Choice Hotels International Debuts MainStay Suites™ in Australia with Addition of 581 Rooms
Seven new MainStay Suites™ properties launch — marking Choice Hotels International's entry into extended stay as one of Australia's largest direct franchise players
NORTH BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, one of world's largest and most successful accommodation franchisors, is launching MainStay Suites™ in Australia. This marks the MainStay brand's first expansion outside North America, with seven hotels opening across the country — beginning with properties in Melbourne, Whyalla, Mackay, and Townsville. This milestone also highlights Choice Hotels International's leadership in the extended stay segment and underscores its commitment to accelerated growth in key international markets.
With this launch, Choice Hotels International strengthens its Australian portfolio—bringing the total to 7,487 rooms and 163 hotels— and solidifying its position as one of the largest direct franchise players in the Australian market.
The Australian market is seeing rapid growth in demand for extended stay accommodation across business, healthcare, government, and construction sectors. MainStay Suites addresses this need by offering apartment-style comfort with hotel-level convenience—fully equipped kitchens, spacious living areas, laundry facilities, and dedicated workspaces—helping guests maintain their routines with minimal interruption. Guests include Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) workers, healthcare professionals, and relocating families.
"Introducing MainStay Suites to Australia strengthens our presence in the region, and now broadens our reach into the growing extended stay category," said Pat Pacious, President and Chief Executive Officer at Choice Hotels. "This launch supports our growth strategy and international footprint, providing tailored solutions for corporate and government travelers, as well as project-based workers."
All properties will participate in Choice Privileges, the award-winning loyalty program, enabling members to earn and redeem points at over 7,100 hotels worldwide. For investors and developers, MainStay Suites presents a turnkey opportunity to enter the expanding extended stay sector, suitable for new builds and conversions, backed by Choice Hotels' infrastructure and local expertise. In Australia, the launch of MainStay Suites marks just the beginning, with significant opportunity to further expand the brand's presence across the country in response to growing demand for extended stay accommodation.
The brand's debut in Australia is through a collaborative, strategic relationship with Extended STAY Australasia, the company that pioneered the extended stay concept in Australia. This direct franchising agreement enables Choice Hotels to deliver its leading extended stay model, while leveraging Extended STAY Australasia's local expertise and operational excellence. Paul Constantinou AM, Chairman of Extended STAY Australasia, said, "MainStay Suites is more than just a place to stay—it's about giving guests the flexibility and comfort they need while away from home. With our 'Live Like Home™' experience, we're offering long-stay travelers a convenient and comfortable alternative to traditional hotels."
This AsiaPac announcement follows exciting rooms growth news in China and Japan. With its continued expectation of achieving high single-digit international room growth this year, Choice Hotels remains confident in the accelerated expansion of its international portfolio, which now exceeds 150,000 rooms outside the U.S. The company sees a significant long-term opportunity to further grow its global footprint and capture additional international market share across key regions. Recently, the company announced several major achievements that build on Choice Hotels' broader international growth, including:
- A long-term distribution and master franchise agreement with SSAW Hotels & Resorts in China, adding over 9,500 rooms to the Ascend Collection with an additional commitment to grow the Comfort and Quality brands to 100 properties in the country.
- The debut in Japan of 22 new Comfort properties extending Choice Hotels' portfolio to 96 across key destinations in the country.
- Continued expansion across the Caribbean and Latin America through strategic relationships, including an agreement with Atlántica Hospitality International in Brazil, which encompasses 70 hotels and more than 10,000 rooms across multiple segments as of Q2 2025. The company also recently made its debut in Argentina with the opening of Radisson Blu Bariloche, a modern lakeside retreat featuring 80 total guest rooms of which 32 are suites. This opening marks a monumental step in bringing the brand's world-class hospitality to Patagonia and growing both the upscale and upper upscale footprint across the Caribbean and Latin American region.
- The acquisition of the remaining stake in Choice Hotels Canada, transitioning to a direct franchising model that paves the way for accelerated growth. As of Q2 2025, Choice Hotels' Canadian portfolio included 350 hotels and 30,000 rooms, with more than 2,500 rooms in the pipeline, reinforcing the company's commitment to international expansion.
- Major expansion in France, nearly doubling the company's portfolio with 50 new hotels that will be Quality Suites (4,800+ rooms), bringing the total to 107 franchised hotels in Europe's largest hotel franchise market.
These milestones, alongside the introduction of MainStay Suites in Australia, underscore Choice Hotels International's commitment to innovation and its leadership in the extended stay segment across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
About Choice Hotels®
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, with nearly 7,500 hotels, representing over 640,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories. A wide-ranging portfolio of 22 brands that includes full-service upper upscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy properties enables Choice® to meet travelers' needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges® rewards program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.
About Extended STAY Australasia:
Extended STAY Australasia™ founded by hospitality leaders Paul Constantinou AM and Damian Gallace, is reshaping extended stay living for corporate and government professionals across Australasia. With over 30 years of experience and a proven track record managing more than 170 serviced apartments—including direct ownership and hands-on management of 40 properties—Extended STAY Australasia delivers tailored, serviced apartment solutions that combine the comfort of home with business-ready functionality. Through innovative developments, sustainable retrofits, and meaningful community engagement, Extended STAY Australasia partners with developers, councils, and government bodies to create thriving, community-focused properties that drive economic growth and deliver lasting impact.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication includes "forward-looking statements" about future events, including anticipated development and hotel openings. Such statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including construction delays, availability and cost of financing and the other "Risk Factors" described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, any of which could cause actual results to be materially different from our expectations.
Addendum
This is not an offering. No offer or sale of a franchise will be made except by a Franchise Disclosure Document first filed and registered with applicable state authorities. A copy of the Franchise Disclosure Document can be obtained through contacting Choice Hotels International at 915 Meeting St Ste 600, North Bethesda, MD 20852, email: [email protected].
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SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.