Clarion Hotels

Clarion Hotels is an international hotel brand in the Choice Hotels portfolio. It was established in 1987 through a joint venture between Quality Inns International and the Associated Inns and Restaurants Company of America (AIRCOA). The launch brought together properties from both organizations, including AIRCOA hotels and properties formerly operating under Quality’s Royale Inns name. Clarion was initially conceived as an upscale, full-service hotel brand with particular appeal to business travelers. The brand’s operating model has principally been franchise-based. Rather than owning a uniform chain of hotels, Clarion provides participating owners with a brand platform, reservation and distribution support, operating standards, marketing, and a recognizable service proposition. Its target franchisees have included owners of existing hotels seeking to retain or add amenities such as restaurants, meeting rooms, fitness facilities, and other full-service features while benefiting from affiliation with Choice Hotels. This has produced a portfolio with variation in building design, room configuration, local services, and amenity packages. Clarion’s early development was concentrated in the United States. By 1993, the system had reached 52 Clarion Inns, and the Clarion Somerset in Nashua, New Hampshire, became the brand’s first New England location. Over time, the brand expanded beyond North America. In the Asia-Pacific region, Choice Hotels announced plans in 2003 to convert properties in New Zealand from the Flag Hotels system into Clarion, Comfort, and Quality brands. The brand also developed a European presence, including the opening of Clarion Hotel Stockholm in 2005. That property was designed by Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh and became one of the more prominent examples of the brand’s European expansion. Choice Hotels introduced Clarion to China in 2014 through a partnership with Boli Hotel Management Company. In 2016, three Clarion hotels opened in Turkey: Clarion Hotel Golden Horn, Clarion Hotel Istanbul Mahmutbey, and a Clarion property in Kahramanmaraş. Clarion Hotel The Hub opened in Oslo in 2019, further strengthening the brand’s profile in Northern Europe. In 2024, Choice Hotels signed an agreement with French operator Zenitude Hôtel Résidences to convert 33 hotels to Choice brands. The Clarion conversions included a 460-room property near Charles de Gaulle Airport and a 110-room hotel in Toulouse. The brand architecture has broadened beyond the original Clarion Hotels format. Clarion-related offerings include Clarion Hotels, Clarion Resorts, Clarion Suites, and Clarion Pointe. Clarion Pointe was introduced in 2018 as a midscale, select-service extension intended to serve a lighter-operating model than the traditional full-service Clarion format. The first Clarion Pointe opened as a 72-room hotel in Sulphur Springs, Texas. In 2019, Choice Hotels introduced a new Clarion logo as part of a wider refresh of its midscale brands. Clarion’s positioning varies by market. In the United States, the brand is associated with franchised full-service and upper-midscale lodging, while European and Asia-Pacific properties may offer restaurants, conference spaces, fitness centers, saunas, rooftop pools, and other locally adapted amenities. Its competitive set has included IHG’s Holiday Inn and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ Ramada, with Clarion Pointe also positioned against select-service and midscale competitors such as Best Western and Wyndham’s Wingate. The brand remains active within Choice Hotels’ international franchise and conversion strategy.

