Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced the first Cambria Suites hotel planned for Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas. The D.C. project is a joint venture between Choice Hotels, Concord Hospitality and Roadside Development. Concord Hospitality is an award-winning hotel management and development company with a hotel portfolio of more than 80 managed or owned hotels and Roadside Development is a Washington DC-based real estate firm whose current portfolio of projects include over 1.5 million square feet of retail, 1,500 residential units, and over a half million square feet of office space. In addition, Concord Hospitality is building a 127-room Cambria Suites near the Houston airport. Due to their track record for being one of the elite operators of upscale hotel brands they will also manage and operate these properties.

“We have been watching the Cambria Suites brand for the last several years and between the support that Choice Hotels provides the brand and the overall success the brand has displayed, we decided now was the time to expand our relationship with Choice Hotels to include developing Cambria Suites hotels,” said Mark G. Laport, president and CEO of Concord.

The 182-room Cambria Suites hotel will be part of CityMarket at O, a $300 million mixed-use development, located by the D.C. Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C. near Gallery Place, the hub of the city’s entertainment district. CityMarket at O is a one million-square foot urban infill project being developed by Roadside Development. Major construction on the over 87,000 square feet of retail, 629 residential units, 500 parking spaces and Cambria Suites hotel is set to commence in the fall of 2011.

“We always knew we wanted to find the right hotel brand to be a part of this project and between what Cambria Suites offers guests and the proven track record of Choice Hotels and Concord Hospitality, we knew we had found the best hotel for CityMarket at O,” said Richard Lake, principal of Roadside Development.

“Concord Hospitality and Roadside are some of the best developers in the country and the exact sort of companies we want to partner with when building Cambria Suites hotels,” says Stephen P. Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International. “Between the location and this partnership, this hotel is going to be a great addition to the Cambria Suites brand and to Washington, D.C.”

This Cambria Suites hotel will offer all-suite guestrooms, an expanded food and beverage area and a rooftop featuring a pool, fitness center and an outdoor patio with views of the U.S. Capitol and the National Monuments. Designed as a lifestyle hotel brand, Cambria Suites offers more than just a place to sleep at night. It features a larger lobby to give guests a more social atmosphere, all-suite rooms that are larger than standard hotel rooms and include separate living, working and sleeping space, providing business and leisure travelers a haven to relax, socialize and network. There are currently 19 properties open across the country.

Like all Cambria Suites hotels, the D.C. property will feature: Reflect, a casual dining and gathering area serving a dinner menu, liquor, wine, beer, freshly prepared grab-and-go gourmet salads and sandwiches, a barista bar featuring Wolfgang Puck® coffee, Cheesecake Factory® desserts and a hot breakfast buffet; Refresh, a state-of-the-art fitness center with an elegant pool and hot tub/spa area; and Refill, a 24-7 convenience store that offers energy drinks, snacks and sundries.

City.Mobi

Also in US today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Washington DC.

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City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.