ROCKVILLE, MD—Choice Hotels International Inc., along with RREAF Holdings and New Castle Hotels & Resorts, broke ground on the Cambria Hotel in Charleston, SC.
The Cambria Charleston Riverview, a 126-room hotel, is located at 84 Ripley Point Dr. on the Ashley River, and is slated to open early in 2019. It will be built by Freese Johnson Contractors of Atlanta.
“The Charleston Riverview property is in a prime location right near downtown, making it the perfect fit for the modern traveler. We look forward to working with RREAF Holdings to build their first Cambria, and providing guests with an upscale lodging option where they can treat themselves while on the road,” said Michael Lusick, VP, upscale operations at Choice Hotels. “With Charleston being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, we’re excited to continue the Cambria brand’s rapid expansion in this key market. The Cambria Charleston Riverview will be one of three Cambria Hotels in the area, including Mount Pleasant, which also recently broke ground, and North Charleston.”
To commemorate the occasion, local artist Norma Ballentine presented an original painting of the city’s iconic pineapple, a symbol of hospitality and welcome, to the developers, RREAF Holdings, a privately held commercial real estate firm, and New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a third-party hotel management firm.
“We traditionally focus our investments in Texas, Tennessee and the Florida panhandle, but we could not pass up the opportunity to enter a highly competitive market like Charleston, and reset the bar for a compelling growth brand like Cambria Hotels,” said Kip Sowden, CEO of RREAF Holdings. “We have every confidence that our development and operating partners will deliver an outstanding return to our investors.”
The Cambria Charleston Riverview will include 1,300 sq. ft. of multifunction meeting space, a full-service bar featuring local craft beer, and a fitness center. The property also has spacious rooms, along with spa-like bathrooms that offer contemporary fixtures, refined surfaces and abundant light.