Choice Hotels#Brands
{{Short description|American hospitality company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Choice Hotels International, Inc.
| logo = Choice Hotels logo.svg
| type = Public
| traded_as = {{nyse|CHH}}
S&P 400 component
Russell 1000 component
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{ubl|{{nowrap|Pat Pacious, president & CEO}}|{{nowrap|Stewart W. Bainum Jr., Chairman}}}}
| industry = {{ubl|Hospitality|Franchising}}
| brands = {{Hlist
|Ascend Hotel Collection
|Cambria Hotels
|Clarion
|Clarion Pointe
|Comfort Inn
|Everhome Suites
|MainStay Suites
|Park Inn
|Radisson Individuals
|Radisson Inn & Suites
|Sleep Inn
|Suburban Studios
}}
| services =
| revenue = {{increase}} {{USD| 1.40 billion}} (2022)
| operating_income = {{increase}} {{USD| 478.6 million}} (2022)
| net_income = {{increase}} {{USD| 332.1 million}} (2022)
| num_employees = 1,789 (2022)
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.choicehotels.com/}}
| foundation = {{start date and age|1939}}
| founder = Stewart W. Bainum Sr.
| location_city = North Bethesda, Maryland
| location_country = U.S.
| location =
| locations = {{Profit}} 7,487 (Dec. 31, 2022){{Cite web|title=Inline XBRL Viewer|url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001046311/000104631123000008/chh-20221231.htm|access-date=2023-03-01|publisher=www.sec.gov}}{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels boss says hotels in a tech battle with Booking.com and Expedia |url=https://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/hotels-and-leisure/choice-hotels-boss-says-hotels-in-a-tech-battle-with-bookingcom-and-expedia-20180219-h0wciz |newspaper=Australian Financial Review |date=March 13, 2018 |access-date=July 2, 2018}}
}}
Choice Hotels International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in North Bethesda, Maryland. The company, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world,{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels Signs Deal in Savannah |last1=Grant |first1=Peter |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/choice-hotels-signs-deal-in-savannah-1519167596 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=February 20, 2018 |access-date=May 28, 2018}}{{cite news |title=The brands and rooms of Choice Hotels, by the numbers |last1=Trejos |first1=Nancy |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2018/07/05/choice-hotels-specializes-economical-and-mid-priced-hotels/757523002/ |newspaper=USA Today |date=July 5, 2018 |access-date=September 19, 2018}} owns various hotel brands ranging from upscale to economy. As of the third quarter 2023, Choice Hotels franchised nearly 7,500 hotels, representing nearly 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories.{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2023 |title=Choice Hotels International Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results |url=https://investor.choicehotels.com/news/news-details/2023/Choice-Hotels-International-Reports-Third-Quarter-2023-Results/default.aspx}}
History
=Founding and early years=
Quality Courts United, Inc. was founded in 1939 as a nonprofit referral chain of seven motels in Florida.{{cite web |url=http://lodgingmagazine.com/the-origins-and-growth-of-franchising-in-the-hotel-industry/ |title=The origins and growth of franchising in the hotel industry |author=Ellen Meyer |date=April 10, 2018 |work=Lodging Magazine |access-date=May 28, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Obituary: Choice Hotels founder Stewart Bainum Sr. |last1=King |first1=Danny |url=http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Choice-Hotels-founder-Bainum-dies-at-94 |newspaper=Travel Weekly |date=February 13, 2014 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} The organization limited itself to locations east of the Mississippi River.{{cite book |title=The Motel in America |last1=Jakle|first1=John A|last2=Sculle|first2=Keith A|last3=Rogers|first3=Jefferson S |year=2002 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=9780801869181 |pages=162–165 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CXzZikNoClsC |access-date=May 28, 2018}} By the early 1960s, Quality Courts United had approximately 600 members. All members were required to meet certain quality standards and offer amenities like air conditioning, telephones, swimming pools, paved driveways, and wall-to-wall carpeting. In 1963, the organization became a for-profit corporation and changed its name to Quality Courts Motels, Inc.
In 1957, Stewart W. Bainum Sr., who ran a Washington, D.C., plumbing business, opened his first hotel on New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland (currently, the hotel is located in Takoma Park, Maryland proper).{{cite news |title=Stewart W. Bainum Sr., D.C. businessman, dies |last1=Langer |first1=Emily |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/stewart-w-bainum-sr-dc-businessman-dies/2014/02/19/07eeae6a-98be-11e3-b88d-f36c07223d88_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 19, 2014 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} He later franchised his first Quality Courts motel in 1963. In 1968, Bainum merged his business, Park Consolidated Motels, Inc., with Quality Courts Motels, subsequently assuming the role of president and CEO,{{cite news |title=AH&LA: celebrates an era of achievement |last1=Ricca |first1=Stephanie |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=520M-FCT1-DYTM-9122&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=Hotel & Motel Management |date=October 4, 2010 |quote=Stewart Bainum, from plumbing contractor to international franchisor: Stewart Bainum franchised his first motel with Quality Courts Motels in 1963, and by 1968 he operated eight nursing homes, incorporating them as Manor Care, Inc., while grouping five motels, franchised with Quality Courts Motels, under the name Park Consolidated Motels, Inc. In that year, Bainum merged Park Consolidated with Quality Courts, becoming president and chief financial officer of a company, which by then represented 410 franchised and 12 company-owned motels. Within two years, Quality Courts operated franchised motels in 33 states, and began its first international operations. In 1980 Bainum merged Manor Care and Quality, with Manor Care purchasing Quality for $37 million. |access-date=May 28, 2018}} and moved the company's headquarters from Daytona Beach to Silver Spring, Maryland.
