The first new hotel to be built in Emeryville in more than a decade was officially launched on March 26, when developer Ensemble Hotel Partners broke ground for a new Hyatt Place Hotel at the northern end of the Bay Street Emeryville, a dynamic retail center in Emeryville, California. Showcasing a contemporary design that will compliment its unique surroundings, the 175-room, upscale, select-service hotel will benefit from its location within the amenity-filled retail mall, while providing much-needed, modern hotel rooms to serve Emeryville’s business and leisure travelers.

“The Hyatt Place Emeryville exemplifies our focus on embedded development– finding opportunities within existing, well-located retail centers, and working with the owners and other stakeholders to design a custom hotel that adds value to the surrounding community,” said Brian Ehrlich, chief investment officer at Ensemble Hotel Partners. “Our goal is to use our expertise and creativity to bring just the right product to just the right location.”

The Emeryville hotel will be part of the Hyatt Place collection, a business-travel brand known for its sizeable and stylish rooms, quality 24/7 guest service, and complimentary full breakfasts. Ensemble selected davisREED Construction to provide design/build construction services for the project, and innovative hotel management company, RIM Hospitality, to manage the new hotel. The hotel is expected to open for business in the third quarter of 2016.

The contemporary design of the new Hyatt Place features extensive use of glass and brick to reflect Emeryville’s industrial architectural heritage. The hotel will be integrated into the retail center via a landscaped outdoor patio that will extend the mall into the hotel. The hotel’s ground floor will be dedicated to public uses, including a spacious lobby and dining area, with five levels of guestrooms above. The hotel will also feature flexible meeting space to accommodate the needs of corporate clientele, and a large, on-site fitness center for health-conscious business and leisure travelers. In keeping with Hyatt Place’s select service model, the Emeryville property will provide quality dining amenities, but will rely on local restaurants to provide guests with an expanded number of options.

Given its unique location at the intersection of Oakland, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Bay, Emeryville is an attractive and affordable lodging option for Bay Area business and leisure travelers. The region is also home to numerous corporate headquarters, including Peet’s Coffee, Cliff Bar, Pixar Animation Studios, Novartis, Bayer Healthcare, Leapfrog, and Jamba Juice. “This will be the first new hotel development in 15 years, and we are delighted that it will both serve and support local business,” noted Mr. Ehrlich.

One of the most popular shopping destinations in the area, Bay Street Emeryville comprises 65 stores, ten restaurants, a movie theater, and 400 residential units in three city blocks connected by a main street. The mall uses architecture, lighting, landscape, and environmental graphics to create an eclectic and energetic atmosphere, with appealing streetscapes, plazas, and green space.

Other Northern California projects currently under development by Ensemble Hotel Partners include a new Marriott Autograph Collection luxury hotel for the Menlo Gateway site in Menlo Park, and the renovation of the Bernardus Lodge and Spa in the Carmel Valley, managed by Woodside Hotels of Menlo Park.