Choice Hotels has has added 88 newly opened franchised properties to its portfolio during the first quarter of 2013. Additionally, the company has executed a total of 83 new domestic contracts within the first quarter of 2013, a 30-percent increase over the same period of the prior year.

During the first three months of 2013, openings include hotels in 28 U.S. states and 11 countries, adding more than 6,500 guestrooms to the company’s existing rooms which stand at more than half a million. The Choice Hotels portfolio of franchised hotels offers business and leisure travelers a full spectrum from premium economy to upscale hotels and resorts.

“We are especially pleased by the positive reception we’ve seen to our upscale brands, as well as the significant traction we’re gaining in major urban markets,” said David Pepper, senior vice president of global development for Choice Hotels International. “Across all brands, the development environment has improved for new construction, so much so that we believe 2013 is on track to be considerably stronger than last year for franchise development.”

Ascend Hotel Collection, a membership program comprised of exquisite independent hotels, continued its exceptional growth into the first quarter of 2013, with 28 new membership agreements signed compared to three membership agreements during the same time last year. Much of this growth has been attributed to Choice Hotels International’s strategic marketing alliance with timeshare company Bluegreen Vacations.