ATLANTA-
Hotels in the city have seen a more steady flow of guests since the opening of the Georgia Aquarium.
Aquarium officials reported some 3.6 million visitors during its first year of operation. The aquarium just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and its success has helped nearby downtown businesses.
“No one anticipated the level of success that the aquarium has brought to downtown,” Lauren Jarrell, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It brought more visitors downtown, filled our hotel rooms and gave investors a reason to believe that the climate is ripe to move their investment into the market.”
Mike Sullivan, spokesman for the Omni Hotel at CNN, said the hotel has been surprised by the number of aquarium packages it has sold.
“We thought we would see a lot of activity in the summertime when schools were out, but we sold close to 200 packages a month year-round,” Sullivan said.
As of October, more than 2,000 individuals and families have spent $240 to $290 for an Omni deal that includes tickets to the aquarium, an overnight stay at the nearby hotel, breakfast and aquarium-related goodies.
The aquarium’s success also is helping fast-track $2.5 billion in new investment in downtown Atlanta, which includes hotels, residential units and retail, said A.J. Robinson, president of the downtown business group Central Atlanta Progress.
