Macon Magazine

APRIL/MAY 2022 | maconmagazine.com 37 Before arriving in Macon, Brockman worked in Martha's Vineyard, Montana, New Mexico and Maryland. He considers locally-sourced, made-from-scratch and cooked- to-order food the foundation of excellence at loom. Reckon (also no capital, as in the Southern idiom, "I reckon"), a coffee bar by day and wine bar by night, winks at Macon's beloved cherry blossoms and annual festival. Large custom metal drapes with a cherry blossom silhouette cover the windows. An expansive, pillowed sofa in a deep copper encourages guests to linger over conversation, a beverage or a snack. The windowed Hightales Rooftop Bar on the sixth floor is dotted with music memorabilia. The ample patio serves up widespread views of City Hall, Rosa Parks Square and miles of First Street, perfect for catching some of the city's best sunset views and sipping a signature cocktail honoring one of Macon's music legends, like the Allman Brothers' "Jessica," country crooner Jason Aldean's "Rear Town View" or Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay." "Figuring out the roof was the hardest part of the whole process," said Gene Jr. "It would have been great to put the roof top bar on the very top, but we've got so many systems out there — air conditioners, generators and elevator equipment. So, I designed an outdoor bar on six, but historic tax credit restrictions wouldn't allow any new structures outside." Artwork and photography indigenous to Macon abounds. Every piece from the collection has significance, from giant black and white photographs of Parks Lee Hay and his wife and the Ocmulgee Mounds in the corridors, to the architectural signature stamp of all three architects — Gene Dunwody, Gene Dunwody Jr. and Robbie Beeland — in every guest bathroom. Additionally, each architect is honored with a personalized barstool in loom. Celebration and meeting venues include Hightales (up to 50 people); the second floor Rhythm and Blues Ballroom (up to 80); event lawn (up to 75); and the Redding Room, an intimate space for up to 10 people behind the sixth floor bar. Gene Jr. shared his thinking: "Because of the building's small footprint, we created spaces for outdoor activities including the patios outside Hightales and loom, and the event lawn." Teixeira added, "We've taken a landmark and converted it from an office building to a unique hotel with a welcoming environment. Our spaces are designed for social conversations and gatherings, but for business meetings too, all with Southern hospitality." Wheat called Hotel Forty Five a special property. "They've preserved the history of the building and the story of Macon. Hotel Forty Five fits perfectly within the landscape of our tourism inventory, lifting up other hotels in the market and allowing them to be more competitive," Wheat said. "Everyone is excited, but unless locals book family, friends and events, like weddings, and go there for dinner or drinks — as well as Macon's other hospitality and tourism offerings — they can fade from vision." Mainsail's Smith summed it up the symbiotic relationship between the new hotel and its city by saying, "Clearly, Hotel Forty Five's branding and Macon's history are interwoven. 22 is a good year for 45." LEFT PHOTO: INTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING. RIGHT PHOTO: GENE DUNWODY AND ROBBIE BEELAND STANDING IN WHAT IS NOW LOOM.

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