PINEY POINT, Md. (Jan. 30, 2011) – Island Inn & Suites in Piney Point (Lexington Park, Md.) recently expanded its reservations system and added an international guest rewards program. The property gained these services by joining the Ascend Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International Inc., as the portfolio’s first member lodging in Maryland.

Ascend Collection is comprised of historic, boutique and unique hotels in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. As part of this elite network, Island Inn remains independently owned and managed, while also leveraging the power of one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. The hotel gains the Choice Hotels international reservations and distributions systems. It enjoys visibility before a network of more than 14 million Choice Privileges rewards members worldwide. And it acquires a presence on ChoiceHotels.com, one of the hospitality industry’s most visited websites.
 
Waterfront Inn
Located on picturesque St. George Island, the inn sits on a sliver of land between the Potomac River and St. George Creek. Twenty-eight well-appointed guestrooms range from standard accommodations to two-bedroom suites. In each room, glass doors open onto a private balcony with Adirondack chairs and the water just beyond. Guests can take in a glorious sunrise overlooking St. George Creek or a sunset over the Potomac. Sounds of gently lapping waves and beds with plush pillow-top mattresses make for a peaceful night’s sleep. Among the other in-room comforts are floor-to-ceiling windows, refrigerators and flat-screen televisions.
 
Elsewhere on property, the casual and fun Island Bar & Crab House, formerly the legendary Evans Seafood, draws travelers and locals for its fresh local seafood like Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and other favorites. For weddings, meetings, banquets and corporate retreats, the hotel’s meetings/events room boasts sweeping water views for gathering of up to 140 guests. Guests have complimentary use of Island Inn’s kayaks, bicycles and fishing pier stretching from the hotel shores far onto St. George Creek. Other free amenities include Wi-Fi and continental breakfast.
 
Less than a two-hour drive from Washington D.C., Island Inn sits in St. Mary's County, home of Maryland’s first State Capital. Historic Piney Point was a leading vacation spot for 19th- and 20th-century political elite, hosting Presidents and luminaries, including James Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
 
Today, the destination combines its natural beauty and rich Colonial and maritime heritage with outdoor adventures, shopping, dining and innovative events. Island Inn is close to Piney Point Light House, Patuxent Naval Air Museum, Patuxent River Naval Air Station, St. Mary's College of Maryland and St. Mary’s River State Park. Guests enjoy pristine beaches, boat launches, lively restaurants and nightlife, shops, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, bike paths, golf courses, historic sites and more.
 
"The Island Inn & Suites / Bar & Crab House plays a vital role in St. Mary's County tourism," says Carolyn Laray, manager of the Tourism Division, Department of Economic and Community Development, St. Mary's County.
 
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to promote our unique inn and this iconic area through Choice Hotels and Ascend Collection," adds Patrick Welton, director of operations, Cherry Cove Hospitality, LLC, Island Inn’s management company.
 
In 2011, units online for Ascend Collection were up more than 35 percent over the previous year. The portfolio appeals to a growing number of travelers who like to discover independent, upscale hotels offering a true taste of the local culture.

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 and the Caribbean. The network appeals to the growing number of travelers who like to discover upscale and unique hotels with local flair when traveling for business or leisure. Member hotels include The GEM Hotels with three boutique hotels in New York City; Inn of Chicago, one-half block from The Magnificent Mile; Greenlinks Resort, situated on two championship golf courses in Naples, Fla.; Zona Hotel and Suites Scottsdale in Ariz; 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 more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 490,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories.  As of September 30, 2011, 430 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 35,000 rooms, and 94 hotels, representing approximately 8,700 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 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 serve guests worldwide.  In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, 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 Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

ã 2011 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Cherry Cove Hospitality, LLC.
Cherry Cove Hospitality, LLC is locally owned in Southern Maryland and operates five facilities throughout Southern Maryland: Home2 Suites by Hilton Lexington Park, Fairfield Inn Lexington Park, Hilton Garden Inn Solomons, Hampton Inn Waldorf, and manages the Island Inn & Suites and the Island Bar & Crab House (also known as “The Old Evans Restaurant”) on St. Georges Island. Cherry Cove Hospitality, LLC is part of Cherry Cove, which also operates office space, rental units, and a storage facility. For more information, please visit: www.cherrycove.com/.