Choice Hotels International, Inc. is a hotel franchisor. As of December 31, 2008, it had 5,827 hotels open and 1,108 hotels under development, representing 472,526 rooms open and 89,105 rooms under development in 49 states, the District of Columbia and 30 countries and territories outside the United States. Choice franchises lodging properties under brand names, such as Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Cambria Suites and Flag Hotels (collectively, the Choice brands). The Company conducts its international franchise operations through a combination of direct franchising and master franchising relationships, which allow the use of its brands by third parties in foreign countries. The Company has made equity investments in certain non-domestic lodging franchise companies that conduct franchise operations for the Company’s brands under master franchising relationships.