“(AFX UK Focus) 2010-03-26 03:17 UPDATE 1-China Lodging IPO prices at top of range-underwriter (Interactive Investor)” plus 1 more

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(AFX UK Focus) 2010-03-26 03:17 UPDATE 1-China Lodging IPO prices at top of range-underwriter (Interactive Investor) Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:42 PM PDT NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - Discount Chinese hotel chain China Lodging Group Ltd priced shares in its initial public offering at the top of the expected range on Thursday, according to an underwriter. The company sold 9 million American Depositary Shares for $12.25 each, raising about $110.25 million. It had planned to sell shares for between $10.25 and $12.25 each. China Lodging Group rents budget hotel rooms in China under three different brands for an average of 174 yuan ($25.49) per night. The main page of the company's website shows three pictures of hotel rooms, including one room with bunkbeds. Most of China Lodging's hotels are located in big cities in industrialized, eastern China and its website says it aims to serve value-conscious business and leisure travelers. The company, whose founder and executive chairman Qi Ji also co-founded online travel services provider Ctrip.com and competing Chinese discount hotelier Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc, has posted rapid growth. The number of rooms the hotel chain had to rent increased 160 percent in 2008 and another 35 percent in 2009. In 2009 China Lodging grew its business to 28,360 rooms. Its occupancy rate was 94 percent, up from the mid- to high 80s the previous two years. China's hotel industry has posted speedy growth as foreign and domestic travel increase. Chinese business travelers, in particular, have helped grow the market for budget hotels as companies aim to control costs. But some fear the growth could be too much. The Chinese government has taken steps to cool its explosive real estate growth and media reports say the hotel industry could be next. Underwriters on the China Lodging IPO were led by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq on Friday under the symbol "HTHT." (Reporting by Clare Baldwin in New York, Lee Chyen Yee and James Pomfret in Hong Kong and Farah Master in Shanghai; Editing by Lincoln Feast) Keywords: CHINALODGING/IPO (clare.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: clare.baldwin.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1 646 223 6189) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Choice Hotels to Report 1st Quarter 2010 Earnings on April 26, 2010; Conference Call to Be Held on April 27, 2010 (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) Posted: 25 Mar 2010 03:06 PM PDT SILVER SPRING, Md., March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - News) today announced that it will report first quarter 2010 results after market close on Monday, April 26, 2010.  The company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter earnings at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. The dial-in number for the teleconference is 1-800-299-7098 and the access code is 88998398. International callers should dial 1-617-801-9715 and enter access code 88998398.  A live Web cast will be available on the company's Web site, choicehotels.com, and can be accessed via the Investor Info link. The call will be recorded and available for replay beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT on April 27, 2010 and available through May 27, 2010 by calling 1-888-286-8010 and entering access code 18022472. International callers may access the replay by dialing 617-801-6888 and entering access code 18022472. In addition, the call will be archived and available on choicehotels.com via the Investor Info link. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 485,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories.  As of December 31, 2009, more than 700 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 57,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 9,400 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other 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.  In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels. Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com. Cambria Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International, Inc. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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