SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 4, 2012  -- Hotel de Point opened its doors this summer as the newest addition to the Ascend Hotel Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International.

The boutique hotel is located in the heart of the revitalized College Point neighborhood of Flushing, Queens, New York, less than ten minutes from LaGuardia Airport for early morning flights. Hotel de Point is steps away from shops, restaurants and nightlife. For travelers who want Manhattan style without the price tag, this property boasts high design, state-of-the-art green features, and 114 elegant guestrooms with affordable market-driven opening rates.

Ascend Hotel Collection is a network of more than 75 upscale independent hotels, each with a singular personality reflecting its locale. As part of this eclectic network, the property maintains its independent brand identity. At the same time, it gains access to the global sales and marketing channels of one of the world's largest hospitality companies. Ascend Hotel Collection boasts a total reservation contribution rate from Choice Hotels of more than 58 percent, the highest among the Choice family of brands. Being a member of the Choice Hotels family, Hotel de Point enjoys visibility before a network of more than 15 million Choice Privileges rewards members worldwide. It also acquires a presence on ChoiceHotels.com, one of the industry's most visited websites.

Hotel de Point is managed by Real Hospitality Group, based in Ocean City, Md., and owned by Queens-based Point 128 LLC, with award-winning architect Raymond Chan as the project's managing partner.

"Raymond has designed high-concept hotels and restaurants in gateway cities around the globe," explains Peter Reyes, the lodging's general manager. "With Hotel de Point, he wanted to turn his ideas into his own place.

"Ascend Hotel Collection intrigued us because it has this same goal," Reyes continues. "It's a simple, straightforward program. We gain the sales and marketing support of a global hospitality company, while still staying true to the owners' original vision."

Chic Retreat
The property is housed in a century-old building, originally a factory owned and operated by the inventor of the shower cap. A major renovation has transformed this space into a contemporary multi-use complex, home to the hotel as well as to the new Shops de Point, featuring upscale shops, restaurants, nightlife, spa, pool, fitness center, conference facility and more. From the complex's rooftop bar/cafe, guests take in spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and watch planes arriving and departing from LaGuardia.

Hotel de Point offers a respite from hectic travel with a soothing, contemporary design by Mr. Chan. Stepping into the lobby, guests find a neutral color palette of creams, browns and white, all bathed in the glow of soft LED lighting. Cream-colored Italian marble floors are offset by white textured walls with a wave-like pattern. A 20-foot Italian marble reception desk sits at one end of the lobby. It faces a custom-designed art wall with ultra-modern fireplace composed of glass rocks.

The lobby's striking design is nature-inspired. The ceiling, for example, features a unique, architecturally designed lighting element in sky-blue embellished with tiny circles, like raindrops, recalling a fresh rainfall on a bright summer day. There's a handcrafted central garden. Cushy white leather sofas invite guests to relax and hang out. The couches are backed by a "living wall" with slender cutouts, each holding a small vase and fresh flower with soft LED spotlight for dramatic effect. Complementing the look, lobby music features light jazz, with the gentle sounds of a waterfall playing between tracks.

"Every detail is carefully conceived to promote a sense of serenity," Reyes explains. "Even the lobby scent – Bamboo Green – is fresh, welcoming and one-of-a-kind."

Guestrooms: Cool and Comforting
The clean, contemporary design continues in guestrooms and suites, done up in muted greys, creams and white. Bright bursts of color come from floor-to-ceiling wall art with nature-inspired designs that differ from room to room. Among the custom furnishings here are white marble-top bedside tables and minibar with refrigerator and a comfy cream-colored leather armchair. Beds are plush with matching leather headboards and pillow-top mattresses draped in luxurious white triple sheeting and crisp white duvet.

Rooms have everything a tech-savvy traveler needs: fast and reliable Wi-Fi that's also free, comfortable workstations and 46-inch flat-screen televisions with international channel options and Internet connectivity. Self-closing draws and cabinet doors help to assure a peaceful night's sleep. Other comforting touches include a Keurig coffeemaker and choice of down or hypoallergenic pillows.

Lined with marble walls and floor, bathrooms exude elegance to match the rooms. They come equipped rain showerheads, expansive white marble vanity and generously thick towels.

