When Choice Hotels decided to move its headquarters from Rockville, the company could have gone anywhere.
But thanks to persuasion by state and county officials and a good business climate here, the company chose to move to Pike and Rose in North Bethesda.
Tuesday afternoon, President and CEO Patrick Pacious cut the ribbon on the company’s new offices on Meeting Street that will be the work home of 400 employees. The offices are on slightly more than four stories and consist of 108,00-square-feet.
On hand for the opening were Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lieberman, Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson, County Executive Marc Elrich, Councilmembers President Andrew Friedson, Vice President Kate Stewart, Laurie-Anne Sayles and several state delegates.
The state gave Choice Hotels about $1.6 million in conditional loans, and Montgomery County added $250,000.
The company started with seven hotel owners getting together in 1939. It now boasts 7,500 hotels across 45 different countries. Its first hotel was in Silver Spring.
The ribbon cutting lasted less than an hour. Immediately after that, the atmosphere changed, and the company held its holiday party with music, hors d’oeuvres made by the hotel’s chefs and games.
Great to be with @GovWesMoore @BrookeELierman @SaraLove4MD Delegate Wolek @Andrew_Friedson @cmkatestewart @LilyQiMaryland @MontCoExec and numerous Choice Hotel employees at the new Choice Hotels HQ ribbon cutting in District 16. pic.twitter.com/qFFmwdxUE5
— Marc Korman (@mkorman) December 19, 2023
Enjoyed the opening of the Choice Hotels HQ here in D16 with @mkorman @SarahSWolek @Andrew_Friedson and appreciate to @iamwesmoore for joining us!https://t.co/zAFpmL6Zof pic.twitter.com/c9f6ZUa5lU
— Delegate Sara Love (@SaraLove4MD) December 19, 2023
