ROCKVILLE, Md. — The Ascend Hotel Collection by Choice Hotels International reached a milestone this week with the opening of its 300th hotel worldwide: Edgar Hotel–Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. This year alone, the upscale brand has welcomed nearly 60 properties to its portfolio of resort, historic, and boutique hotels in destinations including Brooklyn, N.Y.; Melbourne, Australia; New Orleans; Portland, Maine; and San Francisco.
Built in a classic Cape Cod style, the newly renovated Edgar Hotel–Martha’s Vineyard is located at 227 Upper Main St., just a few blocks from the New England town of Edgartown, which is rich in maritime history and full of boutique shops, restaurants, fishing piers, and harbor views. The 41-room hotel is also a short drive to Katama Beach on the Atlantic Ocean and other Martha’s Vineyard towns, including Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, as well as attractions like the nation’s oldest merry-go-round, the gingerbread cottages at Oak Bluffs Campground, “Jaws Bridge” where Jaws was filmed, and bike trails.
“Ascend is known for providing guests with a one-of-a-kind upscale lodging experience to help satisfy their travel curiosity in new destinations. It’s fitting that we achieved this milestone in Martha’s Vineyard, which perfectly reflects the brand’s resort, boutique, and historic nature,” said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. “We look forward to strengthening our foothold as the industry’s largest soft brand and bringing even more hotels to our guests’ seeking cultural immersion and local experiences in their favorite locations around the world.”
Amenities at the Edgar Hotel–Martha’s Vineyard include: outdoor space with a large patio and fireplace; Town Bar & Grill on the hotel’s grounds; nautically inspired décor with guestrooms that include cathedral ceilings, oversized windows, and white-washed wood bedframes; standard rooms or suites, including free WiFi and smart technology with streaming capabilities; a business center; free onsite parking; and guest laundry facilities.
“Hotel owners love the Ascend brand as much as guests because of the flexibility it offers by marrying operational independence with Choice’s industry-leading technology, robust distribution channels and award-winning loyalty program. In fact, the brand is creating so much demand that, in the third quarter this year alone, Ascend grew its room count by nearly 10 percent and its global development pipeline is now over 100 hotels strong,” said Mark Shalala, vice president, franchise development, upscale brands, Choice Hotels.
