NATIONAL REPORT—Properties are in the works for brands across the country. Hotels are on the rise in big Southern markets, Northern cities and in lakeside towns out West:
Three Southern Properties Underway for Crowne Plaza
Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia is opening Q1 2019 as a brand flagship in the Americas. From an industrial beer garden, patented WorkLife rooms and Plaza Workspace as an adaptable “third space,” the property will exemplify the future of the brand. With staff donning designer uniforms from the designer brand, Timo Weiland, to the on-site restaurant being developed in partnership with Kimpton, guests will be pleasantly surprised by where the brand is headed, according to the company.
Crowne Plaza North Augusta is scheduled to open Jan. 8, 2019. Located in Riverside Village at Hammond’s Ferry in Augusta, SC, this new-build hotel, complete with the brand’s New Modern design, will offer WorkLife rooms designed to provide connectivity, a fitness center with outdoor pool and two dining options. It will be pet friendly.
Crowne Plaza Greenbelt is scheduled to open Oct. 15, 2019. Located just outside of Washington, DC, in Greenbelt, MD, the property will include newly designed public spaces, remodeled ballrooms and meeting spaces, and a new restaurant, bar and lounge. The hotel will also feature the New Modern design and Plaza Workspace.
Cambria Comes to Jacksonville, FL
Choice Hotels International Inc. has signed an agreement with Ash Properties to develop a five-story, 132-room Cambria Hotel in Jacksonville, FL. The upscale hotel is expected to open in 2020.
The site is located in the Southeast region of the city known as Baymeadows, which has several corporate, government and medical facilities, including the FBI’s regional offices, the University of North Florida, Deutsche Bank, Ernst & Young, the Mayo Clinic and Baptist Hospital.
The hotel will also be close to St. Johns Town Center, an outdoor shopping center with retail stores, restaurants and recreational activities. Amenities will include an outdoor swimming pool, nearly 2,500 sq. ft. of meeting space, a fitness center and on-site dining.
Graduate Hotels to Expand Brand in Michigan
Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners is bringing Graduate Hotels to East Lansing, MI. The 10-story, 194-room ground-up hotel development will be located on Grand River Ave. at Evergreen Ave., adjacent to Michigan State University in downtown East Lansing. Construction will begin in spring 2019 and, once complete in fall 2020, the hotel will open as Graduate East Lansing, part of the Graduate Hotels collection.
The 194 guestrooms will be designed with elements inspired by the local community, university and the state of Michigan history. The hotel will have a rooftop bar, as well as more than 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space and retail space. The site is close to Michigan State University’s campus, including the MSU Union and Spartan Stadium.
Lakeside Property to Break Ground in Wisconsin
The Dörr Hotel is set to break ground in Sister Bay, WI, in 2019. The hotel will be designed by Chicago-based firm Zimmerman Weintraub Associates (ZWA), inspired by modern Swedish architecture as well as the hotel’s lakeside location.
The four-story, 46-room hotel will include an assortment of suites, as well as private balconies and 11 rooms with a private ground level patio with direct access to paths leading down to the bay. The hotel will have a ground-level courtyard and rooftop patio with views of Sister Bay and Lake Michigan.
