Sick: New Jersey hotels offering abortion discounts

An abortion clinic that performs abortions up to the sixth month of pregnancy has worked out an arrangement with two area hotels to provide substantially discounted room rates for women seeking abortions.

Based on reports from local citizens participating in the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside the Cherry Hill Women's Center, New Jersey Right to Life has confirmed that the Clarion Hotel in Cherry Hill offers a reduced rate of $59 for a room originally priced at $109 to those women who provide a receipt from the clinic that says they have to stay overnight. In addition, the Quality Inn in Maple Shade offers a discounted rate of $74.95 for a room originally priced at $99.99 and a free breakfast of eggs and pancakes for women who present a stamped pamphlet from the clinic.

As a follow up to our previous response to your inquiry, we wanted to provide you with an update regarding your concerns about two hotels that are a part of the Choice Hotels franchise system. These two hotels, like all of our more than 4,600 franchised properties in the United States, are independently owned and operated.

This means that each individual, independent hotel owner has the right to set its own local marketing policies and practices, which includes negotiating rates with local businesses and organizations. While Choice as a franchisor[sic] develops national marketing programs, rates and promotion programs such as these are set locally.

The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, upon reflection, has ended this practice of offering special rates to patients of the Cherry Hill Women's Center..

Thank you again for alerting us to this important issue. We hope you can now feel more comfortable about staying at our hotels.