Choice Hotels to open 20-30 hotels per year over next 2-3 yrs

Mumbai, Jan 16 (PTI) Banking on the growing economyand rapid infrastructure development in India, internationalmid-scale hospitality chain Choice Hotels plans to open 20-30hotels in the country every year over the next three years, atop company official has said.

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Hoteliers sue over loyalty program

Franchisees have filed class-action lawsuits against two major hotel brands, saying the companies are illegally taking loyalty fees for guests who, in some cases, don't even know they've been enrolled in frequent-stay programs.

The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in Orlando last month, allege that Wyndham Worldwide Inc. and Choice Hotels International Inc. have inflated the ranks of their loyalty programs and are collecting fees from hotels when those guests stay at franchise properties.

Lawyers for the hoteliers have asked for more than $260 million in damages from Wyndham, and more than $225 million from Choice — figures they termed "very conservative."

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Choice Hotels Reports Third Quarter 2010 Diluted EPS of $0.68, Domestic RevPAR Growth of 7.4%

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct 27, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc., /quotes/comstock/13*!chh/quotes/nls/chh (CHH 34.00, -2.31, -6.36%) today reported the following highlights for third quarter 2010:

Adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for third quarter 2010 were $0.68 compared to $0.56 for the same period of the prior year. Diluted EPS were $0.68 for third quarter 2010 compared to $0.55 for third quarter 2009. Adjusted diluted EPS for third quarter 2009 exclude certain special items, as described below, totaling $0.01.

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Choice could buy, develop brands and assets

LAS VEGAS—Choice Hotels International remains on the hunt for an upscale full-service brand to complement its existing 10-brand lineup while also trying to launch a funding program to jump-start a slow development pipeline hampered by the economy.


Steve Joyce, Choice’s president and CEO, said during a media briefing held in conjunction with the company’s 56th annual convention that the company is aggressively trying to increase its portfolio, which already numbers more than 6,000 hotels worldwide.

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Choice Hotels Reports First Quarter 2010 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.27, Domestic Unit Growth of 2.9%

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for first quarter 2010:

Adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for first quarter 2010 were $0.27 compared to $0.27 for the same period of the prior year. Diluted EPS were $0.26 for first quarter 2010 compared to $0.27 for first quarter 2009. Adjusted diluted EPS for first quarter 2010 exclude certain special items, as described below, totaling $0.01.

Excluding special items, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") were $26.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2010, compared to $30.3 million for the same period of 2009. Operating income for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 were $23.8 million and $27.8 million, respectively.

Franchising revenues declined 6% from $51.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 to $47.7 million for the same period of 2010. Total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2010 declined 6% compared to the same period of 2009.

Interest and other investment income for the three months ended March 31, 2010 improved by approximately $1.9 million from the same period of the prior year primarily due to the appreciation in the fair value of investments held in the company's non-qualified employee benefit plans during the current period compared to a decline in the fair value of these investments in the same period of the prior year.

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Choice Hotels International Opens 37 New Hotels in March

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) continues to grow with the announcement of 37 newly-opened franchised properties during the month of March. The openings include hotels in 22 states and three countries, adding more than 2,800 rooms to the company’s existing 485,000-plus rooms. Select properties that opened in March include

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Choice Hotels Reports Full Year 2009 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $1.71, Domestic Unit Growth of 4.0%

•Adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for full year 2009 were $1.71 compared to $1.77 for full year 2008. Diluted EPS were $1.63 for full year 2009 compared to $1.59 for 2008. Adjusted diluted EPS for full year 2009 and 2008 exclude special items, as described below, totaling $0.08 and $0.18, respectively.
•Excluding special items, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation ("EBITDA") were $163.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, compared to $200.5 million for full year 2008. Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2009 was $148.1 million compared to $174.6 million for the same period of 2008.
•Franchising revenues declined $45.6 million or 15% from $300.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2008 to $254.7 million for the same period of the current year. Total revenues declined $77.5 million or 12% to $564.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2009 compared to the same period of the prior year.
•Adjusted selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") costs for full year 2009 totaled $91.9 million which represented a 9% decline from the same period of the prior year. Adjusted SG&A costs exclude special items totaling $7.3 million and $17.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

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U.S. hotels eye new brands as supply growth slows

In recent months, Choice Hotels International Inc (CHH.N), Hyatt Hotels Corp (H.N) and Wyndham Worldwide Corp (WYN.N) have all expressed interest in acquiring a brand.

Buying a brand allows a company to offer more hotels at different prices and give frequent guests more options, keeping them away from competitors.

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Outrigger and Choice Hotels Expand Hawaii Alliance

Choice Hotels International and hospitality services company Outrigger Enterprises Group has announced an expansion of their alliance in which ten additional Outrigger-managed and/or affiliated properties representing over 1,700 rooms will be added to its existing relationship, which currently includes six properties representing over 3,000 rooms

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Choice Hotels Reports Third Quarter 2009 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.56, Domestic Unit Growth of 4.9%

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for third quarter 2009:

Adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for third quarter 2009 were $0.56, compared to $0.57 for the same period of the prior year. Diluted EPS were $0.55 for third quarter 2009 compared to $0.57 for third quarter 2008. Adjusted diluted EPS for third quarter 2009 exclude certain special items, as described below, totaling $0.01.
Excluding special items, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation ("EBITDA") were $51.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2009, compared to $64.4 million for the same period of 2008. Operating income for the three months ended September 30, 2009 was $48.1 million compared to $61.9 million for the same period of 2008.
Adjusted selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") costs for the third quarter of 2009 totaled $23.0 million which represented an 8% decline from the same period of the prior year. Adjusted SG&A costs exclude special items totaling $1.5 million and $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Domestic unit and room growth increased 4.9 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, from September 30, 2008.

