Company Information and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Company Information and Significant Accounting Policies	Company Information and Significant Accounting Policies The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Choice Hotels International, Inc. and subsidiaries (together the “Company”) have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments that are necessary, in the opinion of management, to fairly present our financial position and results of operations. Except as otherwise disclosed, all adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted. The year-end balance sheet information was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The Company believes the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 and notes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2013(the “10-K”). Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the entire year results because of seasonal variations. All inter-company transactions and balances between Choice Hotels International, Inc. and its subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $3.1 million and $5.0 million respectively, of book overdrafts representing outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit are included in accounts payable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company maintains cash balances in domestic banks, which at times, may exceed the limits of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, the Company also maintains cash balances in international banks which do not provide deposit insurance. Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2013-02, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" (“ASU 2013-02”). This update requires companies to present either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements, the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. If a component is not required to be reclassified to net income in its entirety companies would instead cross reference to the related footnote for additional information. ASU 2013-02 became effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and the Company has adopted this ASU during the current quarter. The Company has elected to present the required disclosures in a single note rather than on the face of the financial statement. See Note 8 for additional information. Future Adoption of Recently Announced Accounting Guidance In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, “Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date” (“ASU 2013-04”). The ASU requires entities to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the following: (a) The amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and (b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. Required disclosures include a description of the joint-and-several arrangement and the total outstanding amount of the obligation for all joint parties. The ASU permits entities to aggregate disclosures (as opposed to providing separate disclosures for each joint-and-several obligation). ASU 2013-04 is effective for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The ASU should be applied retrospectively to obligations with joint-and-several liabilities existing at the beginning of an entity's fiscal year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this statement will have on its financial statement presentation, if any, and will adopt the provision of this ASU on January 1, 2014. In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, “Parent's Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity” (“ASU 2013-05”). ASU 2013-05 clarifies that when a reporting entity ceases to have a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity, the parent is required to apply the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification 830 "Foreign Currency Matters" Subtopic 830-30 to release any related cumulative translation adjustment into net income. Accordingly, the cumulative translation adjustment should be released into net income only if the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity in which the subsidiary or group of assets had resided. The amendments ASU 2013-05 are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company does not currently believe that the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its financial statements and will adopt the provisions of this ASU on January 1, 2014.

Company Information and Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Choice Hotels International, Inc. and subsidiaries (together the “Company”) have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments that are necessary, in the opinion of management, to fairly present our financial position and results of operations. Except as otherwise disclosed, all adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted. The year-end balance sheet information was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The Company believes the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading.

The consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 and notes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2013(the “10-K”). Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the entire year results because of seasonal variations. All inter-company transactions and balances between Choice Hotels International, Inc. and its subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $3.1 million and $5.0 million respectively, of book overdrafts representing outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit are included in accounts payable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

The Company maintains cash balances in domestic banks, which at times, may exceed the limits of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, the Company also maintains cash balances in international banks which do not provide deposit insurance.

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2013-02, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" (“ASU 2013-02”). This update requires companies to present either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements, the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. If a component is not required to be reclassified to net income in its entirety companies would instead cross reference to the related footnote for additional information. ASU 2013-02 became effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and the Company has adopted this ASU during the current quarter. The Company has elected to present the required disclosures in a single note rather than on the face of the financial statement. See Note 8 for additional information.

Future Adoption of Recently Announced Accounting Guidance

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, “Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date” (“ASU 2013-04”). The ASU requires entities to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the following: (a) The amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and (b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. Required disclosures include a description of the joint-and-several arrangement and the total outstanding amount of the obligation for all joint parties. The ASU permits entities to aggregate disclosures (as opposed to providing separate disclosures for each joint-and-several obligation). ASU 2013-04 is effective for all interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The ASU should be applied retrospectively to obligations with joint-and-several liabilities existing at the beginning of an entity's fiscal year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this statement will have on its financial statement presentation, if any, and will adopt the provision of this ASU on January 1, 2014.

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, “Parent's Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity” (“ASU 2013-05”). ASU 2013-05 clarifies that when a reporting entity ceases to have a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity, the parent is required to apply the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification 830 "Foreign Currency Matters" Subtopic 830-30 to release any related cumulative translation adjustment into net income. Accordingly, the cumulative translation adjustment should be released into net income only if the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity in which the subsidiary or group of assets had resided. The amendments ASU 2013-05 are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company does not currently believe that the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its financial statements and will adopt the provisions of this ASU on January 1, 2014.