The owners and staff of the new 140-key TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel officially opened the doors on March 6. The TownePlace Suites hotel, which is located at 30 Eastern Ave., was developed by XSS Hotels. PROCON was the architect and construction manager for the $13.4 million development. The property is being managed by Colwen Hotels. "We are excited to open this beautiful new hotel," said Leo Xarras of XSS Hotels. "Our goal is to provide our guests with a very positive hospitality experience by providing exceptional service and in a comfortable upscale setting." The new hotel, which is adjacent to the Rte. 1A Bridge in Chelsea, is a 5 minute drive to Logan Airport, and downtown Boston, with historical landmarks, museums, and shopping, is less than two miles away. In addition, the first stop of the new MBTA Silver Line Extension will be across the street and is scheduled to begin service in 2017. PROCON designed the 82,000 s/f TownePlace Suites hotel to achieve LEED Silver. The hotel used regional & recycled materials in construction and incorporated environmentally friendly design elements such as a white roof, over-sized windows, low-flow plumbing fixtures and LED lighting throughout the hotel's common area and parking lot. The 5-story hotel offers king studio and one-bedroom suites with living areas. All the rooms include a microwave oven, refrigerator, cook top, dishwasher, disposal and coffee maker. The hotel amenities include a business center, indoor pool and fitness room, complimentary breakfast buffet and a full bar with limited food service during the evening hours. The hotel site includes 82 street level parking spaces. The building's first floor houses the lobby and common rooms, with ground level parking. Floors 2 thru 5 house the hotel's guest rooms. The hotel's exterior design features a Porte Coche leading from the parking area to the hotel entrance and an oversized, curved storefront window at the corner of the building. The exterior finishes feature brick veneer, insulated metal paneling and cast stone. The TownePlace Suites is one of three hotel projects PROCON has recently designed and built for XSS Hotels in Chelsea. The 128-key Chelsea Residence Inn by Marriott was completed in 2012 and site work recently began on a new 152-key Homewood Suites by Hilton directly across the street from the Residence Inn.