68 Upscale Hotels Added Under Ascend Collection, Available to Book in the Next Few Months
100 New Hotels to be Developed Exclusively by SSAW in China Under the Comfort and Quality Brands Within Five Years
Choice Hotels International has announced a major expansion into the Chinese market through a new long-term distribution and master franchise agreement with SSAW Hotels & Resorts. The deal adds 68 upscale existing properties currently managed by SSAW—totalling more than 9,500 rooms—to the Ascend Collection™ and grants SSAW exclusive development rights for the Comfort™ and Quality™ brands across China as a master franchisee.
With this agreement, Choice Hotels strengthens its presence in key Chinese cities and unlocks enormous potential in Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing market. SSAW’s highly regarded upscale brands—Pagoda, Narada, SSAW Garden and Boutique, and Ginlan Jia—will now be part of the Ascend Collection, with the newly affiliated properties expected to be bookable on ChoiceHotels.com within three months.
Guests can expect spacious, well-appointed rooms with rainforest showers, complimentary Wi-Fi, in-room comforts like minibars and tea/coffee, and standout amenities including onsite restaurants, concierge service, 24-hour front desks, and fitness facilities—perfect for both business and leisure travellers.
Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, said, “This relationship allows us to scale quickly in a fast-growing market, with established, high-quality properties, and deliver even more value to travellers, including the 70 million members of our loyalty program, Choice Privileges.”
Lily Zhu, CEO of SSAW Hotels & Resorts Group, added: “This cooperation is a strategic measure of mutual benefit for both parties. Choice Hotels is one of the world’s leading hotel franchising groups and has extensive influence across the global industry. We are honoured to work with Choice Hotels. This deal allows us to introduce the Ascend Collection in China, and grants SSAW Group exclusive rights to develop and expand the presence of Comfort™ and Quality™ brands in Mainland China. This cooperation also reflects the importance of the Chinese hotel market and the potential business opportunities. The cooperation between our two companies can complement each other’s advantages in resource cooperation and is also an opportunity to enhance the internationalisation of SSAW Group. I believe that this cooperation can achieve positive results in many aspects such as market expansion, brand building and resource integration.”
Ricardo Losada Revol, SVP & GM of the International Segment at Choice Hotels International, noted, “With our expanding platform, marketing channels, and proprietary tools and systems that drive franchisee success, combined with SSAW’s local leadership, Choice Hotels is poised for scalable long-term growth across China and beyond.”
All properties will participate in Choice Privileges™, enabling more than 70 million global members to earn and redeem points at over 7,000 hotels worldwide.