Leading Hispanic Entrepreneur John Lopez Enters Into Agreement to Build Five Cambria Suites Hotels

SILVER SPRING, Md. and OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International and Suenos Hospitality of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma today announced the execution of a development agreement under which Suenos will execute at least five franchise agreements for Cambria Suites hotels by December 1, 2009. The first two franchise contracts under this agreement have been executed for Cambria Suites hotels in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Glendale, Arizona. Suenos Hospitality, LLC is headed by John Lopez, a distinguished member of the Hispanic business community and the Chairman of the Board of Lopez Foods, one of the nation's largest Hispanic- owned businesses.

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"As a lifelong entrepreneur, I'm very excited about focusing my energies on my latest endeavor - hotel ownership," said Lopez. "In building Cambria Suites hotels, as with my other businesses, I am committed to serving the communities in which I operate. I look forward to working with Choice Hotels and its Cambria Suites brand team to bring this fresh new alternative in lodging to Oklahoma City, Glendale and a number of other locations."

Cambria Suites hotels are designed for guests who want to take their lifestyle with them when traveling. Hotels feature a stylish design with guest suites that are 25 percent larger than standard hotel rooms. As of September 30, 2007, 59 Cambria Suites hotels were under contract in 26 states nationwide and in Canada.

"We are very honored that one of the nation's most respected Hispanic businessmen, John Lopez, will be developing Cambria Suites hotels," said William Edmundson, brand president, Cambria Suites. "New Cambria Suites hotels will soon be coming to Oklahoma City and Glendale for travelers that want to stay at a hotel that reflects their lifestyle and features the latest in design, technology and amenities."

"John Lopez's passion, experience and dedication to service will be tremendous assets as a Cambria Suites owner," added Brad LeBlanc, vice president of franchise sales for Cambria Suites. "I'm confident that Suenos Hospitality will be exactly the type of owner we are looking for as we build this exciting new brand."

All Cambria Suites hotels offer the latest in technology, from a large- screen television in the open, airy two-story lobby to two flat-screen LCD televisions, CD/DVD player, and MP3 jacks in the guest suites and complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the property.

"As we continue to diversify our ownership base, we are thrilled that John Lopez has joined the ranks of prominent Hispanic entrepreneurs who are franchising Choice-brand hotels," said Raul Fuentes, emerging markets director, Choice Hotels.

Cambria Suites hotels include Reflect, a casual dining area that features a full barista bar and serves breakfast and dinner; Refresh, a state-of-the-art fitness center with a resort-style indoor pool and spa; and Refill, a 24-7 convenience store that stocks freshly prepared "grab 'n' go" salads and sandwiches as well as typical convenience store fare and healthy and organic foods. In addition, all hotels offer more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. To request information about Cambria Suites, visit the Cambria Suites website at http://www.cambriasuites.com/.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International franchises more than 5,500 hotels, representing more than 450,000 rooms, in the United States and 37 countries and territories. As of September 30, 2007, 872 hotels are under development in the United States, representing 68,853 rooms, and an additional 82 hotels, representing 7,970 rooms, are under development in more than 20 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.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels Web site, which may be accessed at http://www.choicehotels.com/.

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