Choice Hotels Celebrates Opening of Cambria Hotel & Suites Washington, D.C. by Hosting A Local Craft Brew Showdown

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, and Concord Hospitality, an award-winning hotel management and development company, celebrated the opening of the Cambria hotel & suites Washington, D.C. Convention Center by hosting a local craft beer tasting competition featuring local breweries and judged by a panel of celebrity food and beverage experts, including local restaurateur and Bravo's Top Chef alum, Chef Mike Isabella.  The winning brew will be added to the hotel's impressive list of local craft breweries including: Flying Dog, Starr Hill, 3 Stars, DC Brau, Evolution, DogFish Head, Port City and Old Dominion. The hotel, located at 899 O Street NW, in the historic Shaw neighborhood and just one block from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, was transformed into an urban beer garden for the day to embrace The District's local community and craft brew culture.  Guests included local dignitaries, local business partners, neighboring businesses and friends and families of Choice Hotels.

"Washington, D.C. is a primary urban market for Choice Hotels, which is headquartered in nearby Rockville, Maryland, and like all Cambria hotels & suites properties, the D.C. property is heavily influenced by the local community," said Michael Murphy, senior vice president of upscale brands at Choice Hotels. "Our extensive research has shown that craft beer and dining options are important to millennial travelers, and the Cambria hotels & suites brand wants to embrace the desires of millennial travelers by offering an all new, elevated food & beverage program aimed at providing an engaging guest experience – an experience where craft beer will continue to be a focal point in the Cambria bar.  We are thrilled to support local breweries and offer another local beer to our guests."

Upon arrival, event guests were greeted by a local street performer playing an impressive 20-bucket drum set. Guests then transcended the iconic LED-lit red terrazzo staircase leading to the open lobby.  While in the lobby everyone was entertained by the eclectic style of local disc jockey, DJ Incredible, while they mingled with neighborhood brewery representatives and sampled their featured craft beers.

After enjoying the beverage offerings, guests were able to network with the celebrity judging panel, led by Bravo's Top Chef alum and recent Top Chef Duels participant, Chef Mike Isabella. Guests also enjoyed tours of the 9-story, 182-room hotel and had a chance to enjoy the transformed rooftop patio, complete with views of the U.S. Capitol and national monuments.

Representatives from Choice Hotels and Concord Hospitality, as well as Councilwoman Muriel Bowser toasted the brand, the hotel and the neighborhood before the judging panel announced the winning brew.

Throughout the event, food pairings from Cambria Chef Michael DeMaria were available as well as a full bar offering.

In addition, the Cambria hotel & suites Washington, D.C. hosted a raffle featuring locally themed baskets filled with hotel stays and items that represent what the District is known for. All proceeds from the event were donated to SOME (So Others Might Eat), a local charity that aims to help break the cycle of homelessness by offering services, such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness in the nation's capital.

About Concord Hospitality
Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, an award-winning hotel management and development company based in Raleigh, N.C., owns and-or manages more than 90 hotels comprised of more than 13,000 guest rooms in 21 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The company operates hotels and resorts under leading brand affiliations including Choice Hotels, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and Starwood, as well as select independent boutique hotels. Concord properties are some of the most awarded hotels in the country, having won nearly 100 top honors in the past two years alone. www.concordhotels.com

About Cambria Hotels & Suites
Cambria hotels & suites offers contemporary, upscale accommodations at affordable prices. Designed as a lifestyle hotel brand, Cambria hotels & suites offers more than just a place to sleep at night. It features a larger lobby to give guests a more social atmosphere, all-suite rooms that are larger than standard hotel rooms and include a separate living, working and sleeping space, providing business and leisure travelers a haven to relax, socialize and network. There are currently 20 properties open across the country and nearly 30 under development. For more information visit www.cambriasuites.com

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,300 hotels, representing more than 500,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories. As of June 30, 2014, 423 hotels, representing more than 32,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States. Additionally, 93 hotels, representing approximately 8,300 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 15 other countries and territories.  The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Hotel & Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands, as well as its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide.

Choice Hotels International offers the Choice Privileges- rewards program. With more than 20 million members worldwide, is one of the fastest growing hotel loyalty programs in the travel industry.

Additional corporate information can be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Choice Privileges, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Hotel & Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and the Ascend Hotel Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International Inc.

(C) 2014 Choice Hotels International, Inc.  All rights reserved.

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SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.