Choice Hotels Adds Five More Hotels To Its UK And Ireland Portfolio

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels Europe, part of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, today announced five more properties, located in The Midlands and Hampshire in England and in Dublin, Ireland, have been added to its portfolio.

The Midlands now benefits from two more Choice Hotels brand properties with the addition of Quality Hotel Wolverhampton, formerly The Connaught Hotel, and Quality Hotel Birmingham Airport/NEC, re-opening its doors for business under new management. This brings the number of Choice Hotels properties in the region to seven.

The 60-room Quality Hotel Wolverhampton is a short walk from Wolverhampton City Centre and offers easy access to major roads and highways. Quality Hotel Birmingham Airport/NEC is now owned and operated by Hospitality First, under a franchise agreement with Choice Hotels Europe. The hotel is a short distance from Birmingham International Airport, Birmingham National Exhibition Centre and the City Centre. 

The Makeney Hall Hotel is now Clarion Collection Hotel Makeney Hall. The magnificent, 46-room Victorian country mansion is situated in the heart of Derbyshire and set in six acres of landscaped gardens. Close to East Midlands Airport, the property is ideally situated for local business destinations and the nearby Peak District National Park.

Clarion Collection Hotel Winchester Royal dates back to the 16th century. This distinctive property is located near the center of the historic town and close to major roadways, the Hampshire business destinations and the scenic South Hampshire Coast.

Both the Winchester and Makeney properties are part of the strategic agreement signed with Akkeron Hotels Group Limited earlier this year, which has so far resulted in seven Akkeron hotels operating under Choice Hotels franchise agreements in the UK. 

Dublin's gibson hotel has joined Choice's Ascend Hotel Collection, a portfolio of distinctive hotels, providing guests with an upscale boutique hotel experience backed by one of the world's largest hospitality franchisors. Located in Dublin's new cultural hub, the 252-room hotel is 10 minutes from the airport and a short stroll along the Liffey River to the city center. The property features cutting-edge design, and many rooms include private balconies with stunning views of interior courtyards or the Dublin skyline.

Since the beginning of this year, Ascend Hotel Collection has opened 38 hotels, many in top business and leisure destinations like Napa Valley, Miami and Cape Cod. The Dublin property brings the Ascend Hotel Collection roster to 108 independent hotels worldwide. The gibson hotel is now one of four Choice brand hotels located in the Irish capital city.

In addition to the five properties joining the network, the current Comfort Hotel St. Albans has become the four-star Clarion Collection Hotel St. Albans. The former home of Samuel Ryder, founder of the Ryder Cup, dates back to the Edwardian era. The 60-room hotel has undergone extensive refurbishment to provide greatly enhanced hotel facilities. 

All six properties offer meetings and conference rooms with facilities for 80 – 500 guests and free wireless Internet access throughout.

Duncan Berry, UK CEO, Choice Hotels Europe commented: "We are pleased to welcome these five hotels to our system of European properties, which offer outstanding service and facilities to leisure and business travelers alike."

The Choice Hotels Europe portfolio of franchised hotels offers business and leisure travelers a full spectrum from premium economy to luxury hotels. Choice Hotels Europe franchises nearly 500 hotels across Europe alone. Brands franchised by Choice in Europe include Clarion, described as four- to five-star, Quality, which sits in the three-star bracket and provides midscale full-service offerings, and Comfort, Choice Hotels International's largest brand worldwide and known for value and reliability.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,200 hotels, representing more than 500,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories.  As of June 30, 2013, 365 hotels, representing more than 29,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States.  Additionally, 83 hotels, representing approximately 7,200 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 15 other countries and territories.  The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands, as well as its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide. All hotels are independently owned and operated.

Choice Hotels International offers the Choice Privileges® rewards program. With nearly 18 million members worldwide, is one of the fastest growing hotel loyalty programs in the travel industry.

Additional corporate information can be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Choice Privileges, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Hotel Collection and SkyTouch Technology are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International Inc.

Choice Hotels Europe is a trading name of: (i) in the UK: Quality Hotels Limited, Registered Office: 67-74 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8QX Registered in England No.1796064 VAT No. GB407240780; (ii) in France: Choice Hotels France SAS, Lieu-dit Les Champcuiels, Bretigny Sur Orge Cedex, FR BP66-91223; and (iii) in Germany: Choice Hotels Franchise GmbH, Martin-Kollar-Strasse 9, Munchen, DE 81829.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.