Choice Hotels looks for potential franchisees in Turks and Caicos

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Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Membership Development, Caribbean. (File photo)

MARYLAND, United States, Friday November 9, 2012 - A major global lodging company is looking for new franchisees in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) with operations in more than 30 countries, signaled its intention to return to the British dependency and is sending a high level team to Providenciales the week of November 12 to meet with potential franchisees.

Leading the team are Choice Hotels executives Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Membership Development, Caribbean and Bill Clegg, Regional Vice President, Brand Performance and Programs.

"We are very excited about finding franchisees who share our values so we can 'raise our flag' once again in such a beautiful part of the Caribbean," said Icaza, who noted there is a lot of pent up demand for the Choice Hotels brands in Turks and Caicos, "given the significant demand for our former location there in the past."

Icaza disclosed that the lodging company will consider introducing the upscale Ascend Hotel Collection membership program to Turks and Cacios.

Ascend Hotel Collection properties, found only in the Americas, are historic, boutique or unique hotels demonstrating a commitment to service excellence. Ascend hotels offer the best of both worlds - hotels are allowed to remain independent and continue to deliver superior guest service, while receiving the benefits of a growing membership program with a leading lodging company, including shepherding support in marketing, reservations and operations.

"Expanding our footprint throughout the Caribbean not only makes good business sense, but is a direct response to our consumers who continue to request the Caribbean when making their travel plans," asserted Clegg, who underscored, "Turks and Caicos remains an important market for our brands."

Choice Hotels, one of the world's largest hotel franchisors, is the franchisor for eight hotels in the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, Curaçao, Grand Cayman and Puerto Rico. Choice Hotels brands in the Caribbean include Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Clarion Inn, and Ascend Hotel Collection. The company currently has projects under development in Anguilla and Dominica

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises approximately 6,200 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of September 30, 2012, 360 hotels, representing 29,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States. Additionally, 75 hotels, representing approximately 7,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 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, as well as its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide. Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.