Georgia Connector Magazine Spring 2012 : Page 33
UGA’s Hotel Serves More Than Travelers Conventioneers, Wedding Parties and a Famous Mascot are Welcome, Too t’s a fall Friday before a big football game in Athens. A celebrity en-ters the posh hotel suite bearing his name. A quick tour reveals no cats, Gators, or other abnormalities, so the English bulldog curls up for a nap in his usual spot: the bathtub. The amenity-packed, Bulldog-inspired Uga Suite is available year-round for two-legged guests, except for home-game weekends. Then, it’s reserved for “Russ,” the latest in the lineage of famous Bulldog mascots. He’s accompanied by his masters, Savannah’s Seiler family. So, you never heard about the Uga Suite? Here’s another Athens “secret”: The University of Georgia has a hotel on campus that’s open to the public for lodging, dining, meetings, weddings, and conventions. UGA’s Hotel and Conference Center on South Lumpkin Street, across from the Stegeman Coliseum, has 200 rooms, including 11 suites. Guests will find a lot to like about the hotel, such as ultra-clean and richly appointed rooms, friendly service, and outstanding cuisine. Locals often stop by the hotel’s lobby for Starbucks coffee at Georgia Java, lunch at the Courtyard Café, gourmet meals at the Savannah Room, or a nightcap at the Dawg House Lounge. Under the direction of Chef Sam Lorenson, UGA’s Hotel has quietly built a reputation for fine dining at reasonable prices. “Sam oversees menu plan-ning and food preparation not only for our restaurants, but also for hun-dreds of banquet and catering events. We continually receive accolades for I the exceptional quality, variety and value of the dining experience,” says Bill Bradberry, general manager. “We’re one of the region’s top facilities for business meetings and wed-dings,” he adds. Event planners can select from an unusually diverse range of meeting spaces available. Areas include 20 conference rooms, ballroom and banquet areas, two auditoriums, three executive boardrooms and a computer lab. Local businesses, associations and university-affiliated groups frequent the meeting facilities. Georgia Bikes, for example, held its meeting for 120 members last fall. Brent Buice, executive director, gave high marks. “Our event manager was extremely helpful, and the event ran smoothly. It was a huge success, and everyone loved the facility.” For details, visit ugahotel.com . Join us at UGA for the 2012 Administrative Professionals Day ® Conference. Improve your job skills, and put your career in high gear with practical tips, interesting activities and new opportunities. Contact us at UGA GetSmart.com s,EARNH ow to increase your productivity by refocusing skills s)MPROVEPERFORMANCEFORAWINNINGPARTNERSHIPWITHYOURBOSS s.ETWORKWITHCOLLE agues and professional experts s'AINAWEALTHOFNEWSTR ategies and solutions to use every day s2ECHARGEYOURSPIRITANDREFRESHYOURPROFESSIONAL skills UGA Gwinnett Campus Session Tuesday, April 24, 2012 UGA Athens Campus Session Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Spr ing 2012 w w w . G eorg ia C o n n ec tor . c om 33
UGA’s Hotel Serves More Than Travelers
Conventioneers, Wedding Parties and a Famous Mascot are Welcome, Too<br /> <br /> It’s a fall Friday before a big football game in Athens. A celebrity enters the posh hotel suite bearing his name. A quick tour reveals no cats, Gators, or other abnormalities, so the English bulldog curls up for a nap in his usual spot: the bathtub.<br /> <br /> The amenity-packed, Bulldog-inspired Uga Suite is available year-round for two-legged guests, except for home-game weekends. Then, it’s reserved for “Russ,” the latest in the lineage of famous Bulldog mascots. He’s accompanied by his masters, Savannah’s Seiler family.<br /> <br /> So, you never heard about the Uga Suite? Here’s another Athens “secret”: The University of Georgia has a hotel on campus that’s open to the public for lodging, dining, meetings, weddings, and conventions. UGA’s Hotel and Conference Center on South Lumpkin Street, across from the Stegeman Coliseum, has 200 rooms, including 11 suites.<br /> <br /> Guests will find a lot to like about the hotel, such as ultra-clean and richly appointed rooms, friendly service, and outstanding cuisine. Locals often stop by the hotel’s lobby for Starbucks coffee at Georgia Java, lunch at the Courtyard Café, gourmet meals at the Savannah Room, or a nightcap at the Dawg House Lounge.<br /> <br /> Under the direction of Chef Sam Lorenson, UGA’s Hotel has quietly built a reputation for fine dining at reasonable prices. “Sam oversees menu planning and food preparation not only for our restaurants, but also for hundreds of banquet and catering events. We continually receive accolades for the exceptional quality, variety and value of the dining experience,” says Bill Bradberry, general manager.<br /> <br /> “We’re one of the region’s top facilities for business meetings and weddings,” he adds. Event planners can select from an unusually diverse range of meeting spaces available. Areas include 20 conference rooms, ballroom and banquet areas, two auditoriums, three executive boardrooms and a computer lab.<br /> <br /> Local businesses, associations and university-affiliated groups frequent the meeting facilities. Georgia Bikes, for example, held its meeting for 120 members last fall. Brent Buice, executive director, gave high marks. “Our event manager was extremely helpful, and the event ran smoothly. It was a huge success, and everyone loved the facility.”<br /> <br /> For details, visit ugahotel.com.