The Cambria is open and ready to welcome guests. The BRP designed 128-room upscale hotel sits in downtown Omaha near numerous businesses and attractions. The property, which is anticipating LEED Gold status, is the first Cambria in Nebraska.
The hotel, which sits on a compact urban site, was a redesign of the typical Cambria prototype. Because of this, there are two front entrances. “What’s really nice is when you’re standing in the center of the lobby, there are large windows both to the east and west, and you get an abundance of natural light in the space,” explains Gerri Kielhofner, BRP Architect & Partner. Because of the site constraints, there are also no guest rooms on the first floor, so the entire space is dedicated to a spacious lobby, large fitness room, indoor pool, a board room, meeting rooms and restaurant.
The Cambria site was once a train yard, the Webster Street Station, part of the Omaha Belt Line railway.
One unique feature of the hotel is the history of its site. It was once a train yard, the Webster Street Station, part of the Omaha Belt Line railway. When excavation for the hotel began, contractors discovered several large wooden timbers buried in the ground. The owner had these removed and sawn into planks that were incorporated into the lobby. “They really added a unique aspect to the interior design and made the ‘recycled’ aspect of LEED quite visible in the final design,” says Gerri.
The Cambria features many amenities including contemporary guest rooms with modern fixtures and abundant lighting, spa-style bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors, a multi-functional meeting space, a fitness center, as well as onsite dining featuring freshly made food, local craft beer, wine, cocktails and appetizers.
The hotel, which is anticipating LEED Gold status, has many sustainable design features. The hotel has an efficient mechanical system throughout that contributes multiple points on the LEED scorecard for optimizing energy performance. Low flow water fixtures, green power, construction waste management and recycled materials were also contributing factors.
The Cambria is located close to the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the historic Old Market neighborhood. It’s also a short distance from TD Ameritrade Park, home of the NCAA College World Series. “The Cambria Hotel Downtown Omaha’s prime location offers travelers access to more than 45,000 businesses and the opportunity to immerse themselves in Omaha’s vibrant local culture,” said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels.
Project Team:
Architect: BRP
Contractor: Killian Construction
MEP Engineer: MFEC, a division of RTM
Structural Engineer: J&M Engineering
Civil Engineer: E&A Consulting Group, Inc.
LEED Consultants: Zachry Engineering
Also in the February Newsletter: Behind the Beams: Get to know BRP Meet Alex, Our Newest Team Member