By james art 
CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL recently opened its 500th extended stay hotel, Everhome Suites Glendale Sports Entertainment District in Glendale, Arizona. Project STR data through August shows Choice has the fastest-growing portfolio of affordable extended-stay housing and is the industry leader in affordable new construction.
The company has nearly 400 hotels across four extended-stay brands — Everhome Suites, WoodSpring Suites, Suburban Studios and MainStay Suites — by the end of the second quarter of 2024, Choice said in a statement .
“Reaching 500 open extended-stay properties is a testament to our strategic focus on this growth category, our proven extended-stay hotel operating model and brand prototypes that make Choice’s expertise the best in the industry,” said Patrick Passius , Choice president and CEO. “As we continue to grow, we are committed to working with developers to deliver cost-effective properties that deliver an excellent long-term guest experience and strong financial returns.”
With the addition of Glendale, Choice now has six Everhome Suites open nationwide and more than 65 in the pipeline, including more than 20 under construction, with more than 15 expected to open in the next 12 months, it said in the statement. WoodSpring Suites is on track for a record year, forecasting 25 openings by the end of the year. The company also opened 13 MainStay Suites and Suburban Studios from January 1 to September 30 in Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa and Moreno Valley, California.
“Our dedicated team knows where there is unmet demand in the category and provides best-in-class support for our franchisees from location selection to opening and day-to-day operations,” said Matt McElhare, Choice vice president and segment head of extended-stay brands. “We are proud to be a leader in one of the fastest growing segments in hospitality and look forward to opening the next 500 extended stay hotels.”
The new Everhome Suites in Glendale features 122 rooms and was developed with Highside Companies, managed by Superhost Hospitality. The property includes a fitness center and common outdoor spaces and is close to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona State University West Valley campus, State Farm Stadium, Desert Diamond Casino and St. Joseph’s Westgate.
“This milestone is just the beginning of our growth,” said Ron Burgett, Choice’s senior vice president of extended stay development. “We work closely with our developer network to design the best possible product for the extended stay market. Through value engineering, we have created a model that helps reduce construction costs and operational complexity, resulting in faster conversion and development of new hotels.”
Choice recently introduced Lobby in a Box, a modular design suite that helps hoteliers streamline extended stay conversions and enhance the guest experience. The company also relaunched Radisson Individuals in the Americas as an upscale soft brand for full-service boutique and independent hotels.