One of the first hotels in the country to combine short- and long-term stay concepts under one roof, the 107-room property celebrated its grand opening Wednesday with local business and tourism leaders.

Located at 132 Amberleigh Lane at the intersection of Amberleigh and Benner Pike, the 52,015-square-foot hotel is divided between Avid Hotels, which caters to shorter stays, and Candlewood Suites, designed for extended visits. Both brands operate under the multinational hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts.

“We have been anticipating this day since ground was broken in June 2024,” Fritz Smith, president and CEO of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, said in a prepared statement ahead of the ceremony. “We applaud the SAI 21 ownership group and the Patel family for their continued investment in our tourism infrastructure.”

The grand opening and ribbon cutting was hosted by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC), with remarks from ownership, tourism officials and community leaders. Following the ceremony, attendees toured the hotel.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Some of the room amenities in the lobby of the new hotel are seen.

“It’s really great to start off the year celebrating and really demonstrating the continued progress and economic growth we’re experiencing here in Centre County and in Bellefonte,” said Greg Scott, president and CEO of the CBICC.

He noted that the dual-brand model is gaining traction nationally.

“This concept of a long-term stay and short-term stay is really catching on, and they’re one of the first in the nation to do it,” Scott told those attending the ceremony.

Smith, who also spoke at the grand opening, said the new hotel, which is one of several cropping up along the Benner Pike, aligns with the region’s strong tourism trajectory.

“There is a lot of positive progress occurring throughout the county right now, and certainly in Bellefonte and along the Benner Pike corridor,” he said. “Additional lodging options complement this growth and are both reflective of and supportive of a strong visitor economy.”

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS One of the rooms at the new dual-branded Avid and Candlewood Suites hotel in Bellefonte is pictured.

After a record year of visitation in 2024, tourism finished strong in 2025, and the early outlook for 2026 shows another potentially record breaking year. Already, tourism is up 12.5 percent from this time last year.

State-wide Centre County has the second-fastest-growing tourism market since the pandemic, according to a tourism economic impact report from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, trailing only Philadelphia and ranking ahead of Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh.

In 2025, the county welcomed 5.1 million visitors, who combined spent about $1 billion locally.

“Let’s get that number up to six million, so we need even more hotels,” Smith said to attendants.

“There are a lot of hotels opening over the course of the next couple of years. So we at the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the CBICC, it is our job to make sure that investment is successful,” he said. “I promise you that we will be working hard to help fill these rooms here.”

The hotel is owned by the SAI 21 ownership group and managed by the Patel family. Drew Patel, the property’s general manager, thanked those involved in bringing the project to completion.

“I want to thank everyone that built this property, from the men and women that built this beautiful hotel, to our partnership that helped us finance this property — your support and belief in this vision came through today,” Patel said.

Amenities at the hotel include free breakfast, an indoor pool, fitness room and outdoor grilling area, and the property is pet-friendly, with a fee.

Located near I-99 and State College Regional Airport, the location provides easy access to Penn State University, Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park — some of the county’s biggest attractions.

“Avid and Candlewood Suites, a new IHG property in Bellefonte, strengthens Happy Valley’s hospitality offerings and supports our growing economy,” said Scott. “We’re proud to welcome the hotel to Centre County, both as a new business and as a new member of the Chamber network.”