In U.S. hotel developments, Manhattan reclaims a classic midtown property and gains a new Design Hotels property in its Soho district; Marriott cuts the ribbon on a dual-branded location in San Diego; a big Hyatt Regency with lots of conference facilities makes its debut just outside of Denver; Starwood adds a new affiliate in Orange County, California; and Rosewood Hotels gains a foothold in the nation’s capital.

Remember the Barclay InterContinental? It was a mainstay of Manhattan’s Midtown lodging scene for decades, but it’s been closed for the past year and a half. Now, the Barclay’s reopening is set for April 29 following what it calls “the most ambitious restoration in its history.” The 700-room hotel at 111 East 48^th Street, originally built by the Vanderbilt family and dating back to 1926, got a $180 million overhaul that gave it renovated guest accommodations, suites, and meeting rooms; a new Club Lounge; new restaurant and bar; and a slightly revised name – it’s now called the InterContinental New York Barclay. Rates start at $366.

Also newly opened in New York is 11 Howard, a 221-room luxury boutique property in Soho at the corner of Howard and Lafayette streets, just above Canal Street. A member of the trendy Design Hotels group, 11 Howard occupies a former Post Office building and boasts Scandinavian design from its interiors to its furniture, along with innovative art (a Calder mobile suspended from the ceiling, an exterior wall covered with a mural, etc.)  and a French restaurant called Le CouCou from chef Daniel Rose. Rates range from $289 to $442.

The newest accommodations in downtown San Diego are in a dual-branded Marriott property that includes two all-suite brands — SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn — in the city’s Bayfront district. Specifically, they’re at Broadway and Pacific Highway, a short walk from the USS Midway museum. The SpringHill Suites side has 253 units while the Residence Inn has 147. Guests are entitled to free breakfasts, and the properties share a fifth-floor outdoor pool and a fitness center. Rates start around $150 at both properties.

On the east side of Denver in suburban Aurora is the newly opened Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, a 249-room property (including 49 suites) that will serve the big University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus next door with its 36,000 square feet of conference space in 15 meeting rooms. All accommodations offer Wi-Fi and 55-inch TVs. The hotel’s signature restaurant is called Borealis, with an eclectic mix of cuisines, and there’s a big fitness center, a hot tub, and an outdoor pool and deck. Rates start at $180 for Gold Passport members.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has added a key southern California location to its Tribute Portfolio, a collection of independent properties that participate in Starwood’s reservations system and its Preferred Guest loyalty program. It’s the 238-room Avenue of the Arts Hotel Costa Mesa in Orange County, with a lakeside location in the city’s corporate center next to the South Coast Plaza mall. The hotel recently finished a significant renovation. Rates start at $199.

In Washington D.C., the upscale Georgetown hotel that was formerly known as the Capella Washington has brought in new management by Rosewood Hotels, which has rebranded the property as the Rosewood Washington D.C. Located along the C&O Canal, the hotel is small – just 49 rooms and suites – and located in one of the capital’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It offers dining in the Grill Room restaurant, a selection of rare rye whiskeys in the Rye Bar, and a rooftop lounge and pool. Rates start at $545.

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