Clarion Hotels was created in 1987 as a joint venture between Quality Inns International and the Associated Inns and Restaurants Company of America, commonly known as AIRCOA. The new brand incorporated selected properties from both organizations, including AIRCOA hotels and hotels previously operating under Quality Inns’ Royale Inns name. Clarion was introduced as an upscale, full-service concept, with a stated emphasis on business travelers and the amenities expected by that audience. During its first period of development, Clarion expanded primarily in the United States. By 1993, the system included 52 Clarion Inns. The Clarion Somerset in Nashua, New Hampshire, was identified as the brand’s first New England property. The chain’s growth was based largely on affiliation and franchising rather than a single standardized ownership model, allowing existing hotel owners to adopt the brand while continuing to operate properties with differing physical layouts and local features. Clarion later became part of the Choice Hotels portfolio as Quality Inns International evolved into Choice Hotels. The brand’s international development proceeded in stages. In late 2003, Choice Hotels announced plans to convert Flag Hotels properties in New Zealand to Clarion, Comfort, and Quality brands. This created an Asia-Pacific route for Clarion, although the precise brand designation varied by property. In Europe, Clarion Hotel Stockholm opened in 2005. The hotel was designed by Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh and represented the brand’s development in a market where Clarion properties could combine lodging with restaurants, events, conference facilities, and design-led public spaces. Choice Hotels entered the Chinese market with Clarion locations in 2014 through a partnership with Boli Hotel Management Company. Two years later, the company opened three Clarion hotels in Turkey: Golden Horn, Istanbul Mahmutbey, and Kahramanmaraş. These openings demonstrated the brand’s use as an international platform adapted through local operating and development partnerships. In 2019, Clarion Hotel The Hub opened in Oslo, Norway, adding a large and visible property in the Nordic region. The brand’s portfolio architecture expanded in the United States and other markets. In addition to the principal Clarion Hotels format, related concepts include Clarion Resorts and Clarion Suites. Clarion Pointe was introduced in 2018 as a midscale select-service extension, intended for owners and guests seeking a simpler operating model than the traditional full-service hotel. The first Clarion Pointe was a 72-room property in Sulphur Springs, Texas. In 2019, Choice Hotels introduced a new Clarion logo in connection with a broader visual refresh of its midscale brands. Clarion’s business model continues to focus on franchising and hotel conversions. The brand is aimed at owners of existing hotels who want to provide core full-service amenities, including restaurants, meeting rooms, and fitness facilities, while using Choice Hotels’ systems and distribution. Depending on location, Clarion hotels may also provide conference centers, saunas, rooftop pools, and other locally determined amenities. In 2024, Choice Hotels signed an agreement with French operator Zenitude Hôtel Résidences to convert 33 hotels to Choice brands. The Clarion portion of the transaction included a 460-room property near Charles de Gaulle Airport and a 110-room hotel in Toulouse. Through these developments, Clarion has remained an active Choice Hotels brand spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and selected Latin American markets.

• 2024

  Zenitude conversion agreement expands the French network

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels agrees to convert 33 Zenitude hotels to Choice brands, including two properties planned for the Clarion brand.

• 2019

  Clarion refreshes its visual identity

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels introduces a new Clarion logo as part of a wider midscale-brand refresh.

• 2019

  Clarion Hotel The Hub opens in Oslo

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The Oslo property debuts and expands Clarion’s Nordic presence.

• 2018

  Clarion Pointe launches

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels creates Clarion Pointe as a midscale select-service brand extension.

• 2016

  Clarion opens three Turkish properties

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand opens hotels in Golden Horn, Istanbul Mahmutbey, and Kahramanmaraş.

• 2014

  Clarion enters China

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels launches the first Clarion locations in China in partnership with Boli Hotel Management Company.

• 2005

  Clarion Hotel Stockholm opens

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  A prominent Stockholm property opens with architecture by Gert Wingårdh.

• 2003

  Asia-Pacific expansion begins in New Zealand

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Choice Hotels announces plans to convert Flag Hotels properties in New Zealand into Clarion, Comfort, and Quality hotels.

• 1993

  The U.S. network reaches 52 Clarion Inns

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Clarion’s United States system grows to 52 inns, and the Clarion Somerset in Nashua becomes the brand’s first New England location.

• 1987

  Clarion Hotels is launched

  [1]Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Quality Inns International and AIRCOA establish Clarion Hotels and Resorts as an upscale, full-service hotel brand.

An upper-midscale to upscale hotel platform centered on full-service accommodation, business-traveler amenities, meetings, restaurants, and conversion-friendly franchising, supplemented by select-service and resort extensions.

• Full-service hotel brand · 1987

  Clarion Hotels

  The core Clarion format is an upper-midscale to upscale hotel offering built around full-service accommodation. Properties commonly target business and leisure travelers and may include restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, conference facilities, fitness centers, and other locally selected amenities. Because the system is franchise-oriented, individual hotels can differ substantially in size, design, and service mix.

