Cambria Hotel in the Vista holds grand opening

Listen to this article

One of the Midlands’ newest hotels is now officially open for business.

Cambria Hotel Columbia Downtown The Vista held its grand opening event Oct. 12, offering attendees a view of the new 144-room, four-story upscale hotel at 1000 Lady St.

Cambria Hotels is a brand franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc. There are six other Cambrias in South Carolina – in Greenville, Fort Mill, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Rock Hill – and 60 nationwide.

The Cambria in the Vista opened to guests in June, but the grand opening offered a chance for Choice Hotels officials as well as city and state representatives to celebrate the new addition to the city’s hospitality offerings.

“Cambria is our newest brand, and we’re trying to offer an upscale space for the modern traveler,” said Janice Cannon, Choice Hotels’ senior vice president for upscale brands. “We’re trying to cater to that traveler who is also design-literate and looking for something unique and different in a hotel.”

Also in attendance was Mark O’Neil, executive vice president of operations for Pyramid Hotel Group, the hotel’s management company.

Choice Hotels on behalf of the Cambria Vista location also donated $5,000 to the University of South Carolina’s School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management. An official from the school said the funds would go toward a program to help attract students from minority and underserved communities.

Columbia’s Cambria was developed by Highside Development in collaboration with Pyramid Hotel Group. LS3P of Columbia was the architect for the project. McCrory Construction was the contractor, with interior decoration by Elementum.

The hotel features onsite dining and a bar serving local craft beer, wine and specialty cocktails. There also are multipurpose indoor and outdoor spaces for work or leisure, multifunction meeting and event spaces and a fitness center.