$35 ticket gets VIP lounge access
ATLANTA » Hartsfield-Jackson officials say the world’s busiest airport is opening its first common-use VIP lounge.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport officials say Club ATL, opening Wednesday, can be used by any passenger who buys a $35 ticket at reception desks.
Officials say the lounge will offer snacks, beverages, Wi-Fi access, printers, newspapers, magazines and shower facilities.
The lounge is on the concourse level of the airport’s international terminal.
Fixes aim to avert raids by bears
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. » The Friends of the Smokies and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are working to help backpackers keep their food out of the reach of bears.
Using conservancy funds, Great Smoky National Park staffers and interns have repaired cables used to hoist food out of bears’ reach at the trail shelters at Mollies Ridge and Cosby Knob.
The repairs should help increase safety for both backpackers and bears by reducing the number of bears raiding shelters for food.
Park biologist Bill Stiver said the cables also benefit wildlife because the bears don’t learn to depend upon hikers for food.
The friends group and the conservancy have also worked together to renovate many of the backcountry shelters along the trail in the Smokies. They have also contributed to trail maintenance and hiker safety.
Renovations slated for Blake Hotel
CHARLOTTE, N.C. » A Charlotte hotel criticized by customers during the Democratic National Convention last year is getting a $20 million renovation.
The Blake Hotel will be split into two hotels, with two new names.
California delegates last year complained of mold, bugs, broken elevators, insufficient wireless service and other problems.
The plan calls for a pair of connected hotels: Sheraton Charlotte, which will open Aug. 15; and Le Meridien, opening in January.
Starwood Resorts & Hotels Worldwide says the new hotels will have their own lobbies and entrances. They will share fitness centers, pools, a bar and underground parking. The hotels will have 55,000 square feet of meeting space.
The hotels will have six restaurants, including a rooftop bar at Le Meridien. Rooms in both hotels will get extensive renovations.