• Resort hotel brand extension

  Clarion Resorts

  Clarion Resorts extends the brand into destination and leisure lodging. The format is associated with properties where resort-oriented facilities and location-specific amenities supplement the standard Clarion accommodation proposition. Available facilities can include restaurants, recreation, wellness services, pools, and event spaces, depending on the property.

• Suite hotel brand extension

  Clarion Suites

  Clarion Suites is the suite-oriented extension of the Clarion family. It is intended to provide larger or more residential room configurations for guests who value additional living or working space. The precise accommodation and amenity mix varies among participating hotels within the Choice Hotels system.

• Select-service midscale hotel brand · 2018

  Clarion Pointe

  Clarion Pointe is a midscale, select-service extension launched to provide a simpler operating model than the traditional full-service Clarion hotel. It is aimed at owners seeking a contemporary branded proposition with fewer extensive facilities while retaining the Clarion name. The first property was a 72-room hotel in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

• 2019Clarion visual identity refresh

  International

  Choice Hotels introduced a new Clarion logo as part of a broader refresh of its midscale hotel brands. The initiative updated the brand’s visual presentation while maintaining its place within the Choice Hotels portfolio.

  Outcome. The refreshed logo became part of Clarion’s updated brand identity.

  Source

• 2024

  Pursue hotel conversions with Zenitude Hôtel RésidencesM&A

  Background

  Choice Hotels sought to grow its European presence through conversion of properties operated by an established French hotel company.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels signed an agreement with Zenitude Hôtel Résidences to convert 33 hotels to Choice brands, including two properties for Clarion.

  Aftermath

  The agreement added planned Clarion conversions near Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Toulouse, although the cited material does not provide a final completed-property count.

  Source

• 2019

  Refresh the Clarion logoOther

  Background

  Choice Hotels undertook a broader refresh of its midscale brand portfolio.

  Action taken

  Choice introduced a new Clarion logo.

  Aftermath

  The brand received an updated visual identity across its system.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch Clarion PointeProduct launch

  Background

  The established Clarion brand needed a format suited to the midscale select-service segment and to owners seeking a less complex operating model.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels introduced Clarion Pointe, with the first property opening in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

  Aftermath

  Clarion’s architecture expanded to cover select-service lodging in addition to full-service hotels, resorts, and suites.

  • Best Western — Clarion Pointe was described as competing in a segment that included Best Western.
  • Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wingate — Clarion Pointe was also positioned against Wyndham’s Wingate brand.

  Source

• 2016

  Open three Clarion hotels in TurkeyProduct launch

  Background

  Clarion’s international expansion continued through new properties in Turkey.

  Action taken

  Choice Hotels opened Clarion hotels in Golden Horn, Istanbul Mahmutbey, and Kahramanmaraş.

  Aftermath

  The openings expanded Clarion’s Turkish and wider European footprint.

  Source

• 2014

  Enter China through a local management partnershipStrategy

  Background

  Choice Hotels pursued international growth while relying on local operating expertise.

  Action taken

  Choice introduced Clarion locations in China in partnership with Boli Hotel Management Company.

  Aftermath

  The partnership established the brand in the Chinese market.

  Source

• 2003

  Use New Zealand conversions to enter the Asia-Pacific regionStrategy

  Background

  Choice Hotels sought to extend its international brand portfolio through conversion of existing Flag Hotels properties.

  Action taken

  Choice announced plans to convert New Zealand properties to Clarion, Comfort, and Quality brands.

  Aftermath

  Clarion gained an early operating and development presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

  Source

• 1987

  Create an upscale full-service hotel brandStrategy

  Background

  Quality Inns International and AIRCOA sought to organize selected existing properties under a new brand directed at upscale lodging and business travelers.

  Action taken

  The companies launched Clarion Hotels and Resorts and rebranded properties from the AIRCOA and Royale Inns portfolios.

  Aftermath

  Clarion became a continuing brand within the Choice Hotels system and expanded through franchising and conversions.

  Source

1. 1Clarion Hotelsen.wikipedia.org