Hyatt Regency Knoxville Converts To Marriott Flag

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Marriott International reflagged the Hyatt Regency Knoxville as the new Knoxville Marriott on May 1, 2002. Located at 500 Hill Avenue, the 385-room property is situated on a downtown hilltop overlooking the Tennessee River and near the Knoxville Convention Center. The hotel is scheduled to reopen this summer. The hotel is owned and managed by Columbia Sussex Corp. of Fort Mitchell, KY. With full-service Marriott hotels located in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities area, the Knoxville Marriott completes the brands major-market presence across the state of Tennessee. The hotel offers nearly 21,000 square feet of meeting space, an 11,480-square-foot ballroom, a Hill Street Cafe, and a sports bar. Other amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, Thrifty car rental office, full-service salon, and safe-deposit boxes at the front desk. The new Knoxville Marriott General Manager Tom Rybak comes to the hotel from Hilton Suites Nashville. An industry veteran with 14 years of hospitality experience, Rybak left Knoxville in 1998 after serving as general manager of the Hilton Knoxville for two years.