- Choice bets on soft brand to compete in upscale.
- Four of Choice’s six new upscale openings are Ascend Collection.
- Ascend has 500+ hotels worldwide.
CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL is now leaning on owner flexibility to expand in U.S. upscale lodging. Four of the six hotels it announced Sept. 29 are in Ascend Collection, a soft brand that allows independent hotels to join Choice while retaining their local identity.
The other two are Cambria hotels, a more structured brand, according to Choice's release.
The six hotels span Colorado, Florida, Vermont and Wisconsin. Choice disclosed room counts for five of the properties, totaling 442 rooms. It did not provide a room count for Cambria Hotel Jacksonville. The company said its U.S. upscale portfolio exceeds 300 hotels, with nearly 150 properties in the pipeline.
"We're seeing strong interest from owners and developers who recognize the strength of our upscale platform and the growth potential of our brands," said Mark Shalala, Choice senior vice president, development, upscale brands. "As we continue expanding our upscale portfolio across the country, we're focused on helping owners succeed while delivering experiences that resonate with today's travelers by meeting their increasing demand for unique upscale accommodations."
Choice's expansion is part of a broader development push. In its January development update, the company said it opened 27 domestic upscale hotels across Ascend Collection, Cambria Hotels and Radisson in 2025, while its domestic upscale pipeline reached 133 hotels. It also highlighted a refreshed Ascend identity, a conversion-ready Cambria guestroom, updated property-improvement strategies and the Cambria Boost performance program.
Separately, Radisson Individuals is Choice Hotels’ upper-upscale soft brand for independent and boutique hotels. The brand had 15 hotels in the Americas when Choice relaunched it in 2024 and has continued expanding across markets including Colombia and Panama.
Scale cuts both ways
Pictured is Cambria Hotel Colorado Springs – Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Photo credit: Choice Hotels International
Choice is smaller where owners want a conventional upscale flag. In its annual report, Choice names Courtyard by Marriott, Aloft, Hyatt Place, Hotel Indigo, AC Hotels and Hilton Garden Inn as Cambria's principal competitors.
Choice has built a much larger global footprint through Ascend than through Cambria. It says more than 500 Ascend Collection properties are open worldwide, a milestone Asian Hospitality reported in March.
That scale matters because soft brands are no longer a small niche within hotel franchising. According CBRE Hotels Research, soft-brand room growth over the previous decade was nearly 10 times the growth of traditional brands in its sample, with soft-brand rooms increasing 42 percent in the past year.
Owners can get the reservation, marketing and loyalty benefits of major hotel brands while retaining greater flexibility in facilities, services and operating standards, the report said. For owners, that creates a middle ground between remaining fully independent and adopting a conventional flag.
CBRE said soft brands are frequently chosen by owners of hotels with an existing reputation and identity of their own.
Wyndham's parallel play
Pictured is Collegian Hotel & Suites, Trademark Collection by Wyndham, in Syracuse, New York.Photo credit: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Choice is not alone in using the model to pursue growth. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' Trademark Collection surpassed 100 U.S. hotels in March 2026, doubling its domestic portfolio in five years. The brand had nearly 350 hotels globally and more than 100 additional hotels in its pipeline, according to Wyndham.
"Independent hotel owners don't want to trade their identity for scale—and with Trademark Collection by Wyndham, they don't have to," said Leo Danese, Wyndham’s vice president of Lifestyle Brands. Wyndham said hotels joining Trademark gain access to its global distribution, marketing, technology and Wyndham Rewards loyalty program.
