Machine, Lionshead Buy Atlanta Hospitality Asset
This property is one of the largest hotels serving the city's airport market.
A joint venture between Machine Investment Group and Lionshead Capital Partners has acquired Atlanta Airport Marriott, a 641-key, full-service hotel in Atlanta. Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System sold the asset, according to Fulton County public records.
The public pension fund had owned the asset since 1987, when it paid $58.9 million for it, the same source shows. In 2023, PSERS initiated the sale of its real estate portfolio, worth $1.4 billion. Atlanta Airport Marriott, its largest property, was valued at $82 million at the time, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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This is Lionshead’s largest acquisition to date. Hodges Ward Elliott Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder William Hodges and Senior Vice President Michael Tormey arranged the transaction.
The new owners plan a comprehensive improvement and renovation strategy intended to strengthen the asset’s competitive position as one of the largest hotels serving Atlanta’s airport market. White Label Asset Management will serve as property manager going forward.
Atlanta hotel set for major upgrades
Rising 16 stories at 4711 Best Road, the 1980-built Atlanta Airport Marriott includes a mix of guestrooms and suites. Amenities consist of 30,178 square feet of indoor meeting spaces that includes a 9,928-square-foot ballroom, alongside an indoor and outdoor swimming pool complex, a fitness center, six pickleball courts, five dining options and a complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.
The capital improvement program will target nearly every component of the hotel, such as the exterior facade, arrival areas, meeting and event facilities, food and beverage venues, technology infrastructure and guestrooms. The rooms were previously upgraded in 2017.
The 16-acre property is 12 miles from the city center, adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the metro’s top economic drivers. The airport is currently undergoing an $11.5 billion expansion program consisting of terminal upgrades, the addition of a new lounge and parking decks, as well as other renovations aimed at increasing service capacity for larger jets.
Upcoming events to support Atlanta’s hotel demand
Atlanta’s hospitality market continues to benefit from its strong convention activity and a growing pipeline of major events, according to a recent Colliers report. While the first-quarter RevPAR posted a 3.1 percent year-over-year decline, the metro’s long-term hotel demand was expected to be further supported by the eight matches it hosts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Super Bowl.
However, the level of occupancy generated by the World Cup remained below expectations, hovering at or below 60 percent as of last week, according to WSB-TV Atlanta. Nonetheless, local industry experts hope the event will still help attract future conventions and business in the following years.
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