Choice Hotels Expands Upscale Travel Portfolio with 74 Open Cambria Properties and 62 More in Development

Choice Hotels has significantly expanded its upscale portfolio with the Cambria brand, originally launched in 2005 to move beyond the company's well-known midscale and economy offerings like Quality Inn and Comfort Inn. Despite early challenges in the upscale market, the brand has now grown to 74 open properties, with an additional 62 in development, according to Indy Adenaw, Senior Vice President at Choice Hotels.

One of the brand’s key hurdles was securing financing for new construction projects. To address this, Choice Hotels introduced a conversion model that allowed developers to reflag and renovate existing hotels under the Cambria brand. This strategy helped developers secure loans more easily and spurred the brand’s growth, with Choice Hotels investing over $400 million between 2017 and 2021 to open Cambrias in major markets.

Today, Choice Hotels owns seven Cambria properties, despite its traditional asset-light business model, allowing it to take a more hands-on approach to refining the brand. The conversion model has been particularly successful in urban areas, where developers have repurposed landmark buildings, such as a former office in Dallas, to create new Cambria hotels.

Building on its success in urban centers, Choice Hotels introduced a new design in 2021 to bring Cambria to secondary and leisure markets. Adjustments were made to make the properties more cost-effective, including reducing kitchen sizes and menus to reflect different guest preferences in these regions.

Cambria is now positioned as a strong competitor in the upscale market, driving comparable revenue per available room to rival brands such as Courtyard by Marriott, Hyatt Place, Aloft, and Hilton Garden Inn.