ATLANTA, GA, March 20, 2008. The Omni Hotel at CNN Center today affirms that the property remains open for business after a tornado touched down in Atlanta on March 14. Hotel management expects the property to be fully functional by early April.

Although The Omni Hotel lost the use of 467 rooms in its South Tower when the tornado struck, the property is currently hosting a group of 400 guests in the North Tower for this week's U.S. Department of Energy conference. Prime Meridian Restaurant, Latitudes Bistro & Lounge and guest room dining are also operational and available for guests to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“Safety engineers completed a thorough visual inspection and have deemed the building safe and secure," said Michael Sullivan, director of marketing for Omni Hotel at CNN Center. "We currently have high occupancy in guest rooms and event space in the North Tower. All rooms are expected to be fully functional by the beginning of April once the window repairs are completed in the South Tower."

Hotel management relocated guests staying in the South Tower to other areas of the city immediately following the storm and sent smaller groups to the Westin, a partner hotel through the Omni-led Convention Collection at Centennial Olympic Park (CCCOP), an organization that acts as a “one-stop shop” option for meeting planners, providing a single point of contact for hotel, meeting space, transportation, and other needs for staging a successful downtown Atlanta event.

"The Westin knows the Omni system due to our partnership through the CCCOP and honored the existing agreements for groups which we relocated to their property," said Sullivan. "Our properties work well together and we value our relationship with the Westin and the assistance they offered during the storm."

The City of Atlanta removed debris surrounding the hotel and city transportation, including MARTA and taxis, are properly operating and can provide transportation to and from the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. The hotel's valet and guest parking is also available from the North Tower.