CRANBERRY TWP — Soon there will be more places to stay the night here as four hotels are planned and a fifth, originally approved by the township, is seeking another location.

One of those hotels is approved for construction at the corner of Rochester Road and Graham School Road in the Mallards Landing development.

The hotel, the name of which the developer has not revealed, is approved for 44 rooms and 58,700 square feet.

Three others are in the middle of the township land development process.

A Candlewood Suites hotel has been added to the Oak Tree Place development under construction on Route 19 at the former site of the Oak Leaf Motel. The new hotel is proposed to be 44,879 square feet and 74 total rooms.

Two others are proposed in the Village of Cranberry Woods development in the shadow of Westinghouse Electric's new headquarters.

The site is proposed for a 135-room, 86,753-square-foot Hilton Gardens Inn and a 114-room, 88,642-square-foot Homewood Suites.

The fifth hotel chain, Cambria Suites, originally was approved for the Hereford & Hops location. However, that property was eventually sold in bankruptcy proceedings to another restaurateur.

Township officials said the developers are looking for another suitable property for their potential hotel development.

The Cambria Suites was originally approved last year was for 129 rooms and 84,705 square feet.

Township manager Jerry Andree said although the Hereford & Hops property sold to another unnamed restaurant interest, Cambria Suites, the previous suitor for that site, is continuing to pursue properties in the township to build a hotel.

Andree also added the township continues to have interest from other hotel chains.

There are these seven hotels in operation in Cranberry:

• Fairfield Inn by Marriott Pittsburgh/Cranberry, 30 St. Francis Way, 102 rooms, 39,417 square feet.

• Hampton Inn, 210 Executive Drive, 117 rooms, 18,193 square feet.

• Holiday Inn Express, 20003 U.S. Route 19, 102 rooms, 26,521 square feet.

• Hyatt Place, 136 Emeryville Drive, 127 rooms, 114,995 square feet.

• Marriott Pittsburgh North, 100 Cranberry Woods Drive, 295 rooms, 591,597 square feet.

• Red Roof Inn North, 20009 U.S. Route 19, 108 rooms, 47,937 square feet.

• Residence Inn by Marriott, 1308 Freedom Road, 96 rooms, 96,759 square feet.

One of the major driving forces for the hotel developments is the township's newest corporate headquarters for Westinghouse in the Cranberry Woods office park off Route 228.

Ron Henshaw, township director of community development, said Westinghouse is contributing to the need for hotel space. Andree also said Westinghouse has had a significant impact on the investments in new hotels in the area.

The township's comprehensive plan called for land use regulations that encouraged the development of office parks.

"Office parks generate significant business related travel," Andree said.

"Look at the creation of the Cranberry Taxi service, a relatively new service. You see those taxis everywhere in the township and especially in the various business parks."

Although everyone sees the high profile expansion of the Cranberry Woods site, there is also land development in the other township business parks including the Cranberry Business Park off Unionville Road and the RIDC Thorn Hill Industrial Park off Commonwealth Drive.

Having more hotel rooms generates more of everything, more jobs for hotel staff, more supplies and food, and other jobs that support visiting business people, including the expanded service of taxis, explained Andree.

Having more hotels rooms means more support for the tourism business, he said.

"The tourism bureau does a great job promoting Butler County and having a wide variety of places to stay for tourists is helpful in meeting the travel needs of the tourism component," Andree said.

"And certainly, the hotels generate sales tax for the state and room tax revenue for the county to support tourism."

The tourism bureau receives funds from a 3 percent bed tax placed on each room.

Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said he continues to promote overnight stays.

"We're looking forward to getting them up and opened," he said of the proposed hotels.

Cohen said the additional rooms will benefit existing businesses and new business. Many of those businesses require overnight stays for their vendors and business guests.

A number of high profile conventions and events are planned for the county in the next few years that will require hotel rooms, including:

• Women's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, July 5-11.

• North America Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association Convention, July 11-18

• The inaugural Jeep Heritage Festival this year and next year

• Pennsylvania State Bowling Tournament, 2012

• International Fireworks Convention, 2013.