"It is a very important transaction because it enhances ourpresence in the northeast, which we have been very focused on inthe last year," Temple Weiss, EVP of acquisitions and developmentfor LaQuinta, tells GlobeSt.com. "As a result, we are hoping tocontinue to expand in this market through acquisitions andbranding."

In 2006, La Quinta opened 85 hotels across the US, a strategy itplans to continue this year. "In 2007, we will continue toaggressively grow the La Quinta brand through both corporateacquisitions and franchising with more than 200 hotels opened and135 hotels in the pipeline," says Wayne Goldberg, president and CEOof La Quinta, in a statement.

The deal includes the following hotels: the 131-room La QuintaInn & Suites Baltimore North in Baltimore; the 130-key LaQuinta Inn & Suites Baltimore BWI Airport in Linthicum Heights,MD; the 105-room La Quinta Inn & Suites Columbia Jessup inJessup, MD; the 152-key La Quinta Inn & Suites New Haven in NewHaven; the 105-unit La Quinta Inn & Suites Portland inPortland, ME; the 105-room La Quinta Inn & Suites Salem inSalem, NH; the 158-key La Quinta Inn & Suites Stamford inStamford, CT; and the 115-room La Quinta Inn & Suites Warwickin Warwick, RI.