ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwire – August 25, 2010) –  The Westin Peachtree Plaza marked the next milestone of the hotel’s window restoration on Wednesday, August 18, with the grand re-opening of the Scenic Elevators, which carry guests from the hotel’s fifth floor lobby to the city’s original tri-level entertainment complex: The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View. The elevators provide an unrivaled perspective of the city on the 78-second ride from the lobby of the hotel to The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View on the 72^nd floor.

The event included an exhibition by Denise Jackson of Emerging Art Scene, and benefitted the Atlanta Food Bank. Guests were treated to unparalleled views of the city, punctuated by a beautiful sunset late in the evening. 

“We’re very excited to re-open the Scenic Elevators to our hotel guests and visitors,” said Ed Walls, general manager of the Westin Peachtree Plaza. “Atlantans and visitors to our city can once again take in breathtaking vistas of Atlanta and its landmarks.”

The Westin Peachtree Plaza, a Starwood Hotel, is expected to complete the window renovations in October which have been ongoing since a tornado ripped through part of downtown Atlanta with the Westin in its path. The grand re-opening in October will also highlight the addition of 65,000 square feet of meeting space accessible through a seventh story bridge connecting the hotel to 200 Peachtree, in the former Macy’s space.

Skanska USA Building is leading the replacement of all 6,350 windows on this John Portman-designed, landmark hotel, which started in August. Hotel management is thrilled to report that the renovation has been seamless, with no complaints, no interruptions and no noise problems. This is the largest hotel window replacement project in the Western Hemisphere with the goal of bringing the building’s exterior up to today’s standards.