When you walk into the Renaissance Hotel, you'll find yourself surrounded by luxury - marble and mosaic tile and a 30-foot glass and cast iron atrium. The hotel features the kind of grand architecture, rarely seen today, that thrived in the early 1900s when the building was designed by Grosvenor Atterbury.

In fact, the authentic turn-of-the-century look was so important to owner/managers Marriott International and Denver-based Sage Hospitality, that they hired Grosvenor Atterbury, the original architect, to do the restoration.

Restoring the former downtown Fulton Building was no easy task. The outside of the building became the biggest copper restoration project on the East Coast since the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Over 300 tons of coal dust were removed from the rotunda during the initial cleaning process. Despite the hard work done to restore the building to early 20th century charm, the Renaissance Hotel is a 21st century facility, featuring high-speed internet access and modern amenities for its guests.

The building itself is a living history lesson. Although the Fulton Building was originally built as a hotel, it never operated as one until its recent renovation. Instead, it served as an office building, housed a hospital during WWII, and was the home to nightclubs including the once popular Heaven. Upon opening the walls, the contractor found an X-ray lab, steel needles, and glass syringes. Meeting rooms pay homage to icons of Pittsburgh heritage, bearing names such as Henry Mancini and Jimmy Stewart.