#54
At a Glance
Products & Services: Hotels
Number of Locations: 6,202
Total Investment: $89.8K - 14.64M
Founded: 1939
Began Franchising: 1962
About Choice Hotels Int'l.
A group of Southern motel owners got together in 1939 to discuss the state of the lodging industry, hoping to do something to change the negative opinion the public had about motels (FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had warned that motels were used as bases of operations by gangsters).owners set about to create a set of quality standards for motels and agreed to publish the names of establishments that complied with these standards. In 1940, the group officially named itself Quality Courts United Inc. In 1990, Quality became known as Choice Hotels International Inc. The hotels in the chain now include Sleep, Comfort, Quality, Clarion, Rodeway, Econo Lodge an
Franchise Units
| Year | U.S. | Canadian | International | Company Owned |
| 2012 | 5,024 | 308 | 867 | 3 |
| 2011 | 4,952 | 301 | 864 | 3 |
| 2010 | 4,936 | 284 | 854 | 3 |
| 2009 | 4,812 | 274 | 828 | 3 |
Where Seeking Franchisees: Franchisor is seeking new franchise units worldwide.
Startup Costs, Ongoing Fees and Financing
Total Investment: $89,800 - $14,636,550
Franchise Fee: $10,000 - $60,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: Varies
Term of Franchise Agreement: 20 years, not renewable
Franchise Fee: $10,000 - $60,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: Varies
Term of Franchise Agreement: 20 years, not renewable
Financial Requirements
Net Worth: $750,000
Liquid Cash Available: $200,000
Operations
20% of all franchisees own more than one unit. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed..| Financing Type | In-House | Third Party |
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How This Franchise Supports Franchisees
Training: Available at headquarters: 1 week. Ongoing regional training
Ongoing Support: Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing Support: Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising,
Other marketing support: PR
Franchise Ranking History
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