Choice Hotels Announces First-Ever Comfort Suites Hotel in Downtown Atlanta

Franchisor Plans for Historic Adaptive Re-Use Project with Atlanta Underground, LLC

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Jun 24, 2010, 03:30 ET

ATLANTA and SILVER SPRING, Md., June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) formally announced today its plans for a future Comfort Suites hotel in downtown Atlanta with franchisee Atlanta Underground, LLC. -- the first-ever Choice brand hotel for the city. The future hotel will be co-owned by management company Excel Hotel Group and restoration and renovation company S&A Industries.

"We're thrilled to be building a Comfort Suites hotel in downtown Atlanta and we're confident that are travelers as well as the local community here will love what this hotel will have to offer," said Evens Charles, president and chief executive officer of Frontier Development and Hospitality Group, co-owner of the future Comfort Suites hotel. "Comfort Suites is exactly the kind of contemporary and thoughtfully-designed hotel brand that's perfect for this growing area of Atlanta's downtown."

To be located at 54 Peachtree Street, the current building planned for the future home of the 156-suite hotel boasts an historic first five floors, having originally been constructed over 100 years ago, with an additional 11 floors added prior to the city's 1996 Summer games, most recently serving as student housing facilities for nearby Georgia State University. Unique renovation plans for the property would also make the hotel the first-ever adaptive re-use project for the Comfort Suites brand.

"As a collective ownership group we are excited about the opportunity to own and manage the first Choice property in downtown," said Neil Patel of Excel Hotel Group, co-owner of the future Comfort Suites hotel. "We believe that this hotel when completed will be one of the premier Comfort Suites properties in the nation not only in terms of design but also in guest scores and product quality."

The property is scheduled to begin its restoration and renovations process later this month and is tentatively scheduled to re-open as a Comfort Suites hotel in December 2010. The location's multi-million dollar renovation process mainly calls for complete furniture, fixtures and equipment replacements, adding a more urban new design aesthetic throughout.

"This is a unique and exciting opportunity for Choice and we're looking forward to working with our franchisee on this project," said David Pepper, senior vice president of global development for Choice Hotels. "Choice is constantly looking for great franchisees, new and existing, to grow the company's presence in more urban markets such as Atlanta."

Current plans call for the addition of a lounge area, meeting facilities, business center, fitness center and guest laundry facilities as well as specific VIP floors with added amenities. The hotel also plans to provide complimentary shuttle service for its guests to local attractions and points of interest, such as the city's convention center, aquarium and nearby restaurants.

"In keeping with the property's place in Atlanta's history, but with an eye to incorporating the contemporary vision of Choice Hotels, S&A Industries will use its world-class renovation skills and its ownership interest to help transform the newly-flagged Comfort Suites Downtown hotel into an attractive, top-quality destination for travelers to downtown Atlanta," said Maiser Aboneaaj Vice President-Operations of S&A Industries.

For more information on Comfort Suites, visit www.comfortsuites.com.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 485,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories. As of March 31, 2010, more than 600 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 52,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 8,200 rooms, are 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 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.