Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) opened six upscale properties across its Cambria Hotels and Ascend Collection brands, pushing its U.S. upscale portfolio past 300 open hotels with nearly 150 more properties in the pipeline.

The openings span four states: two Cambria Hotels in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Jacksonville, Florida, plus four Ascend Collection properties in Sarasota, Florida; Peru, Vermont; and Mishicot, Wisconsin. Ascend Collection, which Choice calls the industry's first and largest soft brand, celebrated its 500th hotel opening earlier this year.

The upscale push carries weight for a company that remains one of the world's largest lodging franchisors — more than 7,500 hotels, nearly 650,000 rooms and 22 brands across 46 countries and territories. Choice is a franchisor, not an owner-operator, so the growth strategy hinges on attracting developers rather than deploying its own capital.

"We're seeing strong interest from owners and developers who recognize the strength of our upscale platform and the growth potential of our brands," said Mark Shalala, Senior Vice President, Development, Upscale Brands, Choice Hotels International. "As we continue expanding our upscale portfolio across the country, we're focused on helping owners succeed while delivering experiences that resonate with today's travelers by meeting their increasing demand for unique upscale accommodations."

Cambria Hotel Colorado Springs – Air Force Academy. The 97-room property sits five miles from the U.S. Air Force Academy. It includes an on-site restaurant, a rooftop bar, a 24-hour Grab & Go marketplace and 286 square feet of meeting space — a compact meetings footprint that positions the hotel toward transient leisure and business demand rather than group business.

Cambria Hotel Jacksonville. The hotel targets both leisure and corporate demand generators: St. Johns Town Center, Mayo Clinic, the University of North Florida, TPC Sawgrass and EverBank Stadium. Amenities include a locally inspired restaurant and bar, rooftop event space, an outdoor pool and a fitness center.

Caretta Landing and Coral Pointe Sarasota. The two Ascend Collection properties share resort-style infrastructure — an outdoor pool, complimentary hot breakfast, a fitness center and nearly 1,100 square feet of combined meeting space — while operating with distinct positioning. Coral Pointe features 107 guestrooms and apartment-style suites; Caretta Landing offers 86 rooms with a wellness-focused amenity set. Both sit near Siesta Key Beach.

Fairway Inn and Suites, Mishicot, Wisconsin. With 102 newly renovated guestrooms and nearly 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space, this property carries the largest group-capable footprint of the six openings. It ties its F&B and packaging strategy to the adjacent 45-hole golf course — golf packages plus the on-site Greyfox Bar and Grill — and draws regional drive-to demand from Green Bay and Two Rivers.

Sun Lodge, Peru, Vermont. A 50-room, four-season property at the base of Bromley Mountain with ski-in/ski-out winter access, nearly 800 square feet of event space, and proximity to Stratton Mountain and Manchester shopping.

All six properties participate in Choice Privileges, the company's rewards program, which recently rolled out a restructured earning structure that lets members accrue rewards faster and reach Elite status sooner. Points redeem across more than 7,000 properties in 46 countries and territories.

The openings also advance the integration of the Radisson brands — Radisson, Radisson Blu and Radisson Individuals — alongside Cambria and Ascend within Choice's upscale portfolio. With 300 hotels open and roughly half that number in development, the company's upscale segment is now scaling at a pace that rivals its legacy midscale base. Expect the pipeline conversion rate — and franchisee interest in conversion-friendly soft-brand economics — to determine whether Choice sustains that momentum through 2025.