Project: Texas A&M University Hotel and Conference Center
>>> The new Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center is located on the Texas A&M University campus, directly across from Kyle Field stadium. The 8-story, 252,000 sq. ft. hotel and conference center officially opened in August 2018. The hotel consists of a two-level podium, containing the conference center and ballroom. The upper six floors of the glass and brick tower house 250 hotel guest rooms/suites. Amenities of the 4-star, full-service hotel and conference center include upscale guest rooms featuring state-of-the-art technology, a full-service restaurant, bars and lounges, a gym, a business center and 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space. It also has an outdoor amenity level on the third floor with a swimming pool that prominently features the Texas A&M University logo and a view of Kyle Field.
Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd. (CMS) installed over 98,000 sq. ft. of tile on the project. The original list of materials called for a combination of 33 different sizes and finishes. Nine different vendors were utilized in the acquisition of the tile. In addition to the 33 types, sizes and finishes for the tile, nine different colors of grout were chosen. These choices required meticulous procurement coordination and careful material distribution to the proper installation areas. This was critical since this hotel on was a tight completion schedule to open in time for the first Aggie football game.
The main lobby entry consists of Material Stones 06 Natural Porcelain with an additional 7,300 sq. ft. of 24” x 48” Burl White Natural Porcelain throughout the remainder of the lobby. The monumental stair leading from level 1 to level 3 is clad with Panoramic large format porcelain tile veneer on the steps and landings. Behind the Concierge desk, Winter Chop Ledge Stone Dry Stack in various sizes was installed to complement the “Aggie Maroon” wall.
In the back of the house there is a 10,000 sq. ft. kitchen to service the restaurant and bar areas. Stain and slip-resistant Quarry Textures 4” x 8” pavers were installed in this area over a sloped mudbed. In the buffet area of the restaurant, CMS installed Arc Series Matte White 1” x 2” tiles on the backsplash accent walls and a contrasting Cepac Contour Steel Gray 2” x 4” on the accent walls in the exhibition kitchen. The bistro counter wall features Catalyst Hydrogen Mosaic which is an unusual multi-surface hexagon shaped combination of tiles.
The first and second levels of the hotel are serviced by two large sets of public restrooms. The restroom floors are tiled with 900 sq. ft. Boulevard Gracia 12” x 24”. The walls of the restroom stalls have 450 sq. ft. Pulis Vision Tassellato 9” x 36” porcelain tile and the accent walls have 150 sq. ft. Cepac Classic Rounds. The installation of a Schluter metal cove base differentiates these restrooms from what would be found in a typical hotel. The main function of the second level is the conference center. The pre-function/coffee break area floors for the conference rooms are Burl White Natural Porcelain 24” x 48” pavers and the elevator lobby walls are clad with large format tile.
The 12th Man Bar was completed with a combination of quartz, marble and porcelain tile that created a challenging installation. The finishes consisted of Marble Croix Brown 12” x 12” marble, Bronze Matte 12” x 24” porcelain, and Calacatta & Molten Gray quartz. The thickness of the quartz material is 2 cm compared to 1 cm for the porcelain tile, which meant that 1 cm of the quartz tile would be exposed. In order to provide a refined finish, CMS polished all edges of the quartz tile prior to installation.
The 250 guest rooms on levels 3 thru 8 utilize Dune Blanco porcelain tile. Approximately 32,000 sq. ft. of 12” x 12” and 12” x 24” was used for the room entries and restroom floors. These restrooms are clad with 2,900 sq. ft. of 2” x 2” tile on the shower floors along with 20,200 sq. ft. of 6” x 24” wall tile. As part of the quality control efforts on this project, CMS completed waterproofing tests for each shower prior to installing the finish tile to ensure the showers were water tight.
In addition to the typical rooms there are two suites with upgraded finishes. Each room has a double-sided fireplace clad with 6” x 24” honed White Birch Ledgestone. The master bath in each suite has 300 sq. ft. of Expanse Basalt 24” x 48” floor tile and 360 sq. ft. of White Burl Polished 24” x 48” floor tile with an accent wall featuring 48 sq. ft. of Splitface Silvertron Mini at the vanity back splash. The wall behind the soaking tub is a combination of Expanse Basalt 24” x 48” cut to 8” strips and Splitface Silvertron Mini set on a 45-degree angle, creating a chevron pattern. The shower floor is Chiado Atolia 2” x 2” mosaic. The kitchen/bar area backsplash in each suite is accented with Peperino stained glass tile.
Despite the numerous types of tile and finishes on this fast-paced project, CMS was able to meet the schedule and provide a visually stunning interior to be enjoyed by alumni, current students and their parents or any other traveler visiting the area.