Bill Blackham, president and chief executive officer of thehotel REIT, says in a statement that the firm, which owns 12 otherhotel properties in eight states and Puerto Rico, has beentargeting Boston's high barrier-to-entry market for some time.

"The Boston market is clearly in the early stages of anexpansionary phase," says Blackham, noting that the recentcompletion of the Boston Convention Center combined with theexpansion of Logan International Airport and the redevelopment ofthe South Boston Waterfront has helped establish the city as one ofthe country's premier urban markets. Blackham adds that as the onlyall-suite hotel in the airport submarket, the hotel is uniquelypositioned to capture business from both corporate and leisuretravelers.

Located at 207 Porter St., the 273-room hotel, the only brandedEmbassy Suites in Boston, was built in 2003 and featuresapproximately 5,000 sf of meeting space, a 2,400-sf ballroom, and a180-space on-site parking facility, along with a restaurant,lounge, indoor pool, and a fitness center.