Accor North America opened Motel 6 properties in Mason, OH and Joliet, IL

The membership organization added the Best Western Avita Suites in Torrance, CA; the Best Western San Antonio East Inn and Suites; the Best Western Meridian Inn and Suites in Orange, CA; and the Best Western Innisfail Inn in Alberta, Canada.

New Country Inn & Suites by Carlson opened in Crestview, FL and Rossford, OH.

The Cambria Suites at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, NC opened in December to become the brand's 10th location. The ninth to open was the Cambria Suites in Pueblo, CO in November.

The Hilton San Diego Bayfront, host of this month's America's Lodging Industry Summit, opened in December. The 1,190-room hotel features the city's first saltwater hotel swimming pool and is located next to the San Diego Convention Center.

The Hilton Garden Inn Myrtle Beach and the Hilton Garden Inn Shreveport (LA) opened in November. American Liberty Hospitality closed on financing for a 262-room Embassy Suites in Houston.

The 108-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Mexico City/Centro Historico opened, while Cooper Hotels broke ground on a Hampton Inn & Suites at the Detroit Metro Airport. Growth Property Hospitality Management took over management of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Amarillo, TX and Hotel Equities will manage the new-build Hampton Inn & Suites in Brunswick, GA when it opens this year.

The 151-room Holiday Inn IPFW & Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN opened in November, while Holiday Inn Express added locations at LaGuardia Airport in New York City and in the greater Toronto area of Ontario.

BayStar Hotel Group is developing a 168-room Hotel Indigo in Tampa slated to open in 2010, while IHG signed a deal in Shaghai for the first Hotel Indigo in Asia.

The Crowne Plaza Newark Airport opened after a $10-million renovation and conversion from a Four Points.

The Staybridge Suites DFW Airport North opened in Irving, TX.

Robert Finvarb Companies will open its seventh Marriott in seven years with the 198-room SpringHill Suites set to debut in Miami's Health District by fall 2009.

Beachside Resort & Conference Center in Key West, FL reopened in December as the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel.

Marriott also opened SpringHill Suites locations in Roseville, CA and Naples, FL; a Courtyard in West Des Moines, IA; and a Fairfield Inn & Suites in Fort Pierce, FL.

Company opened the aloft Chesapeake (VA) in November, while plans for aloft properties in West Palm Beach, FL; Phoenix; and Birmingham, MI were announced.

The former Waterfront Hotel Stockton (CA) at Regent Pointe became the Lexington Plaza Waterfront Hotel in November. It was the second Sheraton to join Lexington that month.

The economy extended stay hotel chain opened 15 newly built properties the past two months and had approximately 140 locations open in 25 states at the end of 2008. Since the brand's debut in 2003, 47 franchise groups have committed to build over 600 hotels in the next 10 years.

The former Waterfront Hotel Stockton (CA) at Regent Pointe became the Lexington Plaza Waterfront Hotel in November. It was the second Sheraton to join Lexington that month.