Lodging Magazine wrote that, by 1969, Quality Courts Motels was the world's "largest association of independent motel operators". The company changed its name to Quality Inns International in 1972.{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels makes a wide turn |last1=Faiola |first1=Anthony |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1995/07/03/choice-hotels-makes-a-wide-turn/f001a3a6-79e3-46a6-a56f-31cf9e7f382f/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 3, 1995 |access-date=July 2, 2018}}
=Growth and expansion=
In 1981, Quality Inns announced a major nationwide expansion program, and started the industry's first market segmentation strategy, using a range of hotel brands across price points.{{cite news |title=Quality Inns planning 3 classes of motels |last1=Knight |first1=Jerry |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S8G-D7D0-0009-W2X7&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 9, 1981 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} Geographically, it expanded across the country by opening hotels in the Western United States for the first time. In addition to its Quality Inn hotels, the company created Comfort Inn, a lower-price, limited-service chain, and Quality Royale, representing the most upscale locations in the system. The first Comfort Inn opened in July 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, converted from a decades-old independent motel next to the Georgia Tech campus.Salter, Sallye. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148260257/ "Refurbished Motel Launches New Chain"], The Atlanta Constitution, July 15, 1981, page 11-A.Krakoviak, Joe. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148260356/ "Refurbished Motel Launches New Chain"], The Atlanta Journal, July 15, 1981, page 9-D. The first hotel to become a Quality Royale franchise was the Georgetown Marbury House in Washington, D.C., in January 1982.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148260435/ "Le Boss'ier Awarded Franchise"], Bossier Tribune, March 12, 1982, page 8.{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1177/001088048202200410 | doi=10.1177/001088048202200410 | title=Quality's Three Brands | journal=Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly | date=1982 | volume=22 | issue=4 | page=37 | url-access=subscription }} Comfort Inn, which would later become Choice Hotels' flagship brand, was marketed to family vacationers, business travelers, and senior citizens, and was intended to compete with Days Inn, Best Western, and Friendship Inn. The company's Quality Inn hotels remained in the midscale segment, competing with Holiday Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, and Travelodge. The Quality Royale brand was positioned to compete with Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and Sheraton.
In January 1987, Quality Inns established a partnership with Associated Inns and Restaurants Company of America (AIRCOA Holdings), a Denver-based firm that was one of the largest independent hotel management companies in the United States.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148315767/ "Hotel firm doubles rooms in its January acquisitions"], The Island Packet, February 6, 1987, page 4-B. Quality Inns agreed to merge its upscale Quality Royale brand with AIRCOA's Clarion Collection,Cason, Albert. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148315691/ "Associated Inns makes acquisitions"], The Tennessean, February 20, 1987, page 3-B. which had originally been established in 1983 as a referral chain.Cason, Albert. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148315589/ "Maxwell House Hotel joining 10 others in Clarion Collection"], The Tennessean, June 28, 1983, page 7-C. The Clarion brand thus replaced Quality Royale as one of Quality Inns' three franchise offerings.
In September 1987, the company announced plans for a lower-price chain with smaller rooms called McSleep Inn, intended to compete with chains like Motel 6. Rather than converting existing hotels to the brand, McSleep Inn locations would be purpose-built to keep costs to a minimum. In announcing the new chain, the CEO of Quality Inns stated that "obviously the name is a takeoff on McDonald's", sparking a legal battle over whether McSleep Inn was infringing on the McDonald's trademark.Brummer, Alex. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148262170/ "A legal (prefix deleted) battle is brewing"], The Guardian, September 22, 1987, page 22. McDonald's won the ensuing court case in September 1988, forcing Quality Inns to change the name of the chain, whose first locations were then under construction, to Sleep Inn.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/19/us/mcsleep-loses-to-big-mc.html|title='McSleep' Loses to Big Mc|date=September 19, 1988|work=The New York Times |access-date=August 10, 2013}} Additionally, Microtel Inn and Suites founder Loren Ansley claimed that Quality Inns stole his business model, which he had presented to Quality executives before deciding to start his own chain.Vellinga, Mary Lynne. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148261992/ "Hotel developer is thinking small"], Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, February 2, 1988, pages 8D and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148262089/ 7D]. The first Sleep Inn location opened in Salisbury, North Carolina, on May 15, 1989.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148263450/ "New hotel open"], Salisbury Post, May 21, 1989, page 4F.
