IRVING, TX—Franchise interest in La Quinta Holdings Inc. is set to remain strong both domestically and internationally.
During the second quarter of 2016, La Quinta opened 11 new franchise hotels, representing approximately 1,100 rooms and signed 26 new franchise agreements, growing its development pipeline to 238 hotels, representing more than 21,500 rooms. La Quinta’s geographically diverse pipeline extends the brand’s distribution into higher RevPAR markets, facilitating its entry into 40 new Smith Travel Research market tracts in the U.S., according to the company.
The newly opened hotels in the second quarter include La Quinta Inn & Suites in New York (Central Park West); Sarasota, FL; Cedar Rapids, IA; Gillette, WY; York, PA; McAllen Convention Center, Texas; Far Rockaway JFK Airport, New York; Hollister, MO; and Sturbridge, MA.
The 26 new franchise agreements include contracts for new hotel locations in fundamentally strong markets, domestically and internationally, including Anchorage, Alaska; Revere, MA (Logan Airport); and San Salvador, El Salvador. Of the 238 hotels in La Quinta’s development pipeline, 88% are new construction.
“We continue to see a tremendous amount of interest from our franchise partners in growing the La Quinta brand,” said Rajiv Trivedi, La Quinta’s EVP and chief development officer. “The proactive steps we are taking to enhance our brand have further strengthened our value proposition, helping to fuel our domestic and international expansion into high barrier to entry urban markets. With a growing pipeline, we remain well positioned to capture market share and introduce the La Quinta brand to new business and leisure travelers.”