Luxury Lodging

Upscale hotel chain targets downtown Austin district as part of major expansion

Cambria is eyeing downtown Austin.

UPDATE: This story has been updated with additional information about the proposed Austin property.

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One of the world’s largest hotel chains wants to build an upscale property in Austin's Rainey Street area.

Cambria, a high-end brand of Choice Hotels International Inc., is seeking permission from the City of Austin to build a 14-story, 225-room hotel at 72 East Ave., near the Austin Convention Center. The hotel, complete with a pool, will comprise 147,600 square feet, according to documents filed with the City of Austin.

Cambria currently has 30 hotels in the U.S., with more than 70 others in the development pipeline.

“The pipeline is the largest that it ever has been, and we will continue to grow the brand in key U.S. markets through our aggressive acquisition of numerous land sites and buildings,” says Janis Cannon, senior vice president of upscale brands at Choice Hotels, in a release.

Aside from Austin, cities on Cambria’s development radar are Boston; Denver; Minneapolis; San Francisco; Seattle; and Portland, Oregon. Choice Hotels says it’s spending more than $450 million to expand the Cambria brand, which debuted in 2005.

Cambria already has three locations in Texas: two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Frisco and Southlake) and one in McAllen. Each Cambria hotel has fewer than 200 rooms. Here’s how Cambria describes its properties:

“Cambria Hotels are designed to provide a unique and distinctive experience with the services and amenities that travelers demand, including casually tailored décor, flexible spaces for meeting or socializing, rooms that are comfortable and composed, and of course, free Wi-Fi, allowing guests to stay fully connected while they travel. The spa-like bathrooms offer contemporary fixtures, refined surfaces and abundant light.”

Other brands in the Choice Hotel chain include Ascend, Clarion, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and Sleep Inn. In all, the chain has about 6,500 franchised hotels around the world.

hotels luxury

CONVENTION BET

JW Marriott unveils redesign as convention landscape changes in Austin

Photo courtesy of KTGY

The newly renovated lobby at the JW Marriott Austin features refreshed interiors inspired by the Texas Hill Country, with warm wood tones, limestone textures, and contemporary gathering spaces.

One of Austin's centerpiece hotels is showing off a new look inspired by the Colorado River, the waterway that has long shaped the city's identity. The renovation at the JW Marriott Austin spans the lobby, guestrooms, and more.

The 1,012-room hotel, which opened in 2015 as Austin's second major convention headquarters hotel after the Hilton Austin, has completed a property-wide refresh that replaces its former palette of Texas-inspired golds and browns with cool blues, flowing forms, and updated finishes inspired by the river.

White Lodging, which developed the JW Marriott on Second Street and several other downtown Austin hotels, once again turned to KTGY for the redesign. The firm also designed the hotel's original interiors.

A renovated corner king room at the JW Marriott Austin features updated furnishings, contemporary finishes, and floor-to-ceiling windows.Photo Courtesy of KTGY

The redesign extends through all 1,012 guest rooms, introducing new carpeting, lighting, decorative accents, and artwork that celebrate both the river and Austin's creative spirit.

The refreshed design was intended to create a calming counterpoint to the city's energy, drawing inspiration from the natural flow of the river while maintaining a connection to the culture and character that have helped make Austin a destination for visitors from around the world, according to KTGY.

The renovation comes as downtown Austin's hospitality industry adjusts to the temporary closure and replacement of the Austin Convention Center. Just two blocks east of the hotel, construction is underway on the replacement facility, which closed in 2025 and is expected to reopen in 2029.

Convention Center Site Construction crews work on the future Austin Convention Center after the project team removed roughly 850,000 tons of rock and dirt from the downtown site to prepare for the expanded facility. Photo posted June 12.Facebook/Austin Convention Center

Austin's convention hotel market has expanded dramatically over the past two decades. The Hilton Austin opened in 2003, followed by the JW Marriott and Westin Austin Downtown in 2015, and the Fairmont Austin in 2018. As downtown's hotel inventory grew, city leaders began planning for a larger convention center capable of hosting more and larger events.

When completed, the replacement facility will nearly double the convention center's rentable event space, opening up Austin to some of the nation's largest training sessions and conferences. The Austin Convention Center continues to post time-lapse videos and a newsletter for construction updates. Excavation and foundation work is underway across the six-block site as crews work toward completion at the end of 2028 and a planned reopening ahead of the 2029 spring festival season.

New Austin Convention Center The redesigned Austin Convention Center will feature new exhibit halls, meeting space, and outdoor gathering areas along Waller Creek. The JW Marriott Austin is visible in the downtown skyline at left.Facebook/Austin Convention Center

Visit Austin has already secured 27 events for after the convention center reopens, representing more than 238,000 hotel room nights and an estimated $205 million in economic impact. Additional campus-style group events (those held at multiple venues) booked during the redevelopment period are expected to generate about 161,000 hotel room nights and nearly $38 million in hotel revenue.

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