Choice Hotels Franchise Signs Contracts for 5 Cambria Suites

Choice Hotels signed contracts for five new Cambria Suites, the company's new all-suites brand, during the third quarter this year, the company says. The new Cambria Suites hotels are slated for Baton Rouge, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; East Greenwich, R.I.; Kansas City, Kan.; and Omaha, Neb.

As of Sept. 30, Silver Spring-based Choice had Franchise agreements in place for 33 Cambria Suites across the country. The first Cambria Suites property is scheduled to open in Boise, Idaho, in January 2007. Other hotels under construction include Akron/Canton, Ohio; Savannah, Ga.; and Green Bay, Wis.

Cambria Suites boasts a design that is more intimate and less institutional than traditional hotel décor and rooms that are 25 percent larger than standard hotel rooms. The hotels offer the latest in technology, from a large-screen plasma television in the lobby to flat-panel TVs and CD/DVD players in guestrooms.

All Cambria Suites include a hotel lounge with barista bar, a fitness center with indoor pool and a 24-7 convenience store.

Choice officials recently concluded a nine-city road show, meeting with hundreds of developers across North America to showcase the Cambria Suites brand.

"What we continue to hear from the development community is that Cambria Suites is the right brand at the right time for the right market - the ideal fit for today's development needs," says Brad LeBlanc, vice president of franchise sales for Choice's new construction brands.

Choice (NYSE: CHH) Franchises more than 5,300 hotels, representing more than 430,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 40 countries and territories.

This Washington Business Journal article written by Neil Adler, appeared in the November 29, 2006 IFA SmartBrief.