Choice Hotels International has signed a 10-year extension of its existing master franchising agreement with Choice Hotels Japan, expecting to open more than 30 new hotels in the market by 2033.

Since 2003, Choice Hotels Japan has been the exclusive franchisor of the Comfort brand in the country and currently operates more than 60 hotels in key markets, including Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Sapporo.

The first seven of the new Comfort hotels are planned to open over the next three years in large cities including Kyoto, Matsuyama and Nagoya. The expansion is expected to bring the number of rooms in the Comfort portfolio to more than 15,000 by 2025, positioning Choice Hotels Japan as one of Japan’s top-five operators.

“Japan is one of the world’s fastest-growing travel destinations”

“International growth is a major focus for us and Japan is one of the world’s fastest-growing travel destinations, so we’re thrilled to increase our presence in this highly sought-after global market,” said CEO Patrick Pacious. “We look forward to building on our long-standing relationship with Choice Hotels Japan as we continue to grow Comfort’s presence and further integrate our digital business delivery platforms.”

To commemorate the master franchising agreement extension, a signing ceremony was held in Tokyo, which included Choice Hotels International’s president and CEO Patrick Pacious and Choice Hotels Japan’s president and representative director Takeya Muraki.