Guest blog post by Brett DeLoach – general manager for Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta and Sonesta ES Suites Gwinnett Place
When you think of Gwinnett County’s largest commercial core, you may not immediately think about the area for its hospitality, but it does attract a lot of people who come visit near and around Gwinnett Place. In fact, Gwinnett Place is home to 19 hotels with a total of 2,120 rooms. Annually, these hotels generate an estimated 542,000 room-nights, which corresponds to total room sales of $59 million and additional retail sales of almost $3 million. These visitors are estimated to spend another $67.7 million in the district and that’s big business.
I have been the general manager at the Sonesta and Sonesta ES Suites Gwinnett Place Atlanta since February, and I’m proud to be one of these hotels that contribute to the district’s hospitality revenue and spending. In fact, I work every day to ensure that our guests have a wonderful experience and that my staff has everything they need to accommodate visitors.
The Sonesta and Sonesta ES suites are unique from other hotels because of its location, services, amenities and it is two hotels under one roof. It is not only conveniently located right off I-85 on Pleasant Hill Road, but also is the largest hotels in Gwinnett County. We are a dual-branded, full-service and es property featuring 16,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, an indoor and outdoor pool, and a shuttle to and from some of the area’s most culturally diverse and lauded restaurants located within a three to five-mile radius. For added convenience, open seven days a week, our hotel’s own Grapevine offers breakfast and lunch options, and the ArtBar serves hand-crafted cocktails and dinner. We also encourage area businesses to utilize our meeting space for parties or events.
Our recent renovations include 81 newly remodeled ES suites equipped with a full kitchen. This new amenity offers an extra option for our guests who may be staying in the area longer than a few nights and gives them a place to call home.
There’s a variety of advantages when staying at the Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta, and my staff and I strive to display them for our guests. We also work on building relationships with businesses in the community to see how we can accommodate their visitors who choose to stay at the Sonesta and Sonesta ES Suites. This is one reason why I joined the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District Board of Directors in March. I believe the hotels should be involved in making the area a better place for those who choose to stay or do business. First impressions go a long way and if all businesses work together to make the area a better place, then we will continue to grow and gain more businesses and visitors–making Gwinnett Place an area known for its hospitality.
About Brett
Brett DeLoach is the general manager for Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta and Sonesta ES Suites Gwinnett Place. He handles all hotel operations, financial management, revenue generation and overall team structure for both properties. DeLoach is no stranger to the hotel industry and brings more than 20 years of industry experience to Sonesta in Gwinnett Place. His management career started at Embassy Suites Hotel in Jacksonville, FL, where he was the assistant manager and responsible for improving quality assurance, increasing loss prevention and overseeing operations for 277 suites. From there, DeLoach became the general manager for Hotel Indigo in Jacksonville and then moved to Atlanta, GA to become the general manager for DoubleTree by Hilton. There, his role focused on providing day-to-day leadership and operational management and spearheading the hiring and supervising of his executive team.