A spokesman for Atlanta-based Lodgian, which owns the property, declined to disclose the cost of the restoration except to say it "was a multimillion-dollar investment." In a statement, Ed Rohling, Lodgian's president and CEO, says, "this was a complete makeover of every aspect of the hotel, from the concrete up."

The restoration encompassed all guestrooms, public areas and landscaping along with new energy-efficient HVAC, piping and fire alarm systems. "While we can't guarantee that we won't suffer any future damage during a hurricane," Rohling says, "at this point we feel very good about the hotel's ability to withstand major storms."

During the restoration, the owner reconfigured catering space to provide additional flexibility for social and small meetings. It now contains 12,000 sf of meeting and function space ranging from boardrooms to the ballroom, which has a 650-person capacity. "We…plan to aggressively build our meeting business," says Margaret Leon, general manager.

Lodgian, an independent owner and operator, has a portfolio of 78 full-service hotels in 29 states and Canada with an aggregate of 14,120 rooms. Of the total, 49 are InterContinental Hotels Group brands, which include Crowne Plaza and the three Holiday Inn flags; 16 are Marriott brands, 11 are affiliated with other national hospitality franchises, including Hilton and Carlson, and two are unbranded.