Choice Hotels Teams Up with Rebuilding Together, Doubles Corporate Giving

Choice Hotels International answers the call to service, doubling its philanthropic contributions in 2009.

Heading into the busiest fundraising time of year, nonprofits are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn. Charitable giving fell last year by the largest percentage in five decades, according to a study by the Giving USA Foundation. The Foundation Center expects foundation giving to decrease 8 – 13 percent this year.

There’s no better time to give than now, according to Choice Hotels. Despite the recession, the hospitality giant will increase its charitable donations by 55 percent this year over last. With Americans struggling from job losses and rising prices for household necessities, the company focuses its giving on organizations that support basic human needs, such as food, clothing and shelter. Under the auspices of the Choice Hotels International Foundation, the company has formed an alliance with Rebuilding Together, the nation’s leading nonprofit working to revitalize communities and preserve affordable homeownership.

Through this multi-year campaign, Choice Hotels will partner with Rebuilding Together, kicking off with 20 projects this fall. Projects are located across the USA, from Hartford, Atlanta and Miami to Detroit, Dallas and Monterey. More than 700 Choice volunteers will pick up hammers, nails and wrenches, repairing homes, shelters and nonprofit organizations. They will contribute more than 5,000 volunteer hours. Believing charity begins at home, Choice is focusing its efforts in the communities where its associates and hotel owners and operators live and work.

Choice Hotels volunteers are rolling up their sleeves and making significant contributions that include: replacing HVAC systems; repairing leaky roofs, bathtubs and stairways; tearing out old kitchens and putting in new sinks, cabinets, countertops, flooring and energy-efficient appliances; installing new windows, handrails, grab bars and smoke detectors; building closets; and weatherizing homes.

“We’re proud to increase our philanthropic support and partner with Rebuilding Together," says Kelly Kane, executive director, Choice Hotels International Foundation. "Low-income homeowners face tremendous challenges today. Our partnership with Rebuilding Together gives us a great opportunity to get involved in dozens of projects from coast to coast and make a real difference in our communities and in the lives of the people who live there.”

About Choice Hotels | As of June 30, 2009, Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchised more than 5,900 hotels, representing more than 479,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. On September 22, 2009, the company announced it had opened its 6,000th franchised property. As of June 30, 2009, more than 800 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 64,000 rooms, and an additional 110 hotels, representing approximately 8,700 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 15 other countries and territories. The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at .

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

2009 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

*Excluding Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden