Ocean City’s Newest Brand Hotel Celebrated At Grand Opening

Ocean City’s Newest Brand Hotel Celebrated At Grand Opening

OCEAN CITY – In an effort to promote a more business-friendly state, Gov. Larry Hogan this week joined with franchise owners, government officials and business leaders to celebrate the opening of Ocean City’s new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Jeff Thaler of Atlantic Planning, Development & Design, Inc. said the Fairfield was the first of six new flag hotels to be built in Ocean City. Others include a Home2 Suites, a Country Inn & Suites and a Hyatt Place, to name a few, he explained.

“Business friendly is a really good term to use for Maryland now,” he said. “It’s (Ocean City) a great town to live in and a great town to open a business in.”

Located between 25th and 26th streets along Philadelphia Avenue, the Fairfield features more than 100 rooms and nearby amenities for Ocean City visitors. The new hotel is located at the former site of the Misty Harbor Motel.

Thaler said the franchise owners are originally from New Jersey and invested millions of dollars into Maryland’s economy to build the hotel.

“They are the people that made it happen,” he said. “They spent $17 million on this property and this building. It’s a very large investment on their part.”

Hogan applauded the proprietors for investing in Ocean City and a Maryland-based company. Marriott’s corporate office, he explained, is headquartered in Bethesda and employees more than 3,000 individuals.

“Every single day for the past two-and-a-half years our administration has been focused on trying to make Maryland open for business, trying to make Maryland more business-friendly, more competitive, how to help our private sector companies grow and create more jobs,” he said. “Probably the best highlight of my job is opportunities like this to actually see businesses grow and expand their footprint here in Maryland.”

Hogan added that he was pleased to be a part of the grand opening.

“Your success is Ocean City’s success and Worcester County’s success and a success for the state of Maryland,” he said.

Ben Seidel, president and CEO of Real Hospitality Group, the Ocean City-based company managing the Fairfield Inn & Suites, said the hotel is the third of four the company has opened in the month of June. Unlike the others, however, Seidel explained that the Fairfield is in his own backyard.

“I have to tell you it’s humbling to be in your own hometown …,” he said.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan praised those involved with the project for providing another suitable accommodation for visitors.

“If we invest in ourselves, other people will come and invest here,” he said, “and I think this is a prime example of that.”

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

Alternative Text

Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.