Opening of 88-Room Comfort Suites Hotel marks milestone for Worldwide Lodging Franchisor.  Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced that it has reached 5,000 domestic franchised properties online with the opening of the Comfort Suites hotel of Katy, Texas. The company, which franchises such well-known hotel brands as Comfort Inn, Quality and Econo Lodge, currently boasts more than 6,100 properties worldwide, representing more than 495,000 rooms in all 50 states and over 30 countries and territories.

“We’re very excited to be welcoming our 5,000th hotel online here in the U.S., where we started as the country’s first hotel chain back in 1941,” said Steve Joyce, president & CEO, Choice Hotels. “The combination of strong, well-known brands desired by consumers, the ability to drive business to our franchisees’ hotels, and an unwavering focus on our owners’ profitability continue to fuel our growth as a franchising company.”

“This is a significant milestone for us and a testament to our strength as a lodging franchisor,” said David Pepper, senior vice president, global development, Choice Hotels. “We offer a solid mix of well-positioned brands for today’s developers with products that fit within every stage of a property’s lifecycle. We’re passionate about ensuring our hotel owners have the resources and support from us that they need to be truly successful, whether that be centralized educational and training programs or national marketing programs and promotions.”

Founded as a marketing cooperative by a group of Florida motor court owners in 1941 as Quality Courts United, Choice Hotels was the nation’s first hotel chain. Choice Hotels opened its 6,000th worldwide property in September 2009—the Inn of Chicago, an Ascend Collection hotel, in Chicago, Illinois. The 5,000th domestic property—the Comfort Suites hotel of Katy, Texas—is owned by Dickinson, Texas-based developer Ashvinkumar Gandhi.