No well? Cambria’s operators were a little uneasy about the new bar concept. “We’re only serving premium brands, and we’re charging $8 to $9 for a cocktail,” announced Phil Bielke, senior director brand management for Choice Hotels/Cambria Suites. “Our operators said, ‘We need a well—guests won’t pay those prices.’ We said, ‘That’s not our concept—trust us.’ We offer the quality, and people pay for it. It’s working.”

Launched in 2007 in Boise, Idaho, Cambria Suites just opened its ninth property and has three rollouts announced through the end of 2008. Seventy properties are under development with twenty scheduled to open in 2009. A tricky economic time by anyone’s measure, Bielke sees business holding steady. “We’re driven by overnight visitors, mostly business travel, and that is holding relatively well. We haven’t seen price resistance yet. Our guests are traditionally on expense accounts, and we’re at a reasonable price point, so I don’t foresee price resistance coming to any significant degree.”

If you haven’t walked into a Cambria Suites yet, you might want to find one and take a peek inside. The multitask lobby model is winding its way through revamps all over the industry, but Cambria is designed from scratch in the luxe lobby approach. “When walking into the hotel, the whole food and beverage program is right there: restaurant, bar, and barista,” Bielke says.

The concept appeals to the uniquely identified Cambria guest. “It’s more of a mindset than a demographic, it’s the ‘striver’ mindset of those who want to be the best and have the best. Our guests are younger and a bit more affluent. They’re mid-twenties to late forties, but because it’s a mindset, it can carry over into the fifties and sixties. It’s about thinking young, appreciating and using technology, and being ambitious, with an emphasis on quality and style in lifestyle choices. They’re multitaskers who want to work and be social and be surrounded by the things they want to be surrounded by—on a budget.”

Lunch is only grab ‘n’ go (served 24/7), but the evening is about relaxing and networking. “They are in the lobby with a BlackBerry, laptop, cell phone, watching the 52-inch television,” Bielke says. “The Gen X and Y guests, specifically, check in, go to their suites, and come back down. They have the Starbucks mindset, that ‘third place’ to relax, mingle, and interact. That’s not like the boomers.”

“We call our lobby and food and beverage area ‘Reflect,’” adds Bielke. “We’ve learned the space works exceptionally well. The very first day proved it. We had large groups coming in right away. We stood on the second floor overlooking the lobby to watch. The operator tugged my sleeve and said, ‘Take a look. You told me it was going to be this way, but it’s amazing to see it in action.’ A group of three had pulled chairs together with Cosmo, beer, and wine in hand. A man and his son stood with coffee and soda, watching the media wall. A group of four was having dinner. Two people sat at the bar having drinks while another ordered espresso from the barista. One guy at the bar was on his computer. It was exactly as we had planned the space. The guests ranged in age from ten years to fifties or sixties. It worked beautifully, really functioning as designed.”

The bar offers only premium pour spirits and a selection of name-brand wine and beer. A vodka drink? Choose from Grey Goose or Ketel One. How small is the inventory? “It all fits in a cabinet,” laughs Bielke. “The whole spirits inventory is 24 bottles, including cordials. We can make all the popular drinks. It’s the equivalent of a nice bar at a function.”

If a guest wants something more complicated or is looking for a cheap beer, Bielke doesn’t worry about losing the business. “If they want something exotic, we either sell them something else or send them somewhere more appropriate to what they’re looking for. If they want a $1.50 beer, they’re not our customer; we can direct them to the sports bar down the street. It’s difficult when opening a hotel and you look at food and beverage to augment the hotel experience, when you’re trying to be everything to everyone. The key to success is having a clear target market and pursuing it with what they’re looking for.”

The food and beverage concept pushes high-quality comfort foods and natural/organic foods. An organic wine and beer are on the menu. Alongside Samuel Adams and Stella Artois is Stone Mill Pale Ale, Certified Organic. Otherwise, if they haven’t heard of it, it isn’t on the list. Wines include Beringer White Zinfandel, Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon, and Yellow Tail Shiraz. The trend toward regional customization is pared down to a streamlined brand buzz. There’s one regional beer and wine, and that’s it.

The lobby is plush with soft seating and teched out with a 52-inch television. The same space houses the business area with workstations and printers. Guests can sip on a beer and tackle email, print out a boarding pass, and surf the web. “It allows the guest much more freedom to make the experience what they want to make it. Our service staff is trained to monitor the entire area. They can get the repeat order if they’re good salespeople. We have two good-sized televisions, so if there’s something to entertain them, they’ll stay. If they’re there to network, they’ll stay. If they’re single, we find they will stay a little longer because it’s not intimidating. It’s flexible, not a get-a-drink-and-run bar. They’re hanging around.”

Indeed, the buzz on the mixed-use space with brand uplift is humming. “We get excellent comments,” reports Bielke. “I like to sit and listen to the guests. I was at the Green Bay, Wisconsin, property, and a guy was on his cell phone walking around. He’d had a salad at the bar, and he was pacing and talking: ‘You will not believe this. I’m at this place called Cambria Suites … we’re going to have to start staying here. This isn’t your typical hotel food.’ There was initial concern on the price point, but bottom line, we offer the quality brands and people pay for it.”

It’s an operationally efficient model that combines job functions with a social place. Inventory is low, the space gets maximum use, and it’s easier for service staff. “Overall, it’s what guests and operators are looking for. It’s hard to drive bar business. We’ll never see the ‘70s or early ‘80s consumption levels again. But this way you can make money at it instead of losing it.”

John Paul Boukis is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B.