New Courtyard by Marriott/Atlas Life Building Ready to Open

[TheLofts@120]

Everyone, the day has finally arrived...the New Courtyard by Marriott is set to open in downtown's historically renovated Atlas Life Building this Friday, June 4th!  Reservations are now being accepted online through Marriott or you can call 918-508-7400. 

Having watched this adaptive reuse project from beginning to end, I can tell you that you will be impressed.  The second floor will have check-in and a restaurant/bar as well as a Starbucks serving your favorite lattes and confections.  Everyone is encouraged to stop in and enjoy your favorite beverage overlooking Boston Avenue, mingle with friends and guests. 

Those that want a getaway with nostalgia should book the Atlas Suite on the historical seventh floor.  It overlooks Boston Avenue and the famous Atlas neon sign, has two bedrooms, dining and living room...a must see and stay.  The seventh floor has also retained the original doors, hallway marble and treatments.

SJS Hospitality has done a fantastic job bringing new life to this treasured building, check it out.

[hello]

Oh yeah is it a real Starbucks? I was really upset that the one in Crowne closed.

[Rico]

Oh yeah is it a real Starbucks? I was really upset that the one in Crowne closed.

psssst... I understand there is a test kit that you can get on line for about $10.
You drop some of the powder expresso grind in a liquid and if it turns the color of money it's a real Starbucks.

[TheTed]

There's a perfectly good local coffee shop, Topeca, downtown.

[hello]

Yes. Starbucks carries other drinks besides coffee. Drinks that Topeca doesn't have. If they did I would go there but for now I choose to give my money to a soulless non local company in order to get my fix. 

[sgrizzle]

Yes. Starbucks carries other drinks besides coffee. Drinks that Topeca doesn't have. If they did I would go there but for now I choose to give my money to a soulless non local company in order to get my fix. 

Last time I was at Topeca they had sodas, hot chocolate, etc. The only thing they didn't have that Starbucks does is tea as far as I can remember.

[Conan71]

Last time I was at Topeca they had sodas, hot chocolate, etc. The only thing they didn't have that Starbucks does is tea as far as I can remember.

I had an iced chai tea last time I was there... so that's available as well.  Their food is very good too.

[hello]

Their food is very good. As for drinks I have tried their iced green tea and Italian sodas and have had to throw both away after a couple sips because they were not good. So I'm going to go ahead and stick with Starbucks for my green tea fraps.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

It looks like a new coffee shop is opening soon where Kokoa Kabana used to be (507 S Boston Ave).

[TheTed]

It looks like a new coffee shop is opening soon where Kokoa Kabana used to be (507 S Boston Ave).

Mod's Coffee and Crepes.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tulsa-OK/Mods-Coffee-Crepes/113831385320195

[TheLofts@120]

Well, after three long but well worth it years since the start of this endeavour, the Atlas will open its doors today as the new Courtyard by Marriott starting at 3:00PM for hotel guests and anyone curious to see the new hotel.  I know SJS Hospitality, under the leadership of Jeff Hartman, Steve and Spike Earhardt, has managed to restore one of Tulsa's precious downtown jewels and turn it into a fantastic new hotel that will further encourage continued success in downtown redevelopment and expansion of our entertainment and convention business.

We pursued this deal with a vigor and can only wish the best for our friends at SJS Hospitality, as it launches its flagship hotel.  For more information, please see the Tulsa World article published today or stop by and see it for yourselves.  I know I will be enjoying a drink and a bite on the second floor at 3:00...come on down!

Downtown Marriott hotel gets ready
by: ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Friday, June 04, 2010
6/4/2010 3:56:25 AM

The iconic Atlas Life sign now has another just below it — the Courtyard by Marriott logo, vertically oriented like its older neighbor.

This latest addition to the Atlas Life Building, 415 S. Boston Ave., is a clear indication that the former office high-rise will officially become downtown's newest hotel Friday.

Brittany Sawyer, a spokeswoman for SJS Hospitality, the owner and operator of the hotel, said the final days of the $15 million conversion went smoothly.

Part of that was due to the experience gained by Jeff Hartman, the operating partner of SJS Hospitality, who has opened other hotels in the Tulsa area.

Still, this one feels different.

"Jeff Hartman said he's used to opening a lot of hotels in his life, but this hotel personally is the pinnacle of his success," Sawyer said.

The 119-room hotel features a second-floor lobby with a bistro and social areas, plus special suites on the "historic" seventh floor.

Courtyard by Marriott will welcome the first customers seeking reservations at 3 p.m. Friday.

Although Sawyer said the first customer who reserves a room will receive special recognition and a prize, the opening will be relatively low-key.

"It'll be a soft opening, which is pretty typical for the hospitality industry," she said. "This gives the staff time to get comfortable in their positions."

The grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 19, with a 1920s-style gala featuring big band and jazz music to celebrate the building's heritage.

Although most of the 12 floors have been converted to guest rooms, SJS worked to keep as many of the original furnishings as possible.

The seventh floor, which had the fewest modifications over the years and was kept close to the original design, has been designated the historic floor.

The second floor, in contrast, received major modifications as it was transformed into the hotel's lobby. It now features the Goboard, a 52-inch touchscreen monitor that can display Tulsa events and other information, a bistro and bar serving breakfast and dinner, a theater, a library, a business center and plenty of space for socializing.

Sawyer said the bar would soon serve a special-label Atlas Life wine — a collaboration between SJS Hospitality and Chris Girouard of the local Girouard Vineyards — as well as other drinks and cocktails.

Rates at the hotel will range from $139 to $169 a night. A 1,200-square-foot suite on the seventh floor will go for $499 per night.

Three of the Atlas Life Building's longtime first-floor tenants — the Tulsa Press Club, the Atlas Grill and the Courtyard Deli — remain open.

The Press Club is getting new carpeting, paint, window treatments and decor with the help of SJS and large private donations, club President Andrea Myers said. The renovations should be finished by mid-July, she said.

The Tulsa Historical Society is also opening a store in the building. Sara Younger, the store's manager, said it would offer Oklahoma and Tulsa memorabilia such as videos, books, pictures and more, as well as T-shirts, tote bags and mugs specific to the Atlas Life Building.

Younger said the store should be open by Friday.

Sawyer said SJS was seeking additional first-floor tenants who will be able to serve the public as well as hotel guests; she mentioned the possibility of a day spa.

Most of the first-floor lobby, as well as the exterior, is unchanged, although SJS has added an additional front entrance with automatic doors as well as furniture and tables in the lobby.

The 1922 building was mostly devoted to office use until Maurice Kanbar, an inventor and philanthropist who owns several downtown Tulsa buildings through his San Francisco company Kanbar Properties, sold Atlas to SJS in 2008.

SJS, which operates three other hotels in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, immediately announced plans to convert the building into a hotel.

[SXSW]

This is a great addition to Boston Ave.