How Atlanta said goodbye to the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead

Photo: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Photo: Jennifer Brett

As of today Buckhead has a glamorous new hotel at the corner of Lenox and Peachtree roads.

The Whitley, a Luxury Collection Hotel, a 507-room property that includes 56 luxury suites, a new Legacy Ballroom and renovated bar and restaurant area, pays homage to Buckhead's founder of lore, John Whitley. The farmer and landowner shot and dressed a deer in the mid 1800s and mounted its head on a post, tagging the community forever more.

The Whitley is part of the Marriott portfolio as was its predecessor, the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, which presided for more than 30 years. Here's how Atlanta marked the transition.