Atlanta’s The Georgian Terrace Celebrates 100 Years

To celebrate its 100^th anniversary this year, The Georgian Terrace has a line up of events fit for such a milestone that many in the industry would be envious to also tout. With its colorful history and continuing legacy in the city of Atlanta, the 500,000-square foot establishment is one of the few places left with many stories to tell from its rich past past as well as the present, since now it serves as a location for movie stars and filming.

Opened in October of 1911 in the heart of Atlanta (corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue), The Georgian Terrace was instantly given the nickname of Atlanta’s “Paris hotel” due to its French Renaissance style, courtesy of New York architect William L. Stoddart.

Now, the hotel has 288 suites, 32 standard rooms and six penthouse suites, separated from the rest with its own corridor, needing a penthouse room key to enter. It is one of the few still-standing arenas after the burning of Atlanta during the Civil War period.

“[The hotel has] a lot to be said about Atlanta and where it’s come from and where it is now, because it is certainly a cultural leader,” Vickie Sutherland, director of sales, told LA’s The Place. “Outstanding hospitality is still living on at the corner of Peachtree and Ponce.”

The Georgian Terrace was in danger of being torn down several times through its history but always survived, with different renovations, changes or additions, including the tower in 1990, housing the Georgian Terrace Apartments.

Upon entering the upscale location, guests are greeted with gorgeous decorations and higher than high ceilings. When it first opened, the entry was through the attached restaurant—Livingston Restaurant and Bar, a fine dining experience for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a fun happy hour. The patio area faces Atlanta’s other claim to fame, the Fox Theater. When the Fox opened in 1929, during the Metropolitan Opera performances, a red carpet was rolled across the street for cast to walk from theater to hotel in style.

Livingston’s menu consists of dishes like Chilled White Asparagus, Beef Short Ribs, Shrimp Ravioli, Lamb Chop and Filet Mignon. The restaurant is led by Executive Chef Zeb Stevenson.

The Georgian Terrace’s rooms are spectacular with the penthouse suites giving a great level of comfort and sense of home for those on the road. They contain two bedrooms, three bathrooms and a full kitchen, giving guests enough room for a family stay. A rooftop pool gives a great view of the entire Southern city, and the state-of-the-art fitness center allows for those interested to maintain an active lifestyle.

Through its history, The Georgian Terrace was a home away from home to many famous guests including Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Leslie Howard, Tallulah Bankhead, President Calvin Coolidge, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Enrico Caruso. That tradition has not stopped, as the hotel now sees modern stars like Betty White, George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, Paul Walker, Paul Wesley and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Minnie Driver shot a new TV show there, and with Georgia’s amazing tax incentives for filmmakers, it make sense that this list will keep growing.

“We get a lot of film crews since Georgia is very much so focused on tax incentives,” Sutherland explained. “We have film crews staying with us, and actors like Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman while filming ‘The Change Up’ and Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt stayed with us during filming of the TV movie ‘Lost Valentine.’ We also get a lot of cast and crew from Fox Theater.”

For the nearly year-long celebration of the 100^th anniversary, pieces of the history are used as backdrops for events, starting with the Thursday evening dance classes in May, paying homage to Arthur Murray‘s solo dance studio that opened in the hotel in 1919. Murray’s name is now synonymous with ballroom dancing, and studios are open across the country under his moniker.

June will find Georgia Public Broadcasting debuting its anniversary special of Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone with the Wind,” a novel and movie that have a vast history with The Georgian Terrace. In 1935, editor Harold Latham was given Mitchell’s transcript of the book—that would go on to outsell every book in the world, behind the Bible—in the Georgian Terrace lobby. The piece was so large that he had to buy another suitcase to take it back to New York with him.

After the book was a hit, the movie followed starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. It’s still one of the most acclaimed and money-making films of all time, and it was first shown in Atlanta’s Leow’s Grand Theater. This screening was followed by a reception in The Georgian Terrace with Hollywood royalty in attendance, including the cast and friends Laurence Olivier and Claudette Colbert.

The premiere of the special called “Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel” will be a black tie event honoring the legendary author on June 9.

Sutherland recalled a little-known fact about Mitchell: She and Hattie McDaniel (winner of Best Supporting Actress for “Gone with the Wind”) became friends from afar, writing to each other and encouraging the other in their careers, but they never met.

July will feature a tribute dinner for Alex Cooley, an Atlanta rock impresario and music promoter in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He established his Electric Ballroom in the hotel and worked with acts such as Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen and Kiss.

In August, Arthur Murray International will send an invitational for its dance students to visit the hotel for a weekend, and in October, the hotel will host its Top 100 Influential Atlantans gala. Honorees include native Georgians like Usher, Julia Roberts and important CEOs.

“There’s a lot of history about this hotel,” Sutherland explained. “It has been a part of a city that was trying to reclaim its glory, and it has, but it’s still missing a lot that a lot of other cities have because so much of its history was torn down. For a hotel like this to still be around for 100 years, is incredible.”

Much of the architecture is from the original building, but the rooms are being renovated to stay modern and contemporary. Nineteen have been redone and the rest will eventually get the same treatment.

A book on The Georgian Terrace’s lengthy history is in development, but in the meantime, it still hosts an array of everyday events, even when not celebrating an anniversary, including weddings and commitment ceremonies in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.

Sutherland said, “If [people] want a true sense of what the South is about and a true sense of the culture, just a true real picture of it, you can’t do better than The Georgian Terrace. It’s amazing to me.”