Choice Hotels Awards Franchise Business Owners $50,000 To Help Their Local Communities

Winners of the 'Your Community, Your Choice.' Grant Program Exemplify Company's Commitment to Serving the Communities where its Franchisees and Associates Work and Live

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, today announced the recipients of the Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels Local Business Grant Program. The program, which was re-launched this year, underscores Choice's longstanding commitment to local businesses, while recognizing and empowering hotel owners who make a positive difference in their communities.

Choice Hotels doubled its contribution and the number of grant recipients this year, with 10 standout, Choice-branded hotels selected from dozens of applications as this year's winners. Each hotel will receive $5,000 to augment their current community initiatives or start new ones:

• St Charles Coach House, Ascend Hotel Collection (New Orleans, Louisiana) – The hotel plans to donate its grant funds to the Al Copeland Foundation to donate food to multiple hospitals around the state of Louisiana during National Nurses Week starting on May 6. Al Copeland Foundation's partnership with Copeland's of New Orleans plans to help maximize the number of hospitals reached.
     
• Cambria Hotel Detroit-Shelby Township (Shelby Township, Michigan) – Throughout the pandemic, the hotel has teamed with local nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack to help feed children and families in need. With the grant, the hotel hopes to provide more than 10,000 meals across the Detroit community.
     
• Comfort Inn & Suites Murrieta Temecula Wine Country (Murrieta, California) – In 2020, the hotel used the 'Your Community, Your Choice.' grant to deliver linens and personal hygiene products through its Linens N Love program to local shelters in need. Today, the hotel plans to further Linens N Love's impact by working with local high school students to distribute more than 1,000 personal hygiene kits to individuals in need.
     
• Sleep Inn & Suites in Fort Scott, Kansas (Fort Scott, Kansas) – When the surrounding community was in need of support at the height of the pandemic, the hotel was among the first to lend a helping hand by donating non-perishables to a local distribution center, fundraising for the community food bank, and supporting other area businesses. The hotel plans to continue its commitment to philanthropy by leveraging the grant to re-establish a professional mentorship program intended to help surround students with a caring community and create access to critical resources, like food, housing, healthcare, counseling and remote technologies.
     
• Sleep Inn & Suites East Chase (Montgomery, Alabama) & Econo Lodge in Troy (Troy, Alabama) – In addition to a myriad of philanthropic organizations, the hotel's owner and staff are deeply invested in WeSharetheCare.org, a local nonprofit focused on Alzheimer's caregiver services. The 'Your Community, Your Choice.' grant will be used to expand the hotel's partnership with the organization, and Alzheimer's resources in the Dothan, Alabama community.
     
• Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows (Branson, Missouri) – For the past several years, staff members of the hotel have volunteered with nonprofit Elevate Branson to help improve life for the community's homeless population. The 'Your Community, Your Choice.' grant enables the hotel to build on this partnership to develop a tiny-house community to shelter those less fortunate.
     
• Quality Inn & Suites Vestal Binghamton near University (Vestal, New York) – The hotel plans to donate its grant funds to the Broome County Office of the Aging to support the community's most vulnerable elderly population. In addition, the hotel plans to team with nonprofit Age On, which provides healthcare and grocery access to seniors in need.
     
• Quality Inn & Suites Biltmore East (Asheville, North Carolina) – Together, with longtime community partner Horizons, the hotel plans to leverage its grant to foster educational equity for children who are more likely to lose critical skills and knowledge from the previous school year than their peers and to maintain or elevate their academic standing over summer break by providing enriching summer learning, nutritious meals, and field trips.
     
• Quality Inn & Suites at Olympic National Park (Sequim, Washington) – In addition to continuing its work with Morningside Services, an organization that advances employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and providing lodging support for local cancer center patients, the hotel plans to donate its grant to the Captain Joseph House Foundation, which provides support to families affected by the loss of a loved one in combat.
     
• Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Searcy (Searcy, Arkansas) – The hotel plans to donate funds to the Arkansas Community Foundation to combat food insecurity in the state of Arkansas. This grant builds on the hotel's existing work with communities near and far; last year, the hotel's owner and staff delivered hot meals to area hospitals and donated medical supplies to medical camps in India.

"Choice Hotels is committed to serving the communities where its franchisees and associates work and live. The 'Your Community, Your Choice.' grant program is one of the many ways we show our unwavering support to advance these efforts, while also championing local businesses," said Patrick Pacious, president and CEO, Choice Hotels. "This year's recipients have truly gone above and beyond to provide exceptional service to guests and to be there for their communities when they needed it. It is with great pleasure that we honor these 10 hotels for their incredible impact."

As an advocate of local businesses since its founding over 80 years ago, Choice Hotels places its franchisees at the center of everything it does — from helping them along the road to economic recovery during the pandemic, to supporting the initiatives that are most important to them and their businesses. The 'Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels' Local Business Grant Program is one of many ways in which Choice strives to be a positive community member, including:

• Helping those in need, including ongoing and past efforts with the American Red Cross, Operation Homefront, International Franchise Association, and Serta "Stay Home, Send Beds" Initiative.
• Reducing its carbon footprint and promoting environmentally friendly practices through its Room to be Green program.
• Partnering with Clean the World to recycle discarded soap and shampoo from hotels so that they can be distributed to people in need around the world.

For more information about the Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels' Local Business Grant Program, visit choicehotelsdevelopment.com/our-business-is-you. In addition, to learn more about Choice's efforts to support the communities it serves, view the company's 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

About Choice Hotels^®
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,000 hotels, representing nearly 600,000 rooms, in 35 countries and territories as of December 31, 2021, the Choice® family of hotel brands provides business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.

© 2022 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

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