Choice Hotels International Appoints Two New Company Officers

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that it has named two company associates as the organization's newest corporate officers. The company's board of directors appointed Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president of brand strategy and marketing, and Michael Murphy, senior vice president of Cambria Suites and Ascend Collection, as officers of the company. Both Ms. Jaritz and Mr. Murphy report directly to President and CEO Stephen P. Joyce.

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Ms. Jaritz, who has been with Choice since 2001, is responsible for setting the vision and brand strategy for its core portfolio of brands including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion,

MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.  In addition to brand strategy, brand program implementation, product design, marketing and public relations, Ms. Jaritz is also now responsible for owner relations, franchise management and procurement services.

Mr. Murphy, who joined Choice in 2009, is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for the company's emerging brands Cambria Suites and the Ascend Collection membership program. Mr. Murphy, who led global sales for Choice and the development of Cambria Suites, Choice's new line of franchised hotels targeting upscale travelers in more urban markets, adds to his portfolio the Ascend Collection membership program, which is comprised of historic, boutique and unique hotels designed for people who appreciate an upscale hotel with a strong local flair.

"Alexandra and Mike have made significant contributions to the successful growth, operational performance and strategic direction of our company," Joyce said.  "Over the last few years, they each have taken on many new responsibilities in critical areas of the business.  As officers of the company, they will play an even larger role in shaping Choice, enhancing our visibility and the value we bring to franchisees and the millions of leisure and business travelers who have made our great brands their choice for quality and value." 

Throughout her tenure at Choice, Ms. Jaritz has held various positions in the areas of corporate strategy, brand strategy and management, franchise development, compliance and hotel operational performance. Ms. Jaritz joined the company from Ernst & Young's Hospitality Services Group and also worked at Lehman Brothers in their investment banking division. She holds a master's degree in business administration from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor's degree of science from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Murphy served as senior vice president of the company's global sales group, where he and his team focused the group's efforts within each of the hospitality industry's key market segments to help deliver a strong and ever-growing stream of business directly to Choice Hotels brand properties. In addition, under his leadership, the global sales team worked to ensure that Choice Hotels franchisee owners and operators took full advantage of the many resources provided by the company to help maximize sales at the local property level. Before joining Choice Hotels in May 2009, Mr. Murphy served as senior vice president of sales for Marriott International, Inc. Prior to assuming this role at Marriott, Mr. Murphy advanced through several senior sales and marketing roles at Renaissance and Stouffer Hotels. He holds a bachelor's degree in hospitality management from the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) School of Hotel Tourism Management.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of December 31, 2011, more than 400 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 30,000 rooms, and approximately 80 hotels, representing approximately 7,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in 20 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 serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

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

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

© 2012 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.