Developers planting Hilton Garden Inn in park

Friday, Jan. 18, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted image An artist’s rendering of a planned Hilton Garden Inn in the O’Donnell Lake Restaurant Park. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Shamin Hotels, through its subsidiary, St. Charles Hospitality LLC, recently bought the parcel from Waldorf-based developer, American Community Properties Trust, for $1,950,000, according to public property sale records.

The $20 million Hilton will open at the intersection of St. Patrick’s Drive and Smallwood Drive in Westlake Village in 2009, and will feature a restaurant, bar, boardroom and banquet rooms for up to 250 people. The hotel will create 25 to 50 jobs, said Jay Shah, vice president of Shamin Hotels.

‘‘We feel like Waldorf is a pretty fast-growing community. ... Waldorf was really in need of a full service hotel ... with added amenities,” he said of why the company chose the location. ‘‘So we thought it would be a good fit. Initially I really wanted to be on [U.S.] 301. But after seeing what they’ve developed there at O’Donnell Lake I think our hotel will complement the development and other users of the park will complement the hotel. ... It’d be a really nice place for the banquet aspect of it.”

ACPT spokesman Craig Renner said the sale is encouraging for the county’s economic growth.

‘‘I think [the sale] shows a continuing appeal of the restaurant park and St. Charles in general as a place where companies want to do business. The concept we have ... has been very well-received in the community...It’s going to make for a quality venue for having dinners and having friends stay when they come to visit.”

Ben Hiatt, director of development and operations for Boston’s Gourmet Pizza and Sports Bar, which is currently situated on the park’s site, said the company settled on the site almost two years ago because of close proximity to the mall, the attractive lake, and the potential as a destination spot.

‘‘[The restaurant] has done very well. The hotel is particularly exciting as well because hotels attract people staying overnight and brings us new customers. Anytime you can have a hotel in your backyard, or in our case, front yard, I think it will be a significant advantage,” he said.

ACPT has also begun construction of a two-story mixed-use office building in the same complex.

The building will have restaurant space, 10,000 square feet of office space, a waterfront view, and access to the O’Donnell Lake boardwalk. Occupancy will begin in early 2009.

The approved plan for the entire park includes five freestanding restaurants, two commercial office buildings and the Hilton Garden Inn. A boardwalk and bridge across O’Donnell Lake will connect the restaurant park to the St. Charles Towne Center and movie theater.

‘‘[The hotel is a] tourism and an economic development advantage in that it will serve business travelers, especially there, where there will be more business locations as the county continues to grow,” said Marcia Keeth, acting director of the Charles County Economic Development Department.

‘‘It will serve our business and pleasure travelers and that’s an ideal location for something like that ... it creates a wonderful mixed use facility where you have office and shopping and dining...all right there together. It’s a wonderful move in the right direction when it comes to smart growth.”

Email Kayleigh Kulp at kkulp@somdnews.com.