CAMDEN, N.J. – May 21, 2019 – Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) award-winning upscale global brand of hotels, broke ground today on the first hotel to be built in Camden in more than 50 years. To celebrate the groundbreaking, Camden Mayor Frank Moran, Ensemble Real Estate Investments’ Kam Babaoff, and Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli gathered on the hotel’s new site at 1 Penn Street to discuss the economic impact of the project in relation to Camden’s overall revitalization.

As Camden’s premier hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn will offer 180 rooms to meet increasing demand from Camden’s growing business community, whose roster now includes prominent companies like Subaru, American Water, the 76ers, and most recently, ResinTech. The hotel, scheduled to be completed in Q4 2020, will also be conveniently located to students and families visiting Rowan University, Rutgers University—Camden, and Cooper University Health Care System. Presently those visiting Camden’s businesses and educational institutions must seek hotel accommodations outside of the City of Camden.

The hotel will be developed and owned by Ensemble Real Estate Investments and Louise Cicalese, and it will be operated by Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, who maintains a large presence in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern Pennsylvania market. Designed by Cope Linder Architects with InTech Construction serving as the general contractor, the hotel will eventually create up to 75 local jobs.

“We are so proud to play a role in bringing Camden its first hotel in more than 50 years,” said Kam Babaoff, Chairman, Ensemble Real Estate Investments. “We firmly believe that offering quality lodging and warm hospitality helps further strengthen the soul of a community. We are designing and programming the Hilton Garden Inn on the Camden Waterfront to become fully integrated in the fabric of Camden’s community, and we look forward to offering skilled jobs to a city who is as excited about us coming to town as we are to partner with them.”

“We welcome Hilton Garden Inn and the development team of Ensemble Real Estate Investments and Louise Cicalese to Camden with open arms,” said Camden Mayor Frank Moran. “With all the new businesses expanding and relocating to Camden, our city needs its own space to house visitors – and the Hilton Garden Inn will offer them exceptional accommodations and top-notch amenities.”

“Hilton Garden Inn’s groundbreaking is such a milestone for Camden and holds great significance for our city’s renaissance,” said Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “We thank them for recognizing how far we’ve come and for choosing to invest in us and build a future here – they’ll be happy they did.”

The City of Camden is experiencing an unprecedented period of growth with some $2.5 billion in new development either planned or under construction. Hilton Garden Inn will be a part of a $1 billion mixed-use master development by affiliates of NFI Corp., Conner Strong & Buckelew, and the Michaels Organization along the Camden Waterfront.

80% of the guest rooms and the hotel restaurant will have spectacular views of the dramatic Philadelphia skyline, the Delaware River, and the Ben Franklin Bridge, which will connect the hotel to Center City Philadelphia—just 4 miles away. The hotel will cater to corporate, leisure and group demand generated by existing businesses and attractions, as well as the additional demand generated by the three million-plus square feet of commercial office space planned and under construction in Camden County.

The hotel’s guest rooms include 18 premier corner suites to accommodate longer term stays associated with local educational and medical institutions, as well as significant demand from the projected expansion of area businesses. The hotel will offer over 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and bar, and free parking.

The hotel will also participate in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 17 distinct hotel brands. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else and free standard WiFi. Members also enjoy popular digital tools available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors mobile app, where Hilton Honors members can check in, choose their room and access their room using a digital key.

Read more about Hilton Garden Inn at www.hgi.com and newsroom.hilton.com/hgi.