Amsterdam, 11 April 2024 – Choice Hotels EMEA and Zenitude have signed a new 20-year strategic agreement that will see Choice Hotels double its French portfolio through the addition of over 30 properties, comprising more than 4,000 rooms.
The future Choice Hotels branded properties are conveniently located in urban, suburban and resort locations as well as near airports and business parks. Many of the hotels offer long-stay facilities including kitchenettes, laundry facilities and larger room types including one-bedroom apartments, offering more stay options to both business and leisure clients.
The properties will join the portfolio over the course of 2024, and 2025, with more than half expected to open by the end of 2024, under popular Choice Hotels brands including Clarion, Comfort, and Ascend Hotel Collection. With support from Choice Hotels, Zenitude will also embark on a program to refurbish and update the properties to implement Choice Hotels’ refreshed design and brand hallmarks.
As Europe’s largest hotel franchise market, France is one of the world’s largest inbound travel destinations, with a lively and competitive midscale sector. Choice Hotels has been a key franchisor in France since 1993 – recently celebrating its 30th year in the market.
All the new properties will participate in the global and award-winning rewards program, Choice Privileges, enabling members to earn and redeem points at hotels in 46 countries & territories.
Zenitude will convert and manage these new hotels, tapping into Choice’s leading franchisee success system that includes cutting-edge cloud-based solutions, such as the choiceEDGE guest reservation platform to help franchisees effectively manage room rates, distribution channels, and inventory. Additionally, Choice University, the most widely awarded learning program in the hospitality industry, delivers customised and always evolving learning and development resources.
Commenting on the new agreement, Ricardo Losada Revol, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the International Division at Choice Hotels International, said: “Our new collaboration with Zenitude marks a significant milestone for our portfolio in EMEA and another great step in line with our international expansion strategy.”
“Over the past thirty years, France has been a key market for Choice Hotels EMEA, and so we look forward to continuing to expand our presence in the country over the coming years. We are equally excited to work closely with the Zenitude team to deliver exceptional value to our customers by ensuring they can find a Choice hotel with the right brand, the right price and the right location that meets their needs.”
Romain Lubrano, CEO of Zenitude said: “For Zenitude, our collaboration with Choice is very important in order for us to be able to face the technical, marketing and distribution challenges that the hotel industry faces today, and in the years to come.”
“Being supported by Choice Hotels, one of the leaders in the international hospitality industry, will enable us to meet these challenges, respond to customer needs by upgrading our hotels in France, and expand into the EMEA region.”
“Our teams look forward to working together to offer our customers the best possible experience.”
The first Zenitude properties set to open under Choice Hotels EMEA brands include:
Building on the recent revitalisation of the Choice EMEA midscale brands Comfort™, Quality™ and Clarion™, as well as the upscale collection brand Ascend™ and the latest EMEA midscale brand Sleep Inn™, Choice Hotels’ business focus is on strengthening its international footprint. France is a key market for Choice Hotels as it also presents an important source market and destination for European and US travellers.
Zenitude is a family-owned operator, which was founded in 2009 by two brothers and has since grown to become an important hotel operator in France, with over 40 hotels comprising over 5,000 rooms under management. The group also has ambitious growth plans in France and across EMEA, as well as a strong pipeline that aligns with Choice Hotels EMEA’s growth strategy.
Beyond the strategic agreement, both Choice Hotels and Zenitude are aiming for rapid growth of the partnership and are actively looking for opportunities to expand their existing portfolio across EMEA – through both organic and inorganic growth. Leveraging this collaboration, Choice Hotels will also evaluate the long-stay segment to explore further growth opportunities in the EMEA region.
For further information on Choice Hotels, please visit: https://www.choicehotels.com/en-uk.
For further information, please contact: Katie Kershaw at Kershaw and Company
07539 437 238 / katie@kershawandcompany.com
Notes to Editors
About Choice Hotels EMEA
Choice Hotels EMEA™ is represented under the Ascend Hotel Collection™, Clarion™, Quality™, Comfort™ and Sleep Inn® brands, in the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Ireland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. The challenger in upscale and a leader in midscale and extended stay, Choice® has over 7,500 hotels, representing more than 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories. A diverse portfolio of 22 brands that range from full-service upper upscale properties to midscale, extended stay and economy enables Choice® to meet travelers’ needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges® rewards program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This communication includes "forward-looking statements" about future events, including anticipated hotel openings and brand positioning for the regional brand portfolio of Choice Hotels EMEA. Such statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including construction delays, availability and cost of financing, acceptance of brands, and the other "Risk Factors" described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of Choice Hotels International, Inc., any of which could cause actual results to be materially different from our expectations.
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