Choice Hotels International plans to bring seven additional hotels to Saudi Arabia under its Comfort and Quality brands. The new hotels represent the first tranche of a broader strategy to open 30 Choice-branded hotels to the Kingdom.

Choice Hotels International is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. The chain brings over 6,800 franchised hotels, representing more than 550,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories.

The hotels include:

• Three Comfort Inn & Suites hotels in Riyadh.
• One Comfort Suites and two Quality Inn & Suites hotels in Jeddah.
• One Comfort Inn & Suites in Taif.

The announcement advances Choice’s strategy to expand internationally and follows the previously signed master development agreement with an affiliate of one of the largest tourism and travel companies in the Middle East, Al-Tayyar Travel Group.

All seven hotels will be operated through hotel-management agreements between CHME Ltd., a subsidiary of Al-Tayyar Travel Group, under a master license agreement with Choice Hotels. Four of these hotels already are under construction and expected to open beginning in the third quarter of 2019.

At a signing ceremony in Riyadh, Choice Hotels President and CEO Patrick Pacious said: “International growth remains a key strategic focus for Choice, and the Kingdom presents an attractive market for expansion. We are proud to leverage our decades of midscale experience to bring more hospitality options that travelers desire to the region.”

Al-Tayyar Travel Group CEO Abdullah Al Dawood said: “This is only the beginning of our group’s transformation plan, announced last year, to develop and operate 6,000 keys by 2022. We are confident in Choice’s expertise and ability to help us deliver a high-quality hospitality experience to meet the needs of the fast-growing midscale segment in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”

Mark Pearce, senior vice president, international division, Choice Hotels International added: “This agreement anchors our portfolio in the Kingdom and is symbolic of Choice Hotels’ strong international presence. The seven new-build projects are exemplary hotels to showcase our Quality and Comfort brands, as well as the guest experience Choice Hotels offers.”