SILVER SPRING, Md., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels was recently named a 2011 Communitas Award Winner for its philanthropy efforts through the Choice Hotels Music initiative. The Communitas Awards Program honors businesses and organizations that excel in community service and social responsibility efforts, and unselfishly give of themselves and their resources to change how they do business to benefit their communities. This is the second year in a row that Choice Hotels has been named a Communitas Award winner.

The Choice Hotels Music initiative brings together the emotional power of music with great causes to raise awareness and funds like never before. Using the leading marketing and distribution channels of Choice Hotels, like ChoiceHotels.com, artists are given the rare opportunity to introduce their original music to millions of individuals and retain ownership of their works while driving donations from ChoiceHotels.com to leading signature non-profit organizations through song downloads.

At the time of the original award nomination, Choice Hotels had produced five songs and raised more than $42,000 for charities, including The Nature Conservancy, Rebuilding Together, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington & Baltimore, So Others Might Eat (SOME), and ServiceSource Foundation.

The award also comes as a result of the company's commitment to its Signature Cause Partner Rebuilding Together and its ongoing efforts to rehabilitate homes and help people in need as part of its "Room to Rebuild" program. Last year, Choice Hotels won a 2010 Communitas Award for a local Montgomery County Room to Rebuild community sponsored volunteer project.

For more information on the Corporate Social Responsibility efforts and initiatives of Choice Hotels, visit www.choicehotels.com/responsibility.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories.  As of December 31, 2010, more than 500 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 40,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 9,000 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in 18 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.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.