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Expedia pulls all Choice Hotels International inventory off its Web sites

On October 15, Expedia pulled all Choice Hotels International inventory off its Web sites after contract negotiations broke down. A few Choice hotels that have independent contracts with Expedia still can be found its sites, but just a handful.

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Choice Hotels Reports Second Quarter 2009 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.44, Domestic Unit Growth of 4.8%

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for second quarter 2009:

• Adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for second quarter 2009 were $0.44, compared to $0.49 for the same period of the prior year.
• Diluted EPS were $0.42 for second quarter 2009 compared to $0.43 for second quarter 2008.
• Adjusted diluted EPS for second quarter 2009 and 2008 exclude certain special items, as described below, totaling $0.02 and $0.06, respectively.
• Excluding special items, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation ("EBITDA") were $42 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009, compared to $53.1 million for the same period of 2008.
• Operating income for the three months ended June 30, 2009 was $38.1 million compared to $44.6 million for the same period of 2008.
• Adjusted selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") costs for the second quarter of 2009 totaled $25.2 million which represented a 10% decline from the same period of the prior year.
• Adjusted SG&A costs exclude special items totaling $1.9 million and $6.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
• Domestic unit and room growth increased 4.8 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, from June 30, 2008.
• Domestic system-wide revenue per available room ("RevPAR") declined 15.7% for the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008.
• The effective royalty rate increased 6 basis points to 4.26% for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to 4.20% for the same period of the prior year.
• Franchising revenues declined 17% from $80.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008 compared to $66.9 million for the same period of 2009.
• Total revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2009 declined 14% compared to the same period of 2008.
• The company executed 118 new domestic hotel franchise contracts for the three months ended June 30, 2009, a decline of 40% compared to the 198 contracts executed in the same period of the prior year.
• The number of domestic hotels under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development declined 17% from June 30, 2008 to 827 hotels representing 64,384 rooms; the worldwide pipeline declined 15% from June 30, 2008 to 937 hotels representing 73,121 rooms.

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http://investor.choicehotels.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99348&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=1313875&

Choice Hotels Opens 57 Hotels In June

Choice Hotels International Inc. continues to grow with the announcement of 57 newly-opened franchised properties during the month of June. The openings include hotels in 26 states and 4 countries, adding more than 4,600 rooms to the company’s existing 475,000-plus rooms. Select properties that opened in June include:

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http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/ca6671597.html

Hotel operators' shares stumble after analyst downgrade

NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - The stock of three major hotel operators stumbled on Wednesday after a Barclays Capital hotel analyst downgraded the companies, saying they were vulnerable to continued weakness in the industry over the next year.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts (HOT.N), Marriott International (MAR.N) and Choice Hotels International, Inc (CHH.N) all dropped more than 3 percent in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. An index of hotel stocks .DJUSLG fell more than 3 percent.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN0149973620090701?rpc=44

Choice Hotels CEO Sees Signs of Stabilization

With more consumers ditching extravagant vacations and taking to the road on good, old-fashioned road trips, Choice Hotels International is finding itself in a good spot.

"It seems like it has stabilized," CEO Steve Joyce says. "We are sort of in the position now where we are waiting to see if things will improve."

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http://www.cnbc.com/id/31666885/site/14081545?__source=yahoo%7Cheadline%7Cquote%7Ctext%7C&par=yahoo

Choice Hotels Reports First Quarter 2009 Diluted EPS of $0.27, Domestic Unit Growth of 5.7%

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for first quarter 2009: -- Diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for first quarter 2009 were $0.27,
compared to $0.29 for the same period of the prior year.
-- Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation ("EBITDA") were $29.9
million for the three months ended March 31, 2009, compared to $36.1
million for the same period of 2008. Operating income for the three
months ended March 31, 2009 was $27.8 million compared to $34.1
million for the same period of 2008.
-- Domestic unit and room growth increased 5.7 percent and 5.6 percent,
respectively, from March 31, 2008.
-- Domestic system-wide revenue per available room ("RevPAR") declined
10.3% for the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of
2008.
-- The effective royalty rate increased 8 basis points to 4.26% for the
three months ended March 31, 2009 compared to 4.18% for the same
period of the prior year.
-- Franchising revenues declined 14% from $59.4 million for the three
months ended March 31, 2008 compared to $51.0 million for the same
period of 2009. Total revenues for the three months ended March 31,
2009 declined 11% compared to the same period of 2008.
-- New domestic hotel franchise contracts for the three months ended
March 31, 2009 declined to 60 compared to 133 contracts executed in
the same period of the prior year.
-- The number of domestic hotels under construction, awaiting conversion
or approved for development declined 9% from March 31, 2008 to 896
hotels representing 70,381 rooms; the worldwide pipeline declined 7%
from March 31, 2008 to 1,007 hotels representing 79,495 rooms.

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