Nov. 15--A massive renovation that turned Fairfield Inn into a 105-room Fairfield Inn & Suites was celebrated Friday at a grand reopening.

"What Plamondon Hospitality Associates has done with this hotel is a big win for the Frederick and Washington, D.C., areas and our Fairfield Inn & Suites brand," said David Marriott, senior vice president for global sales of Marriott International Inc. "This hotel is a stunning example of the brand's contemporary new look and feel, and we congratulate our franchise partners, the Plamondon family."

Business and political leaders were welcomed to the reincarnation of the company's first hotel, which opened in 1996.

The conversion of Fairfield Inn to Fairfield Inn & Suites is a great milestone for the company, Plamondon Cos. co-owner Pete Plamondon Jr. said. The changes included a variety of enhancements to guest rooms and public areas, as well as the addition of distinctively designed suites, including the signature "king suite" that offers separate living and sleeping areas, according to a company press release.

Marriott said the popular, moderatetier Fairfield Inn & Suites brand is designed for today's productivity-driven business traveler who is looking for exceptional service, a great value and a comfortable, friendly place to stay.

"This hotel has sure come a long way since 1996 when you first opened," Marriott said. "We're delighted to work with the Plamondons and we're proud of the partnership we have."

Marriott International's success is attributed to individual local operators and partnerships, Marriott said.

Marriott's partnership with the Plamondons includes two other hotels -- Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott. The Plamondons also own eight Roy Rogers restaurants in Frederick County. Plamondon Cos. co-owner Jim Plamondon credited his brother Pete with the vision to get the food service company into the hotel business. That vision was thankfully approved by their father, Pete Plamondon Sr., the younger Plamondon said.

"This hotel was our largest endeavor. We knew it was a large leap to go from restaurants to hotels, but we knew it was the right market with the right brand," he said.

The Plamondons' success is a clear recognition of the trends in the market, said John Fieseler, executive director of Frederick County Tourism Council.

The hotel's 1996 opening was Frederick's first new hotel in eight years.

The project was a catalyst for other hotels, he said. "We know that Marriott does their homework before locating to an area so that speaks to tourism's potential in this area," Fieseler said. The hotel was the first Fairfield Inn in Maryland and the Washington area. There are more than 560 Fairfield Inns and Fairfield Inn & Suites, with another 180 new hotels scheduled to open in the next few years, Marriott said.

The hotel's location at 5220 Westview Drive, which is 30 minutes away from Marriott International's headquarters in Bethesda, is an added bonus, Pete Plamondon said.

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