It was about nine months ago that I wrote about the upcoming Brea Place Residence Inn by Marriott, under construction north of Toast Restaurant at State College Boulevard and Birch Street.
The question I hear most often is when will the hotel be completed. According to Don Cape, vice president of Tharaldson Hospitality, which owns the property, they expect completion by the end of this year.
Tharaldson Hospitality will also manage the five-story hotel consisting of 138 rooms including studios, one- and two-bedroom suites.
Residence Inns are extended-stay hotels, and ideal for business people needing to be in town for a week or so, or visiting relatives who prefer more space than your guest room. Or maybe for a family moving into Brea or elsewhere in the area and their new home isn’t quite ready to move in.
This hotel will suit their needs, especially since each suite comes with a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave and even a coffee pot. And free grocery delivery.
For folks who’d rather not fix their own meals, the hotel will have a full-service restaurant plus complimentary breakfasts. Other amenities include a two-story lobby, fitness area, banquet-meeting rooms, outdoor dining, a pool and spa plus cool linear fire pits for relaxing around after a long day of meetings.
The hotel is part of the Brea Place development that includes the Avalon Bay apartments across State College.
Can we expect more hotels cropping up in Brea? Not according to Juan Arauz, Brea’s senior planner, who replied, “None are in the pipeline at this time.”
With the old Tower building remaining vacant since 2005 except for seasonal craft shows, the rumors range from a hotel to a gym going in that spot.
Arauz said they received an inquiry about a gym, but no official application has been submitted. He also noted that a high-end gym remains in the Brea Mall’s expansion plans that include an apartment building plus commercial/retail units. A second apartment building was considered, but not any longer.
Other expansion plans include Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen in Brea Downtown, which recently completed a massive expansion-remodel; including its new 2000-square-foot Brea Cantina, expanded into what once was a Black and White store.
According to Don Myer, one of the restaurant owners, the cantina that will seat up to 75, will have nine large TVs for sports viewing, a separate patio facing Birch Street and a private dining room for tequila and mescal tastings.
They also created a new covered patio dining area that wraps around the side of the building, seating up to 100 guests and keeps them comfy with patio heaters and fans, for year-round enjoyment, added Myers. There are all new furnishings and décor inside the dining room, but some things remain.
“We have kept the original masa grinding stones, “ said Myers, “by making them a focal design in the dining room.”
No way near the size of Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen is Sushi Box in the Brea West Center at Central Avenue and Puente Street.
What is big about Sushi Box, is that they were recently chosen by Tasting Table as one of the 29 Best Ramen Restaurants in the USA.
Congrats to owner Jouyoung Lee and his staff. Hungry for ramen? Give Sushi Box a try.
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at [email protected].