Choice Hotels International is partnering with Spanish hotel operator and franchiser Sercotel Hotels to expand into Spain and other markets.
Choice Hotels will also aim to create new opportunities for hotel development across Europe and Latin America through this new partnership. The two groups will bring Choice hotels managed by Sercotel's management unit into these markets while adding select Sercotel properties to the Choice Hotels portfolio. Booking on ChoiceHotels.com and the Choice Hotels app will extend to these Sercotel properties. They will also participate in the Choice Priveleges loyalty program.
"This relationship has the potential to create a unique and attractive offering for our worldwide guests and hotel owners seeking to improve their return on investment," said Patrick Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels. "Sercotel is one of Spain's premier management companies and complements Choice's global leadership in hotel and technology innovation. We believe that this alliance provides us a competitive edge in international markets, and in turn, enables us to enter new markets."
"Teaming up with Choice Hotels is a natural fit. Both companies value quality and are committed to providing unmatched service to guests and franchisees. By combining the complementary attributes of Sercotel and Choice Hotels, we can continue to deliver a high level of service at our hotels, while benefiting from the global reach of Choice," said Marisol Turró, president of Sercotel Hotels. "This is especially true in the flourishing Latin American market where the combination of Choice's powerful hotel brands and our Spanish hospitality management have great appeal."
The new Choice Hotels properties will join Sercotel's approximately 150 hotels in Spain and 28 in Latin America. Meanwhile, Sercotel has continued the expansion of its own hotels in Latin America. Two properties in Cartagena and Bogotá, Colombia opened in late March 2018, expanding Sercotel's presence in the country include 22 hotels, according to EPTurismo. The Sercotel DHI Palmetto Apartments opened near the sea of Cartegena de Indias with 276 apartments spread across two 39-floor buildings: Palmetto Beach and Palmetto Eliptic. In Bogota, the Golden Tower City Center by Sercotel opened as part of the group's First Class collection with 53 guestrooms. The property is near the Bogota International Business Center.
The new Choice properties will also expand Choice Hotels' presence in Europe. They will join the company's existing properties in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. As part of the group's expansion plans, Choice Hotels added four new hotels in Yorkshire, UK under the Clarion Collection and Ascend Hotel Collection brands to its portfolio in Europe in March 2018, according to a Deplacementspros report. The Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate opened as an Ascend Hotel Collection property with 100 guestrooms in the Harrogate city center. The 131-room Cedar Court Leeds Bradford, the 113-room Cedar Court Huddersfield and the 149-room Cedar Court Wakefield opened as Clarion Collection Hotel properties.