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Hilton Worldwide today launched a new brand, “Curio – a Collection by Hilton,” with plans to develop one of those four- and five-star hotels in downtown Portland.

Three existing hotels in Las Vegas, Houston and Rapid City, S.D., will be converted into Curio properties; new developments are on tap in Chapel Hill, N.C. and Portland. Hilton is partnering with Syracuse, N.Y.-based development company Widewaters Group for the Portland project; ground is slated to be broken in early 2015.

The project — planned for the former Pendleton Building property — is expected to include approximately 300 rooms, a themed ground-floor restaurant, a rooftop restaurant and lounge, event space and a fitness facility with an indoor pool and spa. Widewaters Group in November bought the Pendleton Building property, at 202-218 S.W. Jefferson St., via Portland Hotel Ownership LLC for $4.5 million. Prior to the purchase, GBD Architects submitted to the city conceptual drawings for a 23-story tower on the site.

“We’re targeting major cities, as well as leading resort destinations around the world,” Hilton Worldwide spokeswoman Christine Miller said. “Portland is one of the markets we felt had a strong tourism demand, and that it would be a great market for us to build in.”

Hilton officials are hoping to open the Portland hotel by late 2016.