In the nine months since Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced its entrance into the select-service upscale market with the launch of Cambria Suites, the company has doubled its development goal and established its place as a trendsetter not only in the select-service upscale segment, but also in hotel design that meets the needs of today`s business travelers.

Choice Hotels breaks ground on the first Cambria Suites in Boise, Idaho. But the event is more of a celebration of the company`s commitment to the select-service upscale market and the confidence that hotel developers have shown for Choice`s new brand.

The event comes on the heels of Choice Hotels` key hire in William Edmundson, a 20-year veteran of the lodging industry, with experience in brand management, operations, marketing, sales, service, quality and franchise relations for the Embassy Suites, Holiday Inns, Homewood Suites and most recently, Hampton Inns brands.

We are especially pleased that the developer for this project is The Summit Group, said William Edmundson, vice president of brand management for Cambria Suites.

For over a decade, The Summit Group has focused on developing, managing and owning upscale lodging properties nationwide. The company`s unique approach to management has resulted in properties focused on sales and operating efficiencies, making The Summit Group one of the most efficient in the industry at delivering bottom-line results.

Edmundson added, With a well-experienced management team and a well-earned reputation as a first class hotel developer and operator, The Summit Group is exactly the type of developer we are looking for in our brand.

The Cambria Suites project is an excellent opportunity for Summit to build upon our 15-year partnership with Choice Hotels, said Chris Bills, Chief Operating Officer of The Summit Group. We are extremely pleased to be part of this project and are very excited to be the first developer to break ground with Choice on its all-suites concept.

Since the brand was launched, 8 deals have been executed with an additional 14 agreements in the pipeline. In addition, Badger Midwest Holdings, a development company based out of Jefferson, WI with more than 20 hotels in their portfolio including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, and Quality brands, has signed a letter of commitment to develop 10 Cambria Suites over a 3-year period.

When Choice launched this brand in January of this year, we knew that an upscale, select service all-suites hotel would be a hit with both developers and consumers, said David Goldberg, Choice Hotels` senior vice president of brand strategy. By investing the time and energy into researching what today`s travelers truly value in a hotel stay, we were able to come up with a design that meets the needs of both business and leisure travelers as well as maximize ROI potential for our developers.

The Boise property is typical of the sites across the country where travelers will find other Cambria Suites hotels - near airports and in locations that serve both business and leisure demand.