The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead To Be Rebranded as The Whitley

The Whitley is part of Marriott's The Luxury Collection.

The Whitley is part of Marriott’s The Luxury Collection.

The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead will soon have a new name.

Sign up now to get our Daily Breaking News Alerts

Opt out at anytime

Marriott International in partnership with Host Hotels & Resorts—a real estate investment trust company—will rebrand the hotel as The Whitley.

The news was announced in a press release Thursday.

“Marriott International and Host Hotels & Resorts have reached an agreement for The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead to become rebranded under independent operation as part of The Luxury Collection effective Dec. 1.”

The Whitley will join more than 100 hotels in the U.S., Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The hotel will be managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts.

“The team at the hotel is fully committed to a smooth transition over the next several months as the property continues to be managed under The Ritz-Carlton brand,” according to the release.

“Guests can rest assured that the hotel’s Ladies and Gentlemen will continue to provide the very best in guest and customer service.”

Plans last December were filed with Fulton County for a multi-million dollar transformation of the hotel’s Café and Lobby Lounge.

The renovations presumably are part of the rebranding efforts.

Representatives for The Whitley did not immediately return What Now Atlanta’s request for comment.

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

7 Responses

  1. I have stayed at the Ritz buckhead for the past 5 years 4 days out of each month. I stay on the club level and I can assure everyone it is the fabulous people that make the ritz a five star hotel. Yes decor is way past its time, but the heart and soul of the people make it well well worth it. Those incredible ritz ladies and gentleman have prayed for me during tough business and family situations. They have shared their lives and stories of celebration and sadness with me and I have shared the same with them. They have retrieved loss cell phones, loss documents, and have made my comforts almost as fine as my home. I can list each person by name but I don’t think that would be appropriate. These people all have been with the Ritz buckhead for 20 or more years and have performed their jobs with superior quality. Their souls connect with each guest and they are dedicated in making their guest very comfortable and their conversation comes from the heart. I can go on and on about other stories about the staff of the ritz buckhead but im hoping I have made my point. In conclusions it’s not about who has the trendiest room decor but what is the heart and soul of the staff. The heart and soul of the ritz buckhead staff is definitely 5-Star!

    1. Totally agree with Peter’s comments. The employees here, especially in the club lounge are the best. So friendly, so compassionate in good times and bad. I certainly hope they will be retained or I’ll go where they go!

  2. *What a shame for the Buckhead and Atlanta area. When Marriott bought the brand over a decade ago the impeccable service began to dwindle slowly. Not only did they do a tasteless face lift to the Grande lobby five years ago by making it a congested sitting area, like a train station, they refused to update the rooms accordingly.
    The Horst Shultz and W. B. Johnson tradition disappeared as Marriott attempted to operate the chain of Luxury Hotels as glorified Marriott’s.
    Changing the name to Whitley,an unknown Marriott brand, is a slap in the face for our community. Like Classic Coke, it probably preserves the” Ritz” identity as being a consistent brand that represents true quality.

    May God save the rest of them!

  3. I love the old Southern look of the lobby. Why does everyone insist on making hotels so modern??? The ladies and gentlemen of the Ritz Carlton make that hotel. I hope that they will keep the same staff.

  4. I am a Gold Elite Marriott member. I just tried to book a room at the new “Whitley” Marriott brand that was the Ritz-Carleton Buckhead in Atlanta and was told: (1) I can’t use my Marriott points; (2) If I stay there and pay I won’t get points from my stay on my Marriott Gold Elite account because technically it is part of the Starwood Chain–even though Starwood is owned by Marriott. Plus, the Ritz-Carleton chain was never part of Starwood in the first place. So, guess what? I’m not going to stay there. This is a hell of a way to run a hotel chain. It seems Marriott now has so many customers it now is intentionally trying to run them off! Worked on me, didn’t it?

  5. HATE modern, contemporary hotels. That’s why I love the Ritz (sorry, I just cannot call it “The Whitley.” Such a shame.) The lobby and lounge areas are richly appointed. Love the dark wood and traditional furnishings and fixtures. Just wish they would update the guest rooms and put exhaust fans in the bathrooms! At LEAST put updated t.v.’s in the rooms.

  6. OF MANY REASONS I LOVE RITZ CARLTON
    BUCKHEAD, AM SICK ABOUT THE CHANGE!
    Two quick reflections. To me this may be a deep
    Theme. YES, grand service abounds. Elegant.
    Deep view Ritz Carlton they host Memories, of Loved One’s. End here my Dad passed 18 years
    Ago. Guess What will never pass? Sitting lobby
    Lounge and Piano player, played my request my Dad’s FAVORITE SONG “ Misty “ Precious moments NEVER SHALL I FORGET!. RITZ
    HOSTED MEMORIES FOR ME…MY HEART!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Search