Matt McElhare, Vice President & Segment Lead, Extended Stay at Choice Hotels International, says extended stay leads new hotel development right now, while conversions let owners move faster than new builds.

I talked with Matt in Las Vegas about what Choice has in the pipeline, why conversions matter right now, and why he thinks extended stay still has a long runway.

🏗️ 2026 milestones: Choice expects the 600th extended stay to debut, the 300th WoodSpring Suites, and the 30th Everhome Suites

🏨 Choice share: Matt says Choice flags 50% of extended stay hotels under construction (WoodSpring + Everhome)

⏱️ Conversion window: roughly 3–6 months (sometimes faster) vs 18–24 months for new construction

🔄 Suburban Studios conversion strategy: convert 100+ key transient boxes into extended stay

✅ Progress marker: Choice crossed 20 Suburban Studios transformations, with 30 more in the pipeline

📍 Everhome pipeline includes Las Vegas-area sites: Henderson and north of Vegas near the base

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