Downtown Atlanta hotel to be rebranded to historic name, midcentury styling

Now a DoubleTree, the hotel will become “The American” in homage to its first life as the Americana Motor Hotel.

By Michael Kahn Oct 4, 2017, 10:15am EDT

A boxy mid-century motor hotel. — How the hotel looked when it was first built; while the interiors and name will evoke its origins, the postmodern facade from the 1980s will remain unchanged.

What’s old is slated to be new again as a dated downtown hotel undergoes changes to make it a blast from the past.

The DoubleTree Hotel—which fills the pentagonal block bounded by Williams Street, Andrew Young International Boulevard, Ted Turner Drive, and Carnegie Way—will soon become “The American” hotel.

According to Tomorrow’s News Today and room images on the hotel’s website (which is still flagged as a DoubleTree), the decor of the renovated hotel will trend toward a modern take on midcentury styling. Features such as fluorescent Igloo refrigerators and vintage pictures are included in the guest rooms, while by the pool a repurposed Airstream will serve as a restaurant.

The retro styling and name pay homage to the hotel’s first life.

Originally opened as the Americana Motor Hotel in 1962, the property was reportedly the first integrated lodging option in Atlanta. Even more interesting: The hotel is cited as being the linchpin in the decision of the Braves to relocate to Atlanta, as MLB required cities to have an integrated accommodation for traveling teams, according to the Saporta Report.

However, while the rebranding hearkens back to the hotel’s surprisingly midcentury origins, the building’s original facade isn’t likely to reemerge.

There are currently no plans to remove the postmodern facade added nearly 20 years ago to transform the then-ugly duckling “into a swan,” as one journalist put it.

While the new sign has been added to the canopy on the hotel, it has yet to be unwrapped. Expect to see the unveiling later this month.