Choice Hotels International has enlarged its Chinese footprint with a new long-term distribution and master franchise agreement with SSAW Hotels & Resorts.
The deal adds 68 upscale existing properties currently managed by SSAW—totalling more than 9,500 rooms—to the Ascend Collection and grants SSAW exclusive development rights for the Comfort and Quality brands across China as a master franchisee.
Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, said, “This relationship allows us to scale quickly in a fast-growing market, with established, high-quality properties, and deliver even more value to travellers, including the 70 million members of our loyalty program, Choice Privileges.”
SSAW’s upscale brands—Pagoda, Narada Grand, SSAW Boutique, and Ginlan Jia—will sit in the Ascend Collection, and are expected to be available for booking on ChoiceHotels.com within three months.
Lily Zhu, CEO of SSAW Hotels & Resorts Group, said Choice Hotels has extensive influence across the global industry.
“We are honoured to work with Choice Hotels. This deal allows us to introduce the Ascend Collection in China.
“This cooperation also reflects the importance of the Chinese hotel market and the potential business opportunities. The cooperation between our two companies can complement each other’s advantages in resource cooperation and is also an opportunity to enhance the internationalisation of SSAW Group.”
