IN order to assist hoteliers who may be stuck by the credit crunch, Choice Hotels International is offering an incentive to owners who want to rebrand to the Quality, Clarion or Econo Lodge brands.

Qualified owners that convert a property to the Quality or Clarion brand by December 31, will receive a $10,000 discount off the application fee. Hotels that are open for operation by December 31, 2010 will receive up to $35,000 back at opening and no royalty fees up to the first 18 months of operations. If the property opens in 2011, owners will receive up to $25,000 at opening and pay no royalty fees for up to the first 12 months of operation.

Qualified owners that convert a property to the Econo Lodge brand by December 31, 2010 will receive a $10,000 discount off the application fee. Hotels that are open for operation by December will receive up to $15,000 back at opening and no royalty fees for the first 18 months of operations. If the property opens in 2011, owners will receive up to $15,000 at opening and no royalty fees for up to the first 12 months of operation. 

‘This limited-time incentive meets our longstanding commitment to working collaboratively with the  hotel development community, helping small business owners thrive in challenging times by providing maximum value by helping to defer or reduce certain up-front costs,  thereby allowing them to affiliate with a powerful franchisor in Choice Hotels,’ said David Pepper, Choice’s senior vice president of global development.