Tahoe's Martis Camp Opens Camp Lodge

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(TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA) -- Martis Camp, located on 2,177-acres of North Lake Tahoe forestland, has emerged over the last several years as one of the most successful private club communities in the country.  In the last 18 months alone, more than 125 families have become owner/members at "The Camp."  Over the recent July 4th weekend, Martis Camp opened its signature amenity, the Camp Lodge, driving property sales volume to over $40 million so far this year.

This private golf and ski community is a true four-season destination with easy accessibility no matter where you live, offering acclaimed golf, world-class skiing, swimming, fishing, and hiking to its owner/members. With 98 homes either already built or under construction, the architectural style at Martis Camp varies from sturdy log homes, ski chalets, and classic Tahoe to cutting edge mountain modern designs.

And now, the Camp Lodge, an impressive and iconic architectural masterpiece in its own right, is open for members, their families and guests. The Camp Lodge is the crown jewel in an unrivaled amenity package, which includes a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and direct ski connection to Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort with the Martis Camp Express, a high speed quad lift. Other club amenities are a planned private Ski Lodge, 18-hole Putting Park, Family Barn with art loft, indoor basketball, soda fountain, Folk School movie theatre and a concert amphitheater, 26-mile community trail network, Lost Library and Park Pavilion with sporting fields and fishing lake.

From its site atop a 70-foot rock outcropping overlooking the 18th hole of the Fazio-designed golf course, the Camp Lodge features dramatic 270-degree views of the Carson Range, Lookout Mountain and the Sierra Crest.

"Wow! My wife, Jen, and I spent our first day as members visiting the lodge with a couple of friends and what a great experience!" said Peter Katz of Redwood City, Calif.  "Of course the facilities are amazing but the graciousness, service, enthusiasm, sense of humor and pride shown to us by the staff was what left us most impressed and looking forward to coming back."

Influenced by great National Park lodges and established clubs of the 1900s, the goal was to create a building that will have a lifetime of 100 years or more. The result is an iconic architectural masterpiece with a feeling of grandeur and timelessness, yet at the same time, distinctly intimate.  Using asphalt roof shingles in a varied pattern, green stained cedar exterior wall shingles and black stained fascia trim boards gives the exterior a timeless color scheme.  Indigenous grey granite rock walls and copper trim details complement the timeless theme and are part of a pallet of the finest materials available.  The building is also a showcase and testament to the art of fine detail and craftsmanship, with the most skilled craftsmen in the west assembled to hand craft the stonework, woodwork, ironwork and unique trim detailing.

The interior design throughout the Camp Lodge evokes an arts and crafts feel with quilted patchwork upholstered ceilings ranging from neutral tans and browns in the grand entry living room, to deeper reds, greens and purples in the Cliff room, a spectacular octagonal dining room that anchors the western point of site.  Kim Anderson of Vallone Design of Scottsdale, Ariz., created the thoughtful, charming and exquisite design of the Camp Lodge.

And because there is life after golf, the Camp Lodge will feature a full-service club day spa with a delightful menu of massage and therapeutic treatments, outdoor lap and vitality pools.  Other features of the Camp Lodge include men's and ladies' locker rooms, fitness area, golf shop and community post office.

With four indoor dining rooms and five patio areas, club members will have their choice of casual and formal dining areas that accommodate small intimate gatherings or large celebrations. The hallway leading to the dining spaces is an accommodating art gallery.  The Gallery Hallway will be full of original artwork of the Sierras in addition to other original works.  The rest of the clubhouse spaces will be filled with an eclectic mix of appropriately influenced art in the ladies' locker room and spa to more naturally themed art for the men's locker room and fitness studio.

Named Top Second Home Community in the March 2011 issue of Barron's, Martis Camp is a collaboration of DMB Associates and Highlands Management Group -- Scottsdale, Ariz., developers known for some of the most recognized and successful communities in the west. Beyond its amenity offering, life at Martis Camp is defined by an incredible array of homes and cabins that reflect inspired mountain architecture. Homesites are priced from $525,000 and homes from $1,925,000.

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Choice Breaks Ground on South Dakota Cambria Suites

(RAPID CITY, SD) -- Hagg Development Group, Swift Hospitality Group, Consolidated Construction Co. Inc., and Choice Hotels International, Inc., recently celebrated the official groundbreaking of a new Cambria Suites hotel in Rapid City, S.D. This is the first of three groundbreakings this year for the all-suites brand from Choice Hotels designed to appeal to travelers who seek contemporary, upscale accommodations at a great value. The company's two additional groundbreakings will be in New York City.

The 111-suite hotel will be located along Interstate 90 near Cabela's, on the corner of East Mall Drive and Dakota Craft Drive. Consolidated Construction Co. Inc. of Appleton, Wis., serves as general contractor for the hotel project. The groundbreaking ceremony was held today at the construction site with business, community and government leaders in attendance.

The $12.5 million, 74,000-square-foot, four-story building is expected to be completed in spring of 2012. The hotel will have 1,300 square feet of conference room space, as well as a fitness center and indoor pool area. The hotel will be the first and only Cambria Suites hotel to feature a stacked stone exterior instead of brick, reflecting the architecture of the region. One hundred fifty to 200 construction jobs are expected to be created as a result of this hotel development. In addition, the hotel will employ 35 staff members on an ongoing basis, and is expected to generate in excess of $300,000 in tax revenue to the Rapid City area.

The Rapid City Cambria Suites hotel is the second of this hotel chain that Swift Hospitality has developed, after opening the Appleton, Wis., hotel in September 2007. Swift Hospitality Group provides real estate consulting, market analysis development services and management services to individuals and businesses planning to invest in select hospitality properties.

David Swift, president and chief executive officer of Swift Hospitality Group, remarked, "We have seen great results with the Cambria Suites brand, and are excited to bring this unique and distinctive hotel to the Rapid City market."

"We are pleased to bring the Cambria Suites brand to South Dakota, and are excited about the first of three groundbreakings this year," said Michael Murphy, senior vice president of Cambria Suites. "Continuing relationships with dedicated developers like Swift Hospitality is paramount to continuing to build the Cambria Suites brand."

The Cambria Suites hotel brings the latest in hotel innovation to the Rapid City area. Each room will be a spacious suite that's larger than most standard hotel rooms, and includes separate work and living areas with ergonomic chairs, movable desks, luxury linens, and Bath and Body Works products. Each room will offer the latest in technology, including two flat-screen LCD televisions and MediaHub(TM) plug-and-play technology, allowing guests to connect their laptop, MP3 player, game console, digital camera or CD/DVD player hassle-free. Free high-speed wired and wireless Internet access will be available throughout the hotel so that guests can stay connected even while vacationing.

Like all Cambria Suites hotels, the Rapid City property will feature: Reflect, a casual dining and gathering area serving a dinner menu, liquor, wine, beer, freshly prepared grab-and-go gourmet salads and sandwiches, a barista bar featuring Wolfgang Puck coffee, Cheesecake Factory® desserts and a hot breakfast buffet; Refresh, a state-of-the-art fitness center with an elegant pool and hot tub/spa area; and Refill, a 24-7 convenience store that offers energy drinks, snacks and sundries.

There are currently 19 properties open across the country.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 490,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories

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