Cambria Sets Record with 11 Openings in Top-Tier Markets

ROCKVILLE, MD—With a record 11 hotels opened in 2019, and a milestone 50 hotels currently open across the country, Cambria Hotels continues its pace of new openings this year—Cambria Hotel Bloomington Mall of America and Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area—its 50th and largest location.

Franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc., the upscale brand opened the doors to 11 hotels last year in major markets—together representing more than 1,700 upscale rooms, increasing the brand’s system size by 25%.

“2019 was truly a banner year for the Cambria Hotels brand—between breaking our openings record, reaching 50 locations and capping off the year by opening the doors of our largest hotel. Add to that the numerous top-tier business and leisure destinations we brought the Cambria brand to such as Boston, Houston and Phoenix—to name just a few—and it’s no surprise why our franchisees are so excited about the growth of this brand,” said Janis Cannon, SVP, upscale brands, Choice Hotels.

“We look forward to building on our coast-to-coast expansion in 2020 and expect to beat our openings record for a second-consecutive year, along with beginning construction on 14 hotels, in addition to the 26 already underway,” she continued. “That way, we can provide time-starved, modern business travelers with even more upscale options in central locations for years to come—like in Minneapolis to start this year.”

With one of the nation’s highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies and more than 38 million people traveling through the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport annually, the Cambria Hotel Bloomington Mall of America joins the Cambria Hotel Minneapolis Maple Grove and the Cambria hotel planned for downtown Minneapolis, which is slated to open in 2021.

Located at 8001 28th Ave. South, the hotel is adjacent to the Mall of America, the largest mall in North America, which offers guests access to retail, dining and entertainment options. The property is also within walking distance to the light rail.

From left, Mark Shalala, SVP, upscale development, Choice Hotels; Janis Cannon, SVP, upscale brands, Choice Hotels; Charles McNees, longtime landowner; Cory Alder, president, Nexus Development Corporation; Harry Sidhu, mayor of Anaheim; Lucas Fiamengo, GM, Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area; Angel Trubee, director of sales and marketing, Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area.

In addition, the opening of the 12-story, 352-room Cambria Hotel Anaheim Resort Area was marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu and representatives from Visit Anaheim, the city’s tourism marketing organization, joined executives from Choice Hotels and Cambria Hotels for the occasion. The event drew inspiration from the hotel’s location in the heart of Orange County, CA, and highlighted the hotel’s amenities, such as a water park, outdoor movie wall and putting green.

In 2020, the Cambria Hotels brand expects to debut new hotels in cities such as Detroit; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Louisville, KY; and Savannah, GA. Hotels are also expected to break ground in Cincinnati; Kansas City, MO; Santa Clara, CA; Spokane, WA; and Tampa, FL.

“In addition to the brand’s record-breaking year for openings, Cambria Hotels continues to be highly sought after by developers. In fact, the brand’s pipeline has grown to become one of the largest in North America with nearly 80 hotels,” said Mark Shalala, SVP, development, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. “In December alone, we awarded a dozen franchise agreements to close out the year strong and fuel our future growth in cities including Chicago; Colorado Springs, CO; Miami; and Oakland, CA.”