Choice Hotels International Inc /de
One of the world's largest hotel franchisors, Choice Hotels licenses brand names like Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, and the Radisson family to independent hotel owners rather than running the properties itself. It began in 1939, when seven Florida motels formed a referral chain called Quality Courts United to polish the reputation of tourist motels, pioneering touches like 24-hour desk service and chain-wide reservations. The company adopted the "Choice" name in 1990 to reflect the widening menu of lodging options it offered travelers.