CALIFORNIA, Md. — Local officials, business leaders and members of the community gathered last week to celebrate the grand opening of a new Avid Hotel in California, marking another step in ongoing economic development efforts in the Lexington Park corridor.
The ribbon-cutting event, hosted in partnership with St. Mary’s County Economic Development, drew a large crowd and featured a live jazz ensemble led by Ellington Carthan and students from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, along with tours of the hotel’s amenities and guest rooms.
Owned by Suraj Soni, the new hotel is located at 23274 Three Notch Road and is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio. The property is designed to serve both business and leisure travelers, particularly those connected to nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station and regional industry partners.
The Avid brand focuses on essential travel needs — particularly comfort, cleanliness and convenience. The hotel features 95 rooms and amenities designed for efficiency and accessibility, including fresh bean-to-cup coffee, 24-hour fitness center, complimentary breakfast, a convenience market and extended-stay options for long-term guests.
Soni said the property is intended as a modern, hospitality-driven addition to St. Mary’s County, emphasizing guest experience, community connection and the role hotels play in supporting regional tourism and economic growth.
“Hotels are one of the key drivers for local tourism,” Soni said. “St. Mary’s County is at least an hour away from any major metro city, so whoever is coming down — for business, leisure or tourism — they need a place to stay. That’s where the hotels come in.”
Soni highlighted the hotel’s proximity to regional demand drivers such as Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the growing number of local attractions and new developments like museums and the YMCA, noting that these investments bring visitors who need places to stay.
“We are the most vibrant hotel in the town, and what sets us apart from our competitors is our hospitality,” Soni said. “If you come here, you will feel at home.”
Soni also stressed the hotel’s role as a “front door” to the county, saying hospitality businesses often serve as a first impression for visitors. He credited local economic development officials and community leaders for helping bring the project to life and integrate it into the community.
“We are not just a hotel. We don’t only represent the brand — we also represent the county,” Soni said.
Additionally, Soni said that within its first five months, the hotel has already seen extended-stay guests, including individuals staying for work or personal transitions, reinforcing the property’s “home-like” environment.
Designed For Modern Travelers
The Avid brand focuses on what it calls the “essentials done right,” emphasizing sleep quality, cleanliness and convenience for everyday travel.
Rooms are built around rest-focused features, including high-quality mattresses, blackout roller shades and noise-reducing design elements aimed at improving sleep quality.
Guests also have access to a range of streamlined amenities, including:
- Free grab-and-go breakfast with hot options
- 24-hour fitness center
- In-room TV casting
- 24-hour bean-to-cup coffee service
- 24-hour self-serve market
- Dedicated workspace areas in rooms
The hotel also features a modern lobby designed as a flexible gathering space for guests, offering areas to meet, work or relax throughout the day.
Officials Say New Hotel Strengthens Tourism, Business Travel Capacity
Liz Mildenstein, executive director of Visit St. Mary’s, said that the addition of a new hotel like Avid is a key piece of St. Mary’s County’s broader tourism infrastructure, particularly as the region continues to grow its event-driven and regional destination economy.
“Having a diverse number of hotels at varying price points is really important so all visitors have access to well-maintained, safe accommodations,” Mildenstein said. “Avid is going to be a great partner. They’ve been great to work with throughout their development.”
Mildenstein said maintaining a diverse mix of clean, safe and well-managed accommodations is critical to support both large-scale events and everyday visitors. With more than 800 hotel rooms already in the county, she said demand regularly peaks during major events, and underscored the need for additional, modern lodging options at varying price points.
“We have over 800 hotel rooms in the county, and that doesn’t include short-term rentals or bed-and-breakfasts,” Mildenstein said. “When we have large-scale events, those weekends sell out.”
Mildenstein also highlighted business travelers — including those tied to Patuxent River Naval Air Station and the nearby St. Mary’s County Airport and innovation district — as an important part of the tourism ecosystem. She noted that hotels like Avid help provide a “home away from home” for both short- and long-term stays, while Visit St. Mary’s works to connect guests with local businesses and experiences beyond the hotel.
“We absolutely consider our business travelers as tourists. When they come in, they’re still supporting our local businesses,” Mildenstein said. “We want them to feel at home while they’re here, for whatever amount of time that is.”
