Choice Hotels International announced that a Washington D.C. hotel has joined its upscale Ascend Collection membership program. The property, Virginian Suites Arlington, is the network’s first in the D.C. market.

Less than two miles from downtown D.C., Virginian Suites is steps away from the banks of the Potomac River. The 261-room, all-suite hotel is close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Convention Center and government agencies and just a mile from the vibrant shops, restaurants and nightlife of historic Georgetown.

“This is an ideal location for our network of unique independent hotels,” says Stacy Ragland, the program’s vice president. “Ascend Collection properties provide a true taste of the local culture, and Virginian Suites is close to the action for both business and leisure travelers.”

Units online for Ascend Collection are up this year more than 35 percent over theprevious year, Ragland reports. Member properties are located in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Each hotel is different, carefully selected for its high-touch service and localflair. After joining Ascend Collection, lodgings remain independently owned,while also leveraging the power of the Choice Hotels marketing and reservations engines. As part of this elite portfolio, Virginian Suites gains visibilitybefore a global network of more than 13 million Choice Privileges rewards members. It also acquires a presence on ChoiceHotels.com, one of the industry’s most visited websites.

The hotel is owned by Arlington-based Virginian Associates, LLC, and operated by Modus Hotels, LLC, based in Washington, D.C.