For football weekends or Athens explorations in general, boutique accommodations in the Classic City just got a little cooler. 

Following a two-year renovation, a commercial building at 183 West Clayton St. has been reborn as The Bell Hotel, an elegantly hip property being marketed as a “historic jewel” and celebration of art, architecture, and “timeless sophistication” in the heart of downtown. The project’s grand opening was held Tuesday. 

The three-story building, situated about a block from University of Georgia’s campus, was constructed in 1916 to house advanced telephone equipment for the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co. (thus, the hotel name). The telephone company departed in 1966, and an era of private commercial use stretched across ensuing decades. 

Atlanta-based developer Brad Foster, philanthropist Marie Brumley Foster, and their sons began work on the 108-year-old property in 2022. Working with preservationists, the restoration efforts discovered original design plans for the building by architect P. Thornton Marye, noted for his Moorish-style blueprints for Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, which opened 13 years after the Athens building. 

Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

The lobby bar. Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

Athens-based architectural firm Arcollab aimed to carefully restore the property while also transforming it, bringing the yellow-brick façade and terra-cotta detailing “to its former glory, reflecting the craftsmanship and grandeur of its era,” per project officials. 

As boutique hotels go, this one’s very boutique, with just eight guest rooms (each with unique designs), plus a four-bedroom suite. One key addition was a rooftop terrace with panoramic downtown Athens views; that was possible because the century-old building’s reinforced concrete, post-and-beam structure remained robust, per officials. 

Other design highlights include a parlor-style lobby, a centerpiece grand staircase, and what’s described as statement lighting, chic furnishings, and a bevy of curated art, as selected by interior design firms Simplicity: A Southern Lifestyle and Seiber Design. 

Each of The Bell's bathrooms feature "state-of-the-art fixtures and custom high-contrast tilework that elevate the guest experience," per officials. Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

Atlanta native and Brooklyn-based illustrator Alex Robitaille was commissioned for a series of handpainted gouache-on-gesso portraits, lending guest rooms a Jazz Age vibe. Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

King rooms with a single bed this month start around $250 per night, with one onsite parking space included. [UPDATE: 1:05 p.m., Feb. 13: Hotel reps sending the following today: "There was a small glitch on the booking site yesterday and I wanted to ask if it was possible to update the story that the average daily room rate for a standard guest room is $415?"]

“Our family envisioned restoring [the building’s] architectural beauty while reintroducing its rich story to the community,” noted Brad Foster in a grand-opening announcement, “creating a space where history and modern hospitality come together.”

Have a thorough look around Athens’ new Bell of the ball in the gallery above.  

The guests-only, parlor-style lobby includes "an atmosphere of refined charm" with "black-and-white marble flooring, a polished wood bar, and vibrant banquette seating," per hotel leadership. Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

The 183 West Clayton St. hotel in relation to UGA's campus (bottom right) and other downtown landmarks. Photography by Jason Thrasher; courtesy of The Bell Hotel

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