Toronto, ON (May 13, 2025) – Choice Hotels Canada is pleased to announce the opening of its latest Ascend Hotel Collection®, the Amsterdam Inn & Suites in Florenceville, New Brunswick.  The Ascend Hotel Collection is a network of upscale resorts, historic properties and boutique hotels that offer guests a uniquely local experience.

Owned by the deWinter family, the Amsterdam Inn & Suites in Florenceville is the fourth hotel in their award-winning portfolio of Canadian-owned New Brunswick-based properties.

“The deWinter’s are third-generation hoteliers and we are confident that under their leadership, the Florenceville property will continue to be a sought-after hotel in the region,” says Brian Leon, CEO of Choice Hotels Canada. “The passion the family has for hospitality comes through in all their endeavours and we are thrilled to support them in their journey.”

The Amsterdam Inn & Suites in Florenceville is one of four properties owned by the deWinter family with the others located in Sussex, Moncton and Fredericton. Like Florenceville, the Fredericton property, the Quality Inn & Suites Amsterdam is also part of Choice Hotels Canada and a multi-award-winning property. It has received eight Guest Satisfaction Awards - four of which were Platinum Awards, meaning they ranked in the top three per cent of hotels in the Choice Hotels Canada system.

“Our relationship with Choice Hotels Canada has evolved over the years, and we are delighted to be part of the Ascend Hotel Collection for the first time,” says John DeWinter, CEO of Amsterdam Inn & Suites. “The flexibility to use our own branding, as well as our first foray into foodservice, makes this a really exciting time for our company.”

The newly-opened property has 80 spacious guest suites with helpful amenities like mini-fridges, desks, coffee makers, and pillow-top mattresses. Some suites offer larger footprints with kitchenettes, separate sleeping areas and, in some, jacuzzies and fireplaces. Onsite amenities include 94-seat eatery, Exit 153 Restaurant, where guests can enjoy a complimentary daily breakfast. There is also a fitness and business centre, conference rooms which can host up to 190 people, a marketplace with snacks and toiletries, as well as EV charging stations.

Located in the beautiful River Valley, Florenceville is a scenic town that borders Maine. It is also fondly known as the French Fry Capital of the World and home to both the Potato World museum and one of the corporate headquarters of McCain Foods. You can find Amsterdam Inn & Suites in Florenceville at 383 Centreville Road. For reservations, please visit Choicehotels.com.

Barcelona, 14 May 2025 — As hotels continue to refine their revenue strategies, 123Compare.me unveils the findings from latest edition of its World Parity Monitor (WPM) exploring how a hotel’s price position relative to its local market average affects OTA pricing behaviour and rate parity.

The April report has identified that when hotel rates are priced above the market average, the Lose rate — the percentage of times a hotel’s direct price is undercut by an OTA — increases significantly, especially for independent properties. Non-major OTAs show the most aggressive pricing responses, underscoring the risks of overpricing in competitive environments.

Across the sample*, 75% of hotels were undercut by at least one OTA, and Expedia surpassed the 20% Lose rate threshold, reversing its recent trend of moderation.

From January to April 2025, direct prices rose steadily and ended 6.3% higher than in the same period of 2024 — continuing the upward trajectory already observed last year. This trend reflects a structural pattern, where direct rates start low early in the year and peak around spring, particularly influenced by seasonal events like Easter.

Notably, price positioning matters more than ever. While major OTAs like Booking and Expedia maintained stable Lose rates regardless of price segment, non-major OTAs became more aggressive as hotel prices rose. Meanwhile, the direct channel remained more competitive in lower-price segments and saw improved Meet rates at mid-range levels.

“Being just slightly above the average can trigger aggressive responses from OTAs,” says Jordi Serra, CEO at 123Compare.me. “Hotels — especially independents — need to keep a close eye on how their positioning aligns with market trends.”

“If I’m an independent hotel and my price is above the market average, I should be concerned about OTAs becoming more aggressive and undercutting my rates. This is a very clear pattern we are seeing month after month.”

The WPM also confirms that independent hotels are more vulnerable to parity loss. When priced more than 40% above the market average, the Lose rate reached 41.8% with non-major OTAs, compared to 34.0% with major OTAs.

The World Parity Monitor is a reference in the market and a tool to track and monitor hotel pricing strategies across distribution channels. The complete April 2025 WPM report is available at: 

London, UK – 12 May 2025 Elegant Hotel Collection, the pioneering luxury soft brand powered by HotelREZ, has strengthened its global position by welcoming Anita Chan as CEO for the Asia Pacific region under a joint venture agreement between Anita Chan (Hong Kong) and Elegant Hotel Collection (headquartered in the United Kingdom).

A successful business leader with global influence, Chan’s high-profile appointment as CEO of its Asia Pacific business, underscores Elegant Hotel Collection’s bold ambition for innovation and growth, demonstrating the luxury soft brand’s commitment to making substantial market impact.

As CEO of Elegant Hotel Collection, Asia Pacific, Chan will lead regional expansion plans and grow representation of the region’s membership base. The appointment recognises the company’s commitment to one of the world’s most dynamic and competitive markets for global trade and travel.

Having served as CEO for Compass Edge for the past decade, Chan brings a wealth of experience to her new role with Elegant Hotel Collection, drawing on an impressive career that spans multiple senior executive roles with global brands such as Small Luxury Hotels of the World.  Anita will continue to operate and oversee Compass Edge alongside her commitment to the Elegant Hotel Collection ASPAC joint venture.

“Powered by HotelREZ, Elegant Hotel Collection is the most exciting luxury soft brand in the market today and I am thrilled to be joining as CEO for the Asia Pacific at this pivotal time. Championing unforgettable experiences in distinctive locations around the world, Elegant Hotel Collection is in an excellent position to cater to the needs of discerning travellers across the region and offers a unique value proposition that independent, luxury hotels in these key markets will be excited to explore,” commented Anita Chan.

“We are thrilled to welcome Anita Chan as CEO of Elegant Hotel Collection, Asia Pacific. The Elegant Hotel Collection brand has grown from a desire to offer independent hotels more exposure, more reservations and more revenue at an attractive cost of sale, and we are delighted to be expanding our global offering with the opening of an Asia Pacific division. Anita’s appointment highlights our commitment to generating significant value for independent luxury hotels in this region,” commented Catt McLeod, Vice President Elegant Hotel Collection, EMEA.

Powered by HotelREZ, one of the world’s leading distribution and representation companies, Mark Lewis CEO, HotelREZ stated “We have no doubt #StayElegant™ will become a recognised hallmark of independent luxury and authentic travel – Elegant has gained significant traction in that it balances the need for luxury brand affiliation with commercially sound pricing models, which means hotels see a better ROI, increased margin, and lower overall costs coupled of course with higher occupancy and ADR.

Through the provision of strong, consultative commercial account management Elegant Hotel Collection tailors its services to the needs of each hotel, providing global loyalty, global sales support with access to a network of 60 sales offices worldwide and an enhanced global agency and corporate outreach programme encompassing incremental luxury RFP generation, bespoke agency blitz activities, global roadshows, tradeshow participation and more.

A growing global community of independent luxury hotels, membership of Elegant Hotel Collection is by invitation only and including renowned establishments such as Exclusive Collection (UK), Galgorm Resort (Northern Ireland), Fonab Castle Hotel & Spa (Scotland) Cresta Palace Celerina (Switzerland), Paresa Resort Phuket (Thailand) and The Townhouse Hotel Mykonos (Greece), which was recently awarded a prestigious Michelin Key.