Cindy Greb, director of the St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Department, described the opening of the Avid Hotel as part of the natural “ebb and flow” of economic development in St. Mary’s County, highlighting how changing market conditions, population needs and investment trends shape the local hospitality landscape over time.
“Everything ebbs and flows,” Greb said. “The needs of the community change, the economy changes, and development changes with it.”
Greb said the project was the result of coordinated efforts across private investors, as well as local partners, and the county’s role provided the pathways for businesses like Avid to succeed, adapt and grow.
“We try to provide the resources so businesses can remain strong, sustainable and continue to grow,” Greb said. “We need to be adaptable and diverse enough to provide opportunities for people who want to come to St. Mary’s County.”
Greb highlighted the significance of the hotel choosing St. Mary’s County, noting that new investment strengthens both the local economy and tourism capacity while supporting the county’s evolving needs tied to the base, innovation sectors like the AeroPark and broader visitor experiences along the Chesapeake Bay.
Economic Impact And Local Support
County and state officials in attendance pointed to the project as a sign of continued investment in the region’s hospitality and business infrastructure.
State Del. Todd Morgan, D-29C, said the new Avid Hotel is a well-timed addition to the California/Lexington Park corridor, citing its location on Route 235, proximity to restaurants, movie theaters and Patuxent River Naval Air Station, and its potential to serve weekday business travel, extended stay and weekend tourism.
“It’s a beautiful hotel, probably the right place at the right time for this type of a unit in St. Mary’s County,” Morgan said. “The proximity is perfect.”
Morgan said the hotel fits into a broader economic development picture as St. Mary’s County looks to build momentum around tourism, sports, restaurants, lodging and base-related travel. He also pointed to ongoing tourism as a driver for weekend hotel demand.
“From a tourism point of view, we have a lot of things going on here that are starting to build momentum,” Morgan said. “Sunday through Thursday, we have base customers and contractors coming in. Then on the weekends, there’s a whole other market that we can be serving.”
St. Mary’s County Commissioner Scott Ostrow emphasized the broader countywide impact of the new Avid Hotel, saying it was part of a larger push to strengthen tourism, improve property standards and attract new investment to St. Mary’s County.
“We’re trying to encourage more people to come into St. Mary’s County — not only for work, but also for leisure, to see what a beautiful county we have,” Ostrow said. “We want people to know they can stay for a reasonable price, not an arm and a leg, in a beautiful, modern hotel in a beautiful area.”
Ostrow said the hotel supports ongoing efforts by Visit St. Mary’s and the Department of Economic Development to draw more visitors not just for work tied to Patuxent River Naval Air Station, but also for leisure travel. He highlighted the importance of offering modern, affordable accommodations that reflect the county’s image and help create a positive first impression for visitors.
“This Avid Hotel is an excellent example of people who want to come into our community and invest in our community,” Ostrow said. “It’s great for our local economy. There are so many pluses that this is going to bring.”
Commissioner Ostrow also connected the project to a wider initiative focused on revitalizing commercial corridors and holding property owners accountable for maintaining and improving aging retail centers and infrastructure. He said projects like the Avid Hotel signal confidence in the local economy and can help attract additional business development.
“We’re working our way through the county, fixing up older shopping centers and buildings and asking property owners to step up and take care of their properties,” Ostrow said. “Businesses do look at things like hotels and other developments when they’re deciding where to invest.”
A Strategic Location
The hotel’s location is minutes from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, making it a practical option for military personnel, contractors and business travelers. It also provides access to the St. Mary’s County Airport and the Aeropark innovation district, regional attractions, including museums, historic sites, shopping districts and destinations such as Solomons Island and several state parks.
Its position near the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge gives visitors access to major Maryland corridors Route 4 and Route 5, making it easy to explore Southern Maryland’s waterfront destinations and scenic byways while staying connected to the broader region.
The property is pet-friendly and offers complimentary parking and Wi-Fi, aligning with the brand’s focus on simplicity and value.
Community-Focused Opening
The opening event reflected strong community support, with local officials, business leaders and residents gathering to welcome the new investment. As visitors continue to arrive for work, events and leisure, officials said projects like the Avid Hotel will play a key role in shaping how St. Mary’s County presents itself to the region — and to those discovering it for the first time.
