Here's a look at new Atlanta hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this spring. The new and renovated Atlanta venues are available for conferences, meetings, corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, and more.
BeetleCat, chef and restaurateur Ford Fry's 10th restaurant, opened in Inman Park in January. The two-floor cocktail lounge, which is named after a wooden sailboat, is inspired by 1970s and '80s East Coast beach style and boasts paneled walls, yacht flooring, and surf-inspired design elements. The restaurant has a Thai- and Vietnamese-influenced seafood menu and serves oceanfront bar-inspired cocktails. The 5,788-square-foot space seats 298 and is available for full buyouts of 70 seated upstairs and 24 downstairs.
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown opened in December. The 200-room hotel offers 2,500 square feet of meeting space with three rooms—Portman, Andrew, and Peachtree—that are named after the streets the rooms face. Its restaurant, JP Atlanta, serves American cuisine and craft cocktails.
Noted Atlanta architect John C. Portman Jr. opened JP Atlanta inside Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown in December. The sleek-looking eatery offers European-inspired American cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night eats. The space has a 2,500-square-foot lounge and bar that seats 68 and a 2,500-square-foot dining room that seats 130 or holds 152 for receptions. For private events, the restaurant has two private dining rooms that seat 10 and 12, respectively, as well as an event team that can handle decor and audiovisual equipment.
American eatery the Mercury opened on the second floor of Ponce City Market's Central Food Hall in January. Inspired by mid-20th-century American culture, the venue serves classic American fare—highlighted by chops and steaks—from executive chef Mike Blydenstein and a full-service bar program curated by beverage director Julian Goglia. The 4,400-square-foot space seats 200 and offers large group reservations and private dining options.
Restaurateur Justin Anthony's Biltong Bar opened at Ponce City Market in February. The South African-inspired restaurant features an assortment of dried meats—which are also part of the space's decor—as well as savory pies, bar snacks, craft beer, and South African fruit sodas. The 1,200-square-foot space seats 32 or holds 75 for receptions.
The 160-room Hotel Indigo Atlanta-Vinings, located 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta, opened in November. For meetings and events, the hotel has two options: a 1,891-square-foot ballroom that holds 175 theater-style or for receptions, and a 580-square-foot meeting room that seats 15 conference-style, 30 banquet-style, and 40 theater-style. Its restaurant, the Public House, serves Southern comfort food and craft beers.
The Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta NE/Duluth Sugarloaf is slated to open in April. Located near the Sugarloaf Mills Mall and Infinite Energy Center, the 115-room hotel will have an indoor pool, a touch-screen GoBoard, and a restaurant that serves breakfast, dinner, and cocktails. For meetings, the hotel has catering menus and an 853-square-foot room that seats 100 theater-style, 80 for banquet-style, or 40 classroom-style.
Private event space 11th Frame opened at Midtown Bowl in August. The 600-square-foot venue has a full bar, catering options, and a media package that includes four flat-screen TVs, an audiovisual sound system, and a wireless microphone. The venue has its own event team but welcomes outside planners, designers, and caterers for events such as adult birthday parties, corporate meetings, office parties, and game-day screenings. The space seats 75 or holds 100 for receptions.
Members-only city club the Gathering Spot debuted in January. The venue serves as an event space and an alternative work and social space and features the full-service Wye Restaurant and Bar. The 3,700-square-foot space seats 200 or holds 400 for receptions and is available for buyouts.
Multiuse co-working space and event venue Elevator Factory opened in Grant Park in January. The 6,000-square-foot member-based venue, which has free Wi-Fi and coffee from Octane next door, is available for event rental and offers spaces for everything from yoga classes to writers' workshops. The largest space, a 1,500-square-foot area called the Commons, holds 102 for receptions or seats 75 guests. There is also a bar called Container Bar.
