The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta has made a switch to
the Luxury Collection brand.
The 507-room hotel is now called the Whitley, a Luxury
Collection Hotel, Atlanta Buckhead, in honor of one of the Buckhead district's settlers.
According to local legend, John Whitley, a settler in the
1830s, shot a deer and put its head on a post in a prominent location in the
settlement. The area became colloquially known as Buckhead, a name that stuck.
The Whitley has updated its restaurant, bar and ballroom,
and is slated to renovate guestrooms and other public spaces. The property has
56 suites, some as large as 1,800 square feet.
The hotel opened in 1984 and was one of the earliest
Ritz-Carlton hotels -- the luxury hotel company was formed in 1983.
Marriott International owns both the Ritz-Carlton and Luxury
Collection brands.
Ritz-Carlton continues to operate a hotel in downtown Atlanta.