Downtown Marriott opens in Raleigh

Raleigh, N.C. — Four weeks after its unofficial opening, the Raleigh Marriott City Center held its grand opening Wednesday, kicking off weeks of celebration downtown.

The adjacent convention center will hold its grand opening next Friday as part of the Raleigh Wide Open event.

"Four years ago, we set out to determine the lasting future of our city's downtown core, and as a result of an enormous amount of passion and commitment, today we celebrate the completion of an important anchor for that vision," Mayor Charles Meeker said in a statement. "The Raleigh Marriott City Center is a perfect example of how the public and private sectors can work together to realize goals of great significance to our community."

The 16-story hotel features 400 rooms, including 20 suites, and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 9,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom.