Ascend Collection from Choice Hotels International announces a new member hotel on the nature island of Dominica, expanding its Caribbean portfolio.

Phase one of the high-end 40-room Atlantique View Resort & Spa, soon to be finished, will offer a travel experience that combines inventive innovation with traditional high standards of hospitality.

It will open this Fall as part of the Ascend Collection membership program, the upscale network of Historic, Boutique or Unique hotels from Choice Hotels International in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

"We are excited to add such an elegant asset to our network in a beautiful, unspoiled part of the Caribbean," said Brian Parker, vice president of emerging markets and new business development for Choice Hotels.

From breathtaking natural surroundings to caring and highly personalized service, Atlantique View Resort & Spa offers the epitome of a nature island experience for those who know and appreciate quality.

Local entrepreneur Joseph Williams, who owns the resort, believes the alliance with Choice Hotels International not only benefits his hotel, but will help to raise Dominica's profile in the marketplace. "We've chosen an excellent strategic partner in Choice Hotels International," said Williams, who looks forward to benefiting from the company's robust marketing and reservations systems.

The resort, phase two of which includes another 40 to 50 rooms, is located in Anse De Mai in the northeastern corridor of Dominica set amidst a hillside, beach, lush coconut groves, banana trees and mangroves.

Only 20 minutes' drive from Dominica's Melville Hall Airport, the resort will feature home-grown international cuisine at "Le Petit Jardin" restaurant; stress-free pampering at a Caribbean spa, a fitness centre and tennis court, and a conference centre/banquet facility accommodating 150 to 200 people.

The Dominica resort is the fourth Ascend Collection property open or under development in the Caribbean for Choice Hotels International, joining Le Consulat in Puerto Rico, Belle Rive Resort in Haiti, and Royal Caribbean Resort & Spa in Anguilla.

"We're very excited about our new partnership with Atlantique View Resort & Spa," said Jose Salvador Icaza, director of emerging markets and Caribbean franchise development for Choice Hotels. He added that Choice Hotels International "is focused on continuing our Ascend membership network growth in the region by identifying upscale independent hotels that are truly one of a kind."