Earth-Friendly
Hotel de Point celebrates nature not only in its design, but also with a host of green features. The property uses solar power; energy-efficient, on-demand water heaters; recycled energy systems; and low-wattage LED lighting throughout.

In guestrooms, motion sensors automatically adjust lighting, heating and air conditioning when guests enter or leave the room. An air injection system for showers maintains water pressure, while reducing consumption. To further lighten their carbon footprint, guestrooms are outfitted with low-flush toilets and organic 100% Pure bath amenities in biodegradable bottles. Even the Do Not Disturb sign takes a back seat to sustainability. In its place comes a color-coded lighting system for guestroom doors; red signals privacy, and green gives a go-ahead for housekeeping services.

Close To The Action
Guests find scores of things to do steps from the hotel at the complex' Shops de Point. Savor sushi at The Buffet, a fashionable Asian fusion restaurant serving up lunch and dinner along with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. Sip drinks in a lush garden setting at the View de Point rooftop bar/cafe, presenting additional opportunities to take in the famous skyline while watching arrivals and departures from LaGuardia. Explore the unique blend of specialty items that showcase the rich neighborhood culture at the 30,000 square-foot Kam Man Supermarket. Choose here from Asian, Italian and continental spices, fresh produce, organic products, meats, cheeses and more. Top off your day with a treatment at the full-service Lemon Tree Spa. Opening in September at Shops de Point, a salinated indoor swimming pool available for a nominal fee to guests and the community. With its lack of harsh chemicals and use of reclaimed energy, the pool echoes Hotel de Point's focus on environmental stewardship.

Beyond Shops de Point, catch a Mets game at Citi Field, less than three miles from the hotel. Or, visit Flushing's Chinatown, perhaps not as well known as Manhattan's, but just as bustling and diverse. Midtown Manhattan is easily accessible too. The Hotel de Point shuttle provides complimentary service to the train station two miles away. From there, the Long Island Railroad and the New York City Subway's No. 7 Line whisk guests to Grand Central Station and Times Square. Catch a Broadway show. Browse in the SoHo boutiques and Chelsea galleries. Take in a Knicks game or concert at Madison Square Garden. Visit world-class museums like the Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art. Then, return to Hotel de Point for a peaceful night's sleep and wake up refreshed for your early morning flight.

Choice Hotels added several other boutique properties to Ascend Hotel Collection this summer, including The Blake Hotel, New Orleans; enVision Hotel Boston; and Federal Pointe Inn, Gettysburg, bordering the National Military Park.

Membership in Ascend Hotel Collection grew 35 percent in 2011. The network made its debut in late 2008. Today, it presents a curated lineup of more than 75 upscale, independent hotels in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Scandinavia and the Caribbean. For more information about Hotel de Point and Ascend Hotel Collection, visit www.ascendcollection.com.

About Ascend Collection
The Ascend Collection membership program made its debut in late 2008 and now has hotels open and under development throughout the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Scandinavia and the Caribbean. The network appeals to the growing number of travelers who like to discover upscale hotels with local flair when traveling for business or leisure. Member hotels include The GEM Hotels with three boutique hotels in New York City; Greenlinks Resort, situated on two championship golf courses in Naples, Fla.; Zona Hotel and Suites Scottsdale in Ariz; Grand Hotel Costa Rica, San Jose; and Hotel Royal William in the chic New St. Rock district of downtown Quebec City. For more information on this collection of Historic, Boutique and Unique and hotels, visit www.ascendcollection.com.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises approximately 6,200 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of June 30, 2012, more than 375 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 30,000 rooms, and approximately 75 hotels, representing approximately 6,700 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in approximately 15 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, as well as its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. website, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Hotel Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

About Real Hospitality Group
Real Hospitality Group (RHG) is headquartered in Ocean City, Md., and comprises a team with more than 150 years of combined hospitality and travel industry experience. The Real Hospitality Group portfolio includes 30 hotel properties with an inventory of more than 4,000 rooms in gateway cities that include New York, Philadelphia and locations in Morgantown, West Virginia as well as Glens Falls, Montauk, New York and Ocean City, MD. The company is a recognized service provider for major franchises as well as a collection of unique independent hotels. RHG focuses on total service property management, revenue performance and business development for hotels, resorts and investment ownership groups. For more information, please visit the company website at www.realhospitalitygroup.com.