Sheraton Birmingham
Encyclopedia
The Sheraton Birmingham is Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

's largest convention hotel, featuring 757 rooms and suites adjacent to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
The Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex is a sports, convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham, Alabama...

 (BJCC) in downtown Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

 (USA).

The 17-story hotel was built in two phases. The first opened in 1975 as the Hyatt House Birmingham Hotel, and along with the Parliament House, it was one of Birmingham's premier hotels of the Jet age
Jet age
The Jet Age is a period of history defined by the social change brought about by the advent of large aircraft powered by turbine engines. These aircraft are able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older piston-powered propliners, making transcontinental and inter-continental travel...

, featuring 380 rooms, a luxurious rooftop restaurant, and a sumptious Presidential suite.

In 1991, the BJCC began an ambitious expansion plan for the complex, which included a modern 398-room addition, complete with an atrium and a skywalk to the main exhibition hall in the convention center, along with a new 1,000-space parking deck behind the hotel. During the renovation and expansion, the hotel operated as a Ramada
Ramada
Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.- History :The lodging chain was founded in 1953 by longtime Chicago restaurateur Marion W...

. It officially opened its doors as a Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...

 in early 1992. The expansion featured two new restaurants, an indoor pool and exercise area constructed above the porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...

, additional meeting/reception space, and three new Presidential suites. Other changes included the shuttering of the rooftop restaurant and original Presidential suite, which remain unused to this day.

In 1998, the hotel was brought into the Starwood system and a new 25,000-square foot (2,323 square meter) grand ballroom was constructed, along with a minor freshening to the hotel lobby and other public spaces.

In 2005, a $16 million renovation was announced and includes the addition of new retail space, complete refurbishment of all guest rooms and public areas, and renovation of hotel systems.

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