One sizable meeting facility that’s likely flown under the radar of many corporate and association planners is the Gas South Convention Center in Gwinnett, Ga., a northwestern suburb of Atlanta. The reason: The center did not have a headquarters hotel nearby.
However, that changed on March 18, when the 348-room Westin Atlanta Gwinnett made its debut. Developed in partnership with the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau, the hotel is connected to the convention center but also has 27,000 square feet of meeting space under its roof. There’s a 10,500-square-foot ballroom divisible by seven, a 4,900-square-foot ballroom divisible by four, four stand-alone breakout rooms, and a 5,000-square-foot prefunction area (see image).
For groups requiring more event space, the adjacent convention center has a 21,000-square-foot ballroom divisible by seven, 24 breakout spaces, a 407-seat theater, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, and a 90,000-square-foot exhibit hall divisible by four. And next door is a 13,000-seat arena that can be converted to host a theater-style session of 3,500 attendees.
In addition to group food-and-beverage capabilities, the Westin has a ground-floor restaurant named SweetSong Kitchen, serving Southern cuisine with Korean influences. And at the top of the nine-story building is an indoor-outdoor rooftop bar named Overstory (see image).
“Having a true headquarters hotel attached to the Gas South Convention Center positions us as a very strong competitor for large-scale regional and national conventions as well as corporate meetings,” said Stan Hall, CEO of the Gas South District.
Other hotels within a half-mile of the Westin and the convention center are Courtyard by Marriott, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn, and Residence Inn.
The Westin Atlanta Gwinnett is 36 miles from Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, a 50-minute drive.
