December 16, 2013

$16M expansion for Cedarbrook Lodge

Photo courtesy of Jeff Caven Photography [enlarge]

Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac has broken ground on a $16 million expansion that will add 63 guest rooms in a new five-story building, a 3,350-square-foot spa, an outdoor heated whirlpool and 49 parking spaces.

The lodge is at 18525 36th Ave. S. The expansion was designed by GGLO and is being built by Lease Crutcher Lewis. Seneca Group is the project manager.

Cedarbrook officials said in a press release that this will increase the capacity by 60 percent, bringing the number of guest rooms and suites to 167.

It will help Cedarbrook serve more guests and larger corporate groups, said Stuart Rolfe, president of Wright Hotels, a Seattle-based company that is the managing member of Cedarbrook Lodge LLC.

“Cedarbrook has become a prime destination for business and leisure travelers alike,” he said. “Although the recent Proposition One $15 minimum wage initiative will have a negative impact on profitability, we are still committed to move forward. We envision this expansion to be a critical piece to the long-term continued success of the property.”

Washington Mutual opened Cedarbrook in 2003 for training, meetings and housing out-of-town employees. It was designed with a 15,000-square-foot conference center, a 250-seat auditorium, 110 guest rooms and suites, a fitness center, a restaurant and bar, and streams and walking trails.

In 2009 an entity that includes executives of Wright Hotels and the Seattle-based Shelby Co. bought Cedarbrook for $9 million in what one of the buyers called a “hot deal.”

Yogi Hutsen of Coastal Hotels Group said at the time, “I am sure this facility cost in excess of $40 million to build.”

Coastal manages Cedarbrook Lodge.

The seller was JPMorgan Chase, which acquired Cedarbrook in 2008 following the collapse of WaMu.

Wright Hotels markets the lodge to travelers and also corporate groups for meetings and conferences. The lodge has won awards from travel websites, including TripAdvisor.