Choice Hotels Awards Ten Franchisees with Elite Honors at Company's 56th Annual Convention

Worldwide Lodging Franchisor Names Four Developer of the Year and Six Premier Alliance Award Winners

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Jun 09, 2010, 03:36 ET

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) recently announced a select list of ten franchisee award winners at its 56th Annual Convention held earlier last month in Las Vegas. Included in the 2nd annual awards program were four Developer of the Year award recipients and six Premier Alliance award winners.

"These owners continue to excel in the areas of hotel development, hotel performance and collaboration with Choice and should be proud to receive this recognition of accomplishment," said Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer for Choice Hotels. "These awards signify our appreciation of the tremendous commitment of these hotel owners to the Choice Hotels brands."

The company's Developer of the Year award serves to recognize the best developers within the Choice Hotels system. The Premier Alliance awards recognize exceptional franchisees that have and continue to develop properties within the Choice family of hotel brands, live up to the brand promise through excellent property performance and are active in the franchise community. Both the Premier Alliance and Developer of the Year award winners are hotel owners who are truly committed to the brand and work closely with Choice Hotels to enhance their brand's success.

The 2010 Developer of the Year award winners include:

Overall Developer of the Year – Brendan Gilyan, owner of the Comfort Suites hotel of Arlington, Texas.
Cambria Suites Developer of the Year – Rodney Piatt, Horizon Hospitality
Core Brands Developer of the Year – Rick Larson, Tharaldson Lodging
Extended Stay Developer of the Year – Mike and Kim VanStavern and Mark Randolph, owners of the MainStay Suites Fort Campbell hotel of Clarksville, Tenn.

The 2010 Premier Alliance award winners include:

Frank and David Crisafi, Ceres Enterprises, LLC
Al Patel, Baywood Hotels
Neil Bhakta, owner of the Rodeway Inn hotel of Escondido, Calif.
Norman Anderson, Dominion Hospitality
Bharat Patel, Sun Development & Management Corporation
Paul Sistare, Atlantica Hotels International

Choice Hotels would like to congratulate the 2010 Developer of the Year and Premier Alliance award winners and looks forward to the great work and service these exemplary hotel owners will continue to set forth.

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.