The hotel developer who built Orlando’s first AVID hotel this year in the airport submarket has filed plans with the city for a third hotel on its Conway Road property.
Reddy Hotels and its affiliate, Green Stay Hospitality, opened the new 91-room IHG flag at 7976 Conway Rd. in late January. The company also has broken ground on a new Cambria Hotel at 7986 Conway Rd., adjacent to the AVID hotel. Both are 5-story hotels with sleek, airy designs meant to appeal to business travelers.
Meghaj Reddy told GrowthSpotter the family-owned company is seeking to annex the two hotels and remaining undeveloped land just north of the Beachline Expressway (S.R. 528) into the City of Orlando to clear the way for a potential third hotel at the site. The four parcel assemblage totals 19 acres.
Reddy said the company has had preliminary discussions with IHG to introduce its newly launched Atwell Suites brand to the Orlando market. “We’re planning to open the Cambria in January of next year, so we’ll look at the market conditions,” he said. “Right now, we’re just planning for the future.”
Jonathan Huels with Lowndes is representing the company in the annexation request. If approved, the property would also become part of the city’s Conway Road Special Plan overlay district.
A hotel brand and development team were not listed on the documents, but Green Stay has used the same team for both hotel projects: SMC Construction and MILES architecture group.
IHG introduced to AVID flag in 2018 and kicked the brand expansion into high gear this year. The hotel prototype features a compact, 41,000-square-foot design that can fit on smaller footprint. IHG eliminated the swimming pools and meeting rooms in favor of an open lobby with multiple purposes.
“And so we end up with a new-build construction product that can fit on an acre-and-a-half — which is about an acre or less than what most hotels in the segment require,” IHG Americas CEO Elie Maalouf said at the launch. “We’re opening up new markets and reducing the cost for owners [with] sustainable construction design and a prototype somewhere between 95 and 100 keys and a minimum of three stories.”
The guest rooms also are about 100 square feet smaller than a comparable room at a Holiday Inn Express, but they include better sound proofing and black-out roller shades and 55-inch wall mounted TVs with smartphone casting capabilities. “That’s what our guests told us that they wanted in the building,” Maalouf said. Following guest research, the guestrooms have sound-reducing elements and open storage spaces, and the bathrooms have bright lighting and walk-in showers. “And then there are things that they’re not willing to pay for or don’t need, like all the extra space,” he said.
IHG followed up the AVID launch in 2019 with Atwell Suites concept, which aims to capture a market segment between the traditional upper midscale and extended-stay brands. Each guest room would feature delineated sleeping and living spaces with a wetbar, instead of a full kitchenette, and a two-sided closet that can be accessed from the bathroom. The building prototype includes a two-story lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows, dramatic neon lighting, an on-demand beverage center and multipurpose mezzanine overlooking the common area.
Cambria is an upper-midscale Choice brand that includes onsite dining, local craft beer on tap, wine and specialty cocktails. The 67,000-square-foot hotel will have a pool with outdoor patio, multi-function meeting and event space and a fitness center. The guest rooms also feature streamlined designs with open storage, “plush bedding” and spa-inspired bathrooms with walk-in showers and Bluetooth connected mirrors, according to the developer.
“We look forward to developing this Cambria hotel and providing visitors with an experience that exceeds their expectations, with all the upscale amenities and diverse cuisines that make for a memorable stay,” said Dev Keshav, partner, Green Stay Hospitality.
The Cambria brand currently has 50 hotels open across the U.S. and last year opened 11 new sites with a combined 1,700 rooms. The Cambria Hotel Orlando International Airport is slated to open in early 2021.
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