America's Best Franchising Adds Two in China

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. February 01, 2010

January 29, 2010 - America's Best Franchising, Inc. continues its international growth with the opening of two mid-scale hotel properties in China:

• Budgetel Inn & Suites with 70 rooms and suites, plus a cafe and meeting rooms
• America's Best Inn & Suites with 90 rooms and suites, plus a restaurant and meeting rooms

Both hotels are located in Yiwu, a city of approximately two million people which is a major commodities center and regional tourist destination located about 190 miles southwest of Shanghai.

“Mid-scale brands are the fastest-growing segment of China's hotel market,” explained Doug Collins, president and CEO of America's Best Franchising.

“Rooms at these properties typically cost as little as $60 a night compared to $200 per night at a five-star hotel, so they're very popular with both domestic and foreign travelers, whether those people are on business or on vacation.”

Atlanta-based America's Best Franchising operates more than 250 properties with a total of almost 17,000 rooms under its four upper economy hotel brands - America's Best Inns & Suites, Budgetel Inns & Suites, Country Hearth Inns & Suites, and Vagabond Inn & Suites - plus its upscale 3 Palms brand for independent hotels.

“China, with a population that's four times the size of the United States, has the potential to be the world's largest budget hotel market - and we have four excellent economy brands that can compete very successfully,” said Collins.

Added Thomas Tiang, the Shanghai-based representative for America's Best Franchising, “These brands combine an attractive room price with desirable amenities plus brand names that invoke America's solid reputation for value and quality. That's why we really look forward to adding more properties in China.”

Currently, about one in 10 Chinese jobs is in the travel and tourism business - and the industry is expected to grow about 10% annually.

Within the past year, America's Best Franchising has launched an aggressive international expansion of its brands, notably in Canada, South America, Africa and Asia. The company currently operates two properties in Argentina under the Country Hearth brand plus has two properties being built in Nigeria under the America's Best brand and four properties being built in India under the Country Hearth brand.