Hotels are always trying to stay a step ahead of the competition, but the folks at the new Rosewood in Buckhead think they're taking a giant leap forward with one of their amenities.

The flat panel TVs in the 127-room hotel are hidden behind framed pictures that electronically roll up to reveal the screen at the touch of a remote control.

It's a feature that can be found in some of Atlanta's high-end homes but is making its debut in local lodging accommodations.

"They will be the first to have our product in a hotel on a large scale," said Dave Froerer, vice president of Vision Art, the California company that is installing the hideaway-TV pictures. "It's new technology. It's cool. It has that 'wow' factor."

The Rosewood is the latest entrant in Atlanta's ultra-luxury hotel offerings. The lodger, which opened last week, hopes to attract well-heeled guests who shop at Phipps Plaza and dine at Chops/Lobster Bar and Bacchanalia.

Keeping up with the latest trends is important to the bottom line for hotels. When Westin introduced its heavenly beds, competitors quickly threw out their brightly-colored quilted bedspreads for high-thread count duvets and down comforters to keep up. As high speed wireless computers became commonplace in American homes, they also did so in hotels.

Lately, most hotels have been busily trading out their bulky cathode-ray TVs for the sleek, more modern plasmas and LCDs. That means getting rid of armoires and sitting the TVs on desks.

But the Rosewood wanted to go a step further, said Luigi Romaniello, managing director of the hotel. In an effort to appeal to customers who want their hotel to resemble their luxury homes, covering TVs with art was very important.

"We will have the most beautifully designed rooms in Atlanta," he said.

The TVs work like all others when turned on by remote control. After hitting the on button, the art work rolls up and away from the 37-inch LCD TV. When the TV is turned off, the artwork slowly rolls back down and fills the "Venetian traditional" frame.

VisionArt costs between $4,000 and $15,000 and can fit screens from 16 inches to 140 inches, Froerer said. The average price is around $7,500.

The artwork is original, done be artists like Georgeana Ireland, whose "Avalon" is one of three pieces that will cover the Rosewood TVs. The pictures are of digital images of the original paintings.

"The quality , the dimension, the depth is absolutely incredible," Froerer said.