Ascend Hotel Collection Surpasses 250 Properties Open or in the Pipeline

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Jan 22, 2018, 10:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ascend Hotel Collection, the world's first and largest soft brand, reached a milestone by surpassing 200 properties open globally, with more than 50 in the pipeline. The upscale brand, franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, finished 2017 with one of its best growth years opening 56 hotels internationally.

Found in popular destinations around the world, new Ascend Hotel Collection properties opened in key markets across the United States in 2017, including Brooklyn, Charleston, Maui, Miami, and San Francisco.

"Travelers today are savvier and crave authentic experiences more than ever, resulting in a high demand for a soft brand in the upscale space and leading to the tremendous expansion for the Ascend brand. Our 250 properties open or under development worldwide further cements our position as the soft brand leader," said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels."

There were seven U.S. openings in December 2017, totaling 48 domestic properties added to the Collection for the year, including:

The Oaks Hotel & Suites (Paso Robles, Calif.) – Located in scenic California Wine Country, this quaint hotel allows guests to enjoy the local flavors of the area.
The Inn at Riverwalk (Edwards, Colo.) – With riverfront views, The Inn at Riverwalk hotel is the ideal place for an outdoor retreat.
BLVD Hotel (Costa Mesa, Calif.) – With a warm Southern California vibe and stylish surf theme, the boutique BLVD Hotel gives guests the local flavor they desire with the amenities they crave.
The Wallhouse Hotel (Walnut Creek, Ohio) – Nestled in the picturesque backdrop of Ohio's Amish Country, the Wallhouse Hotel is an upscale, modern-style boutique property located within a short distance to local destinations.
Palazzo Lakeside Hotel (Kissimmee, Fla.) – The Kissimmee boutique hotel is located only one mile from Walt Disney World and offers gorgeous views of Lake Cecil.
The Cove Hotel (Long Beach, Calif.) – The Cove Hotel provides chic accommodations and is located near Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and Port of Long Beach.
Hotel Petaluma (Petaluma, Calif) – The historic Hotel Petaluma offers chic accommodations and is situated in the heart of Sonoma County's Wine Country.

"A reason for our continued success and growth is that hoteliers are drawn to the unmatched value proposition of the Ascend brand. The brand provides the best of both worlds by letting franchisees keep their independence while having the support of a global hotel company, including industry-leading technology, robust distribution channels and an award-winning loyalty program, Choice Privileges," said Mark Shalala, vice president, development, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. "We look forward to greater expansion in 2018 and providing both guests and owners with a product they love."

For more information on Ascend hotel development opportunities, please visit https://choicehotelsdevelopment.com/ascendcollection/ to learn more.

Ascend Hotel Collection: let the destination reach you.
The Ascend Hotel Collection® is a global portfolio of unique, boutique and historic independent hotels and resorts and is part of Choice Hotels International, one of the world's leading hotel companies. Recognized as the hotel industry's first "soft brand" concept, the Ascend Hotel Collection has more than 200 properties open and operating worldwide, including in France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, Canada, and the Caribbean region. Membership with the Ascend Hotel Collection enables distinctive, independent properties to gain a global presence while maintaining their local charm. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com/Ascend.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With over 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe. As of September 30, 2017, over 800 hotels were in our development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection®, Cambria® Hotels, Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Sleep Inn®, Quality®, Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel®, Econo Lodge®, Rodeway Inn®, and Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels^® brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 33 million members, our Choice Privileges® rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from instant, every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statement
Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, our use of words such as "expect," "estimate," "believe," "anticipate," "should," "will," "forecast," "plan," "project," "assume" or similar words of futurity identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to management. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors.

Several factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes to general, domestic and foreign economic conditions; foreign currency fluctuations; operating risks common in the lodging and franchising industries; changes to the desirability of our brands as viewed by hotel operators and customers; changes to the terms or termination of our contracts with franchisees; our ability to keep pace with improvements in technology utilized for marketing and reservations systems and other operating systems; our ability to grow our franchise system; exposure to risks related to development activities; fluctuations in the supply and demand for hotels rooms; our ability to realize anticipated benefits from acquired businesses; the level of acceptance of alternative growth strategies we may implement; operating risks associated with our international operations; the outcome of litigation; and our ability to manage our indebtedness. These and other risk factors are discussed in detail in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our annual reports on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.