The hotel broke ground Oct. 8, 2003 and was built at a hardconstruction cost of about $272,511 per room. "This flagshipproperty will bring the international flair of InterContinental tothe city of Atlanta and to the Buckhead business community," saysSteve Porter, president, InterContinental Hotels Group, theAmericas division which is based in Atlanta.

Porter says the hotel will house the first US location ofParis-based Au Pied de Cochon, a 24-hour restaurant that will beflying in oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster and stone crabsdaily from world markets. "This hotel adds a new dimension to theBuckhead community," says Buckhead Atlanta general manager RonenNissenbaum who has managed InterContinental properties in Paris andTel Aviv.

The hotel has 31,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space; a25,000-sf Windsor Garden; and a 12,000-sf Windsor Ballroom, thelargest in Buckhead. Buckhead Atlanta was developed forInterContinental by the Hogan Group; designed by Thompson,Ventulett, Stainback and Associates; and built by HardinConstruction. Zabrowski Design Group handled interior design.