This blurb was tacked on to the end of the Focus’ downtown development update in the September issue and I’ve been waiting with bated breath to see what becomes of it…

The Marriott Courtyard appears to be close to a deal for a new restaurant in a long-shuttered space located on the southeast corner of the hotel to the left of the main entrance. The space has a beautiful outdoor patio area and a restaurant will bring some much-needed energy to this part of downtown Decatur.

But nothing yet!

There’s a new-ish sign out in front of the recently renovated Courtyard by Marriott on Clairemont Ave, announcing that they’re looking for a new tenant in the restaurant space.  It seems like a locally-owned restaurant in this space would be another great addition to this strip of Clairemont and it would certainly have the additional benefit of being an easy option for visitors to the city.  It’ll be interesting to see who sets up shop here!

And by “look”, I mean it in the singular.

You may or may not recall that Decatur’s old-is-new-again Courtyard By Marriott reopened to the public today.   Scott snapped this photo for you armchair hotel interior enthusiasts.

Dun, dun, dun.  Dun, dun, dun, dun dun dun…and so on.

It looks like the Decatur half of the AsianCajuns covert-ops-ed it into the soon-to-be Courtyard by Marriott on Clairemont Ave and took some pics of the under-reno interiors!

CLICK over to the Visit Decatur blog to see all of her stealth photos and marvel at how she took pictures of lots of people who obviously had no clue she was there! (I’m pretty sure she was hanging from a zip-line when she took the above pic.)

Dan nah nah…dan nah naaaah.  Dan nah nah, Dan NAH!

Decatur’s Linda Harris sends along this press release…

Noble acquires the former Holiday Inn Atlanta Decatur Hotel and Conference Center

184-room hotel to undergo a comprehensive redevelopment and be rebranded as a Courtyard by Marriott

ATLANTA, Ga.-May 24, 2011- Privately held Noble Investment Group (“Noble”), today announced the acquisition of the former Holiday Inn Decatur Hotel and Conference Center in the heart of downtown historic Decatur, Georgia. Located within close proximity to the 631-acre Emory University campus, Emory HealthCare, and the Center for Disease Control, the hotel boasts 184 rooms and suites as well as 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space in the adjoining Decatur Conference Center. Noble will immediately begin a comprehensive redevelopment plan and upon completion, will convert the property to the Courtyard by Marriott brand.

“We are excited to source this off-market opportunity in a high barrier to entry market with strong and diverse demand generators,” said Rodney Williams, Noble’s chief investment officer and a managing principal. ”Noble’s ability to physically enhance, reposition, and rebrand the asset, will enable us to maximize operating performance and add substantial value to this investment.”

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