Choice Hotels' Ascend Collection Hits 500 Properties, Expanding Upscale Footprint

Event summary

  • Ascend Collection, Choice Hotels' upscale soft brand, surpassed 500 properties with openings in Florida and New York.
  • The brand has a pipeline of 70 additional properties as of March 2, 2026.
  • International expansion includes entries into Poland, Canada, Africa, Latin America, and a major deal in China.
  • Choice Hotels' total portfolio includes nearly 7,500 hotels across 22 brands.

The big picture

Choice Hotels' Ascend Collection milestone reflects the growing demand for distinctive, experience-driven upscale hotels. The brand's soft brand strategy allows independent properties to maintain local charm while leveraging Choice's distribution and loyalty platform. This expansion comes amid strong developer interest in soft brands, positioning Choice Hotels to capture a larger share of the dynamic upscale segment.

What we're watching

Pipeline Execution
Whether Choice Hotels can maintain its development momentum with 70 properties in the pipeline.
International Growth
The pace at which Ascend Collection can expand in emerging markets like Africa and China.
Soft Brand Strategy
How the balance between Ascend Collection and Radisson Individuals will evolve to capture upscale demand.