After announcing renovations to the public in September 2018, W Atlanta-Buckhead reveals new art-inspired updates. The Woodbine Legacy Investments (WLI) project – which began in May of last year – wrapped the first phase of construction. The next round of upgrade will resume in the latter half 2019. In a press release from the luxury giant, a creatively enhanced guest experience captures the spirit of Buckhead, with artworks by Atlanta locals embellishing hotel rooms and the revered Whiskey Blue rooftop bar. Continue below for additional details on the multi-million dollar renovation.
Courtesy of Jennifer Lawrence, W Atlanta-Buckhead
In 2018, the hotel celebrated 10 years of tenure as a W destination—making the renovation well-timed with that milestone moment. Taking cues from the city’s bent toward fashion, design and art, the renovation included an infusion of splashy artwork and murals throughout the hotel and at the rooftop bar, Whiskey Blue. Woodbine worked with its partners to source local talent both to enliven the guest experience and strengthen the connection to the community, specifically the Buckhead neighborhood and the city of Atlanta.
- Guest Room Art by Lela Brunet: Lela Brunet’s prints add pops of vibrancy to each of the updated guest rooms. An artist, muralist, designer and native Georgian whose work has been showcased across Atlanta, Brunet is known for her compositions that contrast soft female figures with energetic patterns and collisions of color and texture. Her contemporary, striking style made her work a perfect complement to the renovated guest rooms of the fashion-forward W Atlanta-Buckhead.
- Pool Deck Mural by Greg Mike: Greg Mike’s mural adds a compelling backdrop and splash of color to the hotel’s rooftop pool deck. Mike is celebrated for his surrealist, pop-art-inspired work that focuses on the playful world of cartoons—often in juxtaposition to the serenity of the surrounding nature. A street artist and muralist, Mike is known locally for his Larry Loudmouf character, an Atlanta icon that can be found throughout the city—through which Mike shares thoughts and sayings inspired by local residents. His outdoor mural brings a splash of the bold, urban aesthetic up to the hotel’s pool deck.
- Living Room Mural by Chris Veal: A native Georgian and one of Atlanta’s most recognizable muralists, Chris Veal was commissioned to create a mural in the W Atlanta-Buckhead Living Room—a backdrop against which guests can capture “Instagrammable moments” with their own phones as well as the W photobooth camera. Veal began painting in the early 2000s and has become a voice for Atlanta through his thoughtful commentary and eye-catching art, earning both local and national acclaim. To reflect the upscale nature of the hotel, the fashion-minded of Buckhead and the Southern charm of Atlanta, Veal integrated a bow tie among the mural’s elements. Images taken in front of the mural will be looped to the hotel’s Instagram account and displayed on an adjacent Polaroid-style screen—creating a real-time art experience that highlights the mural and people’s interactions with it and each other.
- Whiskey Blue Mural by Chris Veal: Veal was also hired to design a statement mural for the 66-foot-long walkway that leads to Whiskey Blue, the W Atlanta-Buckhead’s award-winning rooftop bar. His retro, pop-inspired work brings a fresh, modern twist to the newly renovated Whiskey Blue and is an important reflection of the ever-evolving Buckhead neighborhood.
