Cambria Hotels on Pace to Set Record Year with Most Openings and Largest Pipeline in Brand's History

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Oct 30, 2017, 08:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambria Hotels is on track to finish 2017 with the most property openings in a single year in the brand's history. The upscale brand, one of 11 Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) brands, now has 32 open hotels in the United States. Six hotels have opened and four more are scheduled to open this year. In addition, there are more than 70 Cambria properties in the pipeline.

Cambria Hotel New Orleans Warehouse District Guestroom

In 2017, new Cambria properties opened in key regions of the country, including Los Angeles – LAX, the brand's first property on the west coast; Chicago Loop-Theatre District, the brand's first adaptive reuse; Newport, R.I.; and, most recently, New Orleans. The Cambria brand also plans to add two new properties in November in Asheville, N.C., and Westfield, Ind., followed by Phoenix and Dallas in December.

The Cambria brand offers a tremendous value proposition for both franchisees and guests with a stylish and local product, as well as upscale amenities designed for the modern traveler. The brand is rapidly expanding in key markets where developers want to invest, and provides a flexible prototype and options to build new construction, or use existing structures through adaptive reuse and conversion projects. Choice Hotels expects to invest $475 million in corporate capital to grow the Cambria brand.

Consumer feedback reinforces that the brand is delivering for guests, receiving a nine-out-of-10 satisfaction score in internal feedback. In addition, nearly one-third of the hotels are ranked number one or two in their markets on top third-party review sites.

"The growth and performance of our upscale brands, especially Cambria Hotels, is contributing to Choice Hotels' current and future success. It has been a watershed year as we open more hotels in top 50 U.S. markets than any previous year," said Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. "Our strong development momentum proves that our brand strategy is working. Developers see the strong value proposition and return on investment, and guests love the product and experience."

Following are highlights on the recently and soon-to-be open properties:

Cambria Hotel New Orleans Warehouse District – The 162-room property is located in the trendy Arts and Warehouse District offering numerous dining and entertainment options and the action of the French Quarter. The area has been designated a Louisiana Cultural District, and the hotel is just blocks from the New Orleans Convention Center and is adjacent to the central business district.
Cambria Hotel Downtown Asheville – The 136-room property is at the epicenter of the city's many attractions, steps from a multitude of award-winning craft breweries, restaurants, art galleries and music venues. The property is also a short distance from the iconic Biltmore Estate. The property offers a one-of-a-kind scenic view of the nearby Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountain ranges, and is in close proximity to the Biltmore Company and Mission Health corporate headquarters as well as the GE Aviation facility.
Cambria Hotel Westfield – The 153-room hotel will be part of the Westfield Grand Park Village, directly across from Westfield's Grand Park Sports Campus. The property is a short drive from Indianapolis, which is home to many corporate headquarters and major attractions, including the Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Klipsch Music Center.

The Cambria Hotels brand pipeline includes properties in 34 of the top 50 markets, including Austin, Texas; Burbank, Calif.; Baltimore; Calabasas, Calif.; Charleston, S.C.; Houston; Miami; Milwaukee; Napa, Calif.; Orlando, Fla.; San Francisco; and Tampa, Fla.

"The investment that Choice Hotels is making in the Cambria brand reinforces our commitment to the brand and allows us to work with developers to put the right product in the right markets," said Pacious. "It is also a win-win for developers as we offer one of the strongest value propositions in the industry with our talented team, led by Janis Cannon and Mark Shalala who oversee our upscale brand and development efforts, and the best technology, tools and resources to help our properties be successful."

Choice Hotels also recently redesigned its development website to create a more welcoming, dynamic and user-friendly experience for franchisees and developers. The updated site offers exciting visuals and easy to find information and resources, while also highlighting the value and benefits of developing a hotel with Choice. Enhancements to the site's technology include improved mobile capability, a content management system that allows for rapid updates and creative flexibility, as well as seamless email integration. Visit ChoiceHotelsDevelopment.com to experience the new site and learn more about development opportunities with Choice Hotels.

About Cambria Hotels
Cambria® Hotels are designed for the modern traveler, offering guests a distinct experience with simple, guilt-free indulgences allowing them to treat themselves while on the road. Properties feature compelling design inspired by the location, spacious and comfortable rooms, flexible meeting space, and local freshly prepared food and craft beer. Cambria Hotels is rapidly expanding in major U.S. cities, with hotels open in Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Cambria now has 32 hotels open across the United States, and there are nearly 100 hotels open or in the pipeline in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.cambriahotelsandsuites.com.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With approximately 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 June 30, 2017, 792 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 32 million members and counting, 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 Statements
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.