected that attendees from the Central Terminal Passenger Complex station at Hartsfield-Jackson will reach the Gateway Center stop at the door of GICC in under three minutes, before the APM chugs on to a new 1.4-million-sf car rental facility. Two-car APM trains are expected to arrive at each station every 2.5 minutes.
Meanwhile, other Phase I portions of Gateway Center are proceeding, with the first retail outlets, restaurants, and office building to be in place in 2009.
Originally published Sept. 22, 2008