Choice Hotels Ascend Collection

Choice advertises, “When you become a member of the Ascend Collection, you’re tapping into a worldwide reservation system that delivered more than $2 billion in gross room revenue in 2008. That’s the business-building power you get from Choice Hotels.  And you get it without giving up your name or distinct style.  You’ll also benefit from our Choice Privileges rewards program with more than 7 million loyal guests around the globe and from our presence on third-party travel sites.  Join the Historic, Boutique and Unique hotels in the Ascend Collection and make the most of your business potential.”

The Ascend Collection fee structure is:

• Affiliation fee- $375 per room, $30,000 minimum
• Membership fee- 4% of the proceeding month’s Gross Room Revenues
• System fee- 2.5% of the proceeding month’s Gross Room Revenues
• Other fees-  see the April 1, 2009 Ascend Collection Franchise Disclosure Document
• Term- the standard term of the agreement is 20 years with mutual termination dates at years 5, 10 and 15 of the original date.

Please take note that Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC has just published the book “Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry.” It contains 359 pages, 25 illustrations and 16 chapters devoted to each of the following pioneers: John McEntee Bowman, Carl Graham Fisher, Henry Morrison Flagler, John Q. Hammons, Frederick Henry Harvey.  Ernest Henderson, Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Howard Dearing Johnson, J. Willard Marriott, Kanjibhai Patel, Henry Bradley Plant, George Mortimer Pullman, A.M. Sonnabend, Ellsworth Milton Statler, Juan Terry Trippe and Kemmons Wilson.  It also has a foreword by Stephen Rushmore, preface, introduction, bibliography and index. Visit www.greatamericanhoteliers.com to order the book.