October 10, 2009 --The Valley's first Cambria Suites hotel is coming to Chandler, with construction slated to begin early next month.

Scottsdale-based A.R. Mays Construction was awarded a $10 million contract to build the 137-room, five-story hotel at the southwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The hotel is being developed by HP Properties of Birmingham, Ala., for Suenos Hospitality LLC.

The hotel should be completed in the fourth quarter of next year, said Eric Larson, A.R. Mays' vice president of business development.

According to the Cambria Suites Web site, the hotel's rooms will include numerous high-tech features, while the complex will feature a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor pool and barista bar.

"Cambria Suites is tailor-made for travelers who are focused on convenience, have an eye for style and look for the amenities and technologies that their lifestyles demand," Stephen Dietrich, regional vice president for Cambria Suites, said in a statement. "The Chandler property will encompass all these elements."

Franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc., Cambria Suites will be a more upscale property with larger suites than other competing hotels, Larson said.

"We are currently finishing a Marriott TownPlace Suites project in Goodyear that is somewhat similar, but it won't be as large as the Cambria Suites project," he said. "A.R. Mays has been very fortunate that we are staying busy. I think all of us in the construction industry will tell you that business is off from the 2006, 2007 and even 2008 numbers. Hospitality types of projects are certainly hard to finance right now, and with this being one of the larger types of projects, you might read into it that the financing is beginning to give developers a break."

Christine Mackay, Chandler's economic development director, said Chandler has been fortunate to have a number of "first in market" businesses, and the city looks forward to introducing Cambria Suites to the Valley.

"Chandler has a solid business travel base, and we believe that Cambria's amenities will be very attractive, particularly to those business travelers," she said.

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