Six new upscale hotels under Choice Hotels International's Cambria Hotels and Ascend Collection flags opened across Colorado, Florida, Vermont, and Wisconsin, the company confirmed September 29, bringing its U.S. upscale portfolio to more than 300 open properties with nearly 150 additional hotels in the development pipeline.
The batch includes two Cambria Hotels — in Colorado Springs near the U.S. Air Force Academy and in Jacksonville, Florida — alongside four Ascend Collection conversions: the dual-property Caretta Landing Sarasota and Coral Pointe Sarasota on Florida's Gulf Coast, the golf-anchored Fairway Inn and Suites in Mishicot, Wisconsin, and the ski-in/ski-out Sun Lodge at the base of Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont.
Pipeline & Owner Appeal
For hotel owners and developers tracking upscale hospitality expansion, the openings signal sustained franchise appetite for Choice's soft-brand structure. Mark Shalala, Senior Vice President of Development for Upscale Brands at Choice Hotels International, said owners and developers are responding to the strength of the company's upscale platform and the growth potential of its brands, with a focus on helping owners succeed while meeting rising traveler demand for distinctive accommodations.
The Ascend Collection — the industry's first soft brand — surpassed 500 global openings earlier in 2026, a milestone that reinforces the model's appeal for independent operators seeking distribution scale without sacrificing property identity. Across its full upscale suite, which also includes Radisson, Radisson Blu, and Radisson Individuals, Choice Hotels is positioning itself as a broad-spectrum challenger in the upscale segment.
Property-Level Details
The Cambria Hotel Colorado Springs – Air Force Academy features 97 guestrooms, an on-site restaurant, a rooftop bar, a 24-hour Grab & Go marketplace, and 286 square feet of meeting space — a format that reflects Cambria's consistent emphasis on food-and-beverage programming as a differentiator. The Cambria Hotel Jacksonville similarly leads with a locally inspired restaurant and bar, rooftop event space, an outdoor pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center, placing it near major demand generators including Mayo Clinic and TPC Sawgrass.
In Sarasota, Caretta Landing (86 guestrooms) and Coral Pointe (107 guestrooms and apartment-style suites) operate as complementary properties sharing a resort-style pool, complimentary hot breakfast, fitness center, and nearly 1,100 square feet of combined meeting space. The pairing illustrates a dual-asset ownership strategy that can improve cost efficiency for investors while broadening guest choice. In Wisconsin, Fairway Inn and Suites brings nearly 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space and a 45-hole adjacent golf course to a Midwestern leisure market — a profile that aligns with the group travel and meetings recovery documented across the broader hotel industry. Sun Lodge in Vermont rounds out the batch with ski-in/ski-out access, outdoor fire pits, and roughly 800 square feet of flexible event space.
All properties participate in the Choice Privileges rewards program, which launched a redesigned earning structure that allows members to reach Elite status faster and redeem points across more than 7,000 properties in 46 countries and territories.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
