Non-Qualified Retirement, Savings and Investment Plans	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Non-Qualified Retirement, Savings and Investment Plans	Non-Qualified Retirement, Savings and Investment Plans The Company sponsors two non-qualified retirement savings and investment plans for certain employees and senior executives. Employee and Company contributions are maintained in separate irrevocable trusts. Legally, the assets of the trusts remain those of the Company; however, access to the trusts' assets is severely restricted. The trusts cannot be revoked by the Company or an acquirer, but the assets are subject to the claims of the Company's general creditors. The participants do not have the right to assign or transfer contractual rights in the trusts. In 2002, the Company adopted the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Executive Deferred Compensation Plan (“EDCP”) which became effective January 1, 2003. Under the EDCP, certain executive officers may defer a portion of their salary into an irrevocable trust. Prior to January 1, 2010, participants could elect an investment return of either the annual yield of the Moody's Average Corporate Bond Rate Yield Index plus 300 basis points, or a return based on a selection of available diversified investment options. Effective January 1, 2010, the Moody's Average Corporate Bond Rate Yield Index plus 300 basis points is no longer an investment option for salary deferrals made on compensation earned after December 31, 2009. The Company recorded current and long-term deferred compensation liabilities of $10.9 million and $11.7 million, as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, related to these deferrals and credited investment returns. Compensation expense is recorded in SG&A expense on the Company's consolidated statements of income based on the change in the deferred compensation obligation related to earnings credited to participants as well as changes in the fair value of diversified investments. Compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the EDCP for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.3 million and $0.2 million, respectively. Compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the EDCP for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.7 million for both periods. The Company has invested the employee salary deferrals in diversified long-term investments which are intended to provide investment returns that partially offset the earnings credited to the participants. The diversified investments held in the trusts totaled $3.8 million and $6.0 million as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are recorded at their fair value, based on quoted market prices. At September 30, 2013, the Company expects $0.4 million of the assets held in the trusts to be distributed to participants during the next twelve months. These investments are considered trading securities and therefore the changes in the fair value of the diversified assets is included in other gains and losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company recorded investment gains related to the EDCP during the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The Company recorded investment gains related to the EDCP during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively. In addition, the EDCP Plan held shares of the Company's common stock with a market value of $0.2 million and $0.1 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, which were recorded as a component of shareholders' deficit. In 1997, the Company adopted the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Non-Qualified Retirement Savings and Investment Plan (“Non-Qualified Plan”). The Non-Qualified Plan allows certain employees who do not participate in the EDCP to defer a portion of their salary and invest these amounts in a selection of available diversified investment options. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had recorded a deferred compensation liability of $12.8 million and $11.2 million, respectively, related to these deferrals. Compensation expense is recorded in SG&A expense on the Company's consolidated statements of income based on the change in the deferred compensation obligation related to earnings credited to participants as well as changes in the fair value of diversified investments. The net increase in compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the Non-Qualified Plan for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.6 million and $0.2 million, respectively. The net increase in compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the Non-Qualified Plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $1.3 million and $0.8 million, respectively. The diversified investments held in the trusts were $11.6 million and $10.2 million as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are recorded at their fair value, based on quoted market prices. These investments are considered trading securities and therefore the changes in the fair value of the diversified assets is included in other gains and losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company recorded investment gains related to the Non-Qualified Plan during the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The Company recorded investment gains related to the Non-Qualified Plan during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $1.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively. In addition, the Non-Qualified Plan held shares of the Company's common stock with a market value of $1.2 million and $1.0 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, which are recorded as a component of shareholders' deficit.

Non-Qualified Retirement, Savings and Investment Plans

The Company sponsors two non-qualified retirement savings and investment plans for certain employees and senior executives. Employee and Company contributions are maintained in separate irrevocable trusts. Legally, the assets of the trusts remain those of the Company; however, access to the trusts' assets is severely restricted. The trusts cannot be revoked by the Company or an acquirer, but the assets are subject to the claims of the Company's general creditors. The participants do not have the right to assign or transfer contractual rights in the trusts.

In 2002, the Company adopted the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Executive Deferred Compensation Plan (“EDCP”) which became effective January 1, 2003. Under the EDCP, certain executive officers may defer a portion of their salary into an irrevocable trust. Prior to January 1, 2010, participants could elect an investment return of either the annual yield of the Moody's Average Corporate Bond Rate Yield Index plus 300 basis points, or a return based on a selection of available diversified investment options. Effective January 1, 2010, the Moody's Average Corporate Bond Rate Yield Index plus 300 basis points is no longer an investment option for salary deferrals made on compensation earned after December 31, 2009. The Company recorded current and long-term deferred compensation liabilities of $10.9 million and $11.7 million, as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, related to these deferrals and credited investment returns. Compensation expense is recorded in SG&A expense on the Company's consolidated statements of income based on the change in the deferred compensation obligation related to earnings credited to participants as well as changes in the fair value of diversified investments. Compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the EDCP for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.3 million and $0.2 million, respectively. Compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the EDCP for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.7 million for both periods.

The Company has invested the employee salary deferrals in diversified long-term investments which are intended to provide investment returns that partially offset the earnings credited to the participants. The diversified investments held in the trusts totaled $3.8 million and $6.0 million as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are recorded at their fair value, based on quoted market prices. At September 30, 2013, the Company expects $0.4 million of the assets held in the trusts to be distributed to participants during the next twelve months. These investments are considered trading securities and therefore the changes in the fair value of the diversified assets is included in other gains and losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company recorded investment gains related to the EDCP during the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The Company recorded investment gains related to the EDCP during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively. In addition, the EDCP Plan held shares of the Company's common stock with a market value of $0.2 million and $0.1 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, which were recorded as a component of shareholders' deficit.

In 1997, the Company adopted the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Non-Qualified Retirement Savings and Investment Plan (“Non-Qualified Plan”). The Non-Qualified Plan allows certain employees who do not participate in the EDCP to defer a portion of their salary and invest these amounts in a selection of available diversified investment options. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had recorded a deferred compensation liability of $12.8 million and $11.2 million, respectively, related to these deferrals. Compensation expense is recorded in SG&A expense on the Company's consolidated statements of income based on the change in the deferred compensation obligation related to earnings credited to participants as well as changes in the fair value of diversified investments. The net increase in compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the Non-Qualified Plan for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $0.6 million and $0.2 million, respectively. The net increase in compensation expense recorded in SG&A related to the Non-Qualified Plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $1.3 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

The diversified investments held in the trusts were $11.6 million and $10.2 million as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are recorded at their fair value, based on quoted market prices. These investments are considered trading securities and therefore the changes in the fair value of the diversified assets is included in other gains and losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company recorded investment gains related to the Non-Qualified Plan during the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The Company recorded investment gains related to the Non-Qualified Plan during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $1.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively. In addition, the Non-Qualified Plan held shares of the Company's common stock with a market value of $1.2 million and $1.0 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, which are recorded as a component of shareholders' deficit.