Imagine you’re downtown for the SEC Championship Game, and you’re gazing down at the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) and the rest of the picturesque Atlanta skyline from your 25th-floor hotel suite.

After a dip in the infinity pool and a quick spa treatment, you head out to the SEC FanFare in Building C of the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) – never having set foot outdoors.

It’s getting close to game time but a member of your entourage forgot their ID back in the hotel room – no sweat, it’s only minutes away.

With secured ID in tow, you and your friends make the short trek across The Home Depot Back Yard to MBS.

This type of scenario becomes a reality in the near future as the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) gears up for its latest game-changing development project: A 30-plus-story, 950-to-1,000-room Signia by Hilton hotel, featuring 75,000 square feet of meeting space, and an executive conference center that connects to the GWCC.

The GWCCA-owned property will be the first Signia by Hilton built from the ground up.

In December, the Authority announced Hilton Hotels and Resorts as the flagship of its on-site headquarter hotel, and today Hilton officially launched Signia, “its new, dynamic meetings-and-events-focused brand,” according to a press release.

The project, slated for groundbreaking later in the year with a 26-month build schedule, is sure to excite sports and entertainment fans who attend events at MBS, the GWCC and nearby State Farm Arena, but is specifically geared toward meeting professionals, business travelers and convention attendees and exhibitors – folks doing business on the GWCCA’s 220-plus-acre downtown Atlanta campus.

“Hilton’s new Signia brand enhances Atlanta’s position as a top meeting and convention destination,” said William Pate, President and CEO, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. “To be able to offer Hilton’s premiere meetings brand hotel, connected to the country’s fourth-largest convention center, creates an exciting new option for meeting planners and guests.”

GWCCA Executive Director Frank Poe said the hotel, which has been in the planning stages for several years, is a critical component of the organization’s 2020 Vision master plan.

“It’s part of the overall infrastructure that reinforces our vision to be recognized as the No. 1 convention, sports and entertainment destination in the world,” he said .

The hotel completes the package that has reimagined the GWCCA campus, including the addition of MBS and The Home Depot Back Yard, new parking facilities, expansion of the GWCC, renovation of Centennial Olympic Park and future transformation of Andrew Young International Boulevard into a pedestrian-friendly gateway.

The hotel will be built on a portion of the former Georgia Dome site (pictured above), bounded by The Home Depot Back Yard, the new Orange Deck that’s under construction, Northside Drive, and Building C, which it will connect to on the Georgia Ballroom level.

Signia by Hilton features include:

The lobby experience – not only a spot for arrivals and departures but a hub for socializing.

Modern guest rooms featuring innovative technology, a destination bar envisioned as the heart of the hotel, a signature restaurant based on a chef-driven concept, wellness options that include the aforementioned infinity pool and state-of-the-art spa along with fitness center and fitness classes.

“We obsess over unique and differentiating experiences at Hilton,” said John Witter, Hilton’s Chief Customer Officer.

Of note to meeting planners, the meetings and event spaces within the hotel will be the signature showpiece.

“Large ballrooms and pre-function areas will feature smart design paired with the newest technologies to elevate today’s meetings. As the modern meeting attendee is looking for spaces that inspire innovative thinking, the small to mid-size meeting rooms will feature unique design and technology that spark new ideas and optimize work and collaboration,” reads an excerpt from Hilton’s press release.

“Signia by Hilton grew from feedback from top meeting professionals, owners, developers and guests,” said David Marr, senior vice president and global head, Full Service Brands, Hilton. “After countless hours of collaboration, together, we created Signia by Hilton, a brand that will resonate with travelers, ‘wow’ meeting professionals and set a new, elevated standard for the meetings and events industry.”