Bainum Sr. led Quality Inns until 1987, when his son, Stewart W. Bainum Jr., took over the role of chairman and chief executive.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/company-officers/CHH.N |title=Choice Hotels International |publisher=Reuters |access-date=June 1, 2018}} Bainum's other business, Manor Care, Inc., which owned and managed nursing homes, bought Quality Inns in 1990. In July of that year, the company acquired the Rodeway Inn chain from Prime Motor Inns, making Quality Inns the largest hotel franchisor in the world.Mencke, Claire. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148316506/ "Prime Motor sells Rodeway"], Daily Record, July 6, 1990, page D6. In August, Quality Inns bought Econo Lodge of America, owners of the Econo Lodge and Friendship Inns chains.Altaner, David. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148316795/ "$60 million deal to link hotel chains"], South Florida Sun Sentinel, August 18, 1990, page 11B. Shortly thereafter, the company's name was changed to Choice Hotels.
Choice Hotels created a joint venture with Canadian motel chain Journey's End in 1993, turning that company's properties into "Comfort Inn by Journey's End" and "Quality Inn by Journey's End".McDowell, Edwin. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/22/business/company-news-choice-and-journey-s-end-in-canadian-hotel-venture.html "Choice and Journey's End In Canadian Hotel Venture"], The New York Times, April 22, 1993, Web. Retrieved May 30, 2024. The "by Journey's End" branding was later dropped.
Manor Care spun off its hotels business in 1996,{{cite news |title=Manor Care gets 2 buyout offers |last1=Salganik |first1=M. William |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2000/03/04/manor-care-gets-2-buyout-offers-chains-fallen-shares-rise-up-and-scamper-285-to-126875-nursing-home-chains/ |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=March 4, 2000 |access-date=March 10, 2017}} and Choice Hotels became a publicly traded company, holding an initial public offering in 1997. The new company was exclusively responsible for franchising and did not own any of its hotel locations; all hotels formerly owned by Manor Care were split off under a separate company, Sunburst Hospitality Corporation, which became the largest franchisee of Choice Hotels brands. In 1996, Choice Hotels introduced its first extended-stay hotel brand, MainStay Suites, which was advertised as the first mid-price extended-stay chain.{{cite news |title=Midprice hotels becoming mainstay of travel |last1=Richards |first1=Rhonda |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S4T-JF20-0003-F3F9&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=USA Today |date=January 26, 1996 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} The first MainStay Suites location opened in Plano, Texas in November 1996. In 1997, the Friendship Inn brand was eliminated, with its locations being converted to the Rodeway brand.[https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1046311/0000940180-98-000355.txt "Choice Hotels International, Inc. 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders"], via EDGAR, Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
In July 1998, Choice Hotels created a partnership with Flag International Ltd., the largest hotel chain in Australia, allowing Flag to use the Clarion, Quality, and Comfort brands.Jacobs, Judy. [https://www.businesstravelnews.com/More-News/Choice-Flag-Hotels-Unite-In-Australian-Alliance "Choice, Flag Hotels Unite In Australian Alliance"], Business Travel News, July 19, 1998, Web. Retrieved May 30, 2024. The brands quickly outstripped the Flag Hotel chain in popularity in Australia, and Choice Hotels acquired Flag International outright in 2003.[https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4020532.html "Name Change for Flag Hotels, An Australian Institution for 40 Years| Flag Choice Hotels Renamed Choice Hotels Australasia"], Choice Hotels Australasia, September 7, 2004, via Hospitality Net. Retrieved May 30, 2024. The last remaining Flag Hotels were converted to other Choice brands in 2008.[https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1046311/000119312508043514/d10k.htm "Choice Hotels International, Inc. 2007 Annual Report to Stockholders"], via EDGAR, Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
In January 2005, the company announced the creation of its new Cambria Suites brand.{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels to launch 'lower-upscale' brand |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31560-2005Jan23.html?nav=E8 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 24, 2005 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} The Cambria brand was created as an upscale, limited-service hotel chain marketed to business travelers. The first Cambria Suites location opened near Boise Airport in Boise, Idaho in April 2007.Estrella, Joe. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148386640/ "CEO on hotel chain launch: We love Boise"], Idaho Statesman, April 20, 2007, Business pages 1 and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148386555/ 5].
In September 2005, Choice Hotels acquired the Atlanta-based Suburban Franchise Holding Company, giving the company the franchise rights to the Suburban Extended Stay Hotel brand.Murray, Barbra. [https://www.globest.com/2005/10/03/choice-hotels-acquisition-of-suburban-franchise-tops-10m/ "Choice Hotels Acquisition of Suburban Franchise Tops $10M"], GlobeSt, October 3, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2024. The chain was originally founded as Suburban Lodges of America in 1987.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148638038/ "Now that Forest Park will have a hotel, it has no reservations about a hotel-motel tax"], Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 24, 1987, page 2-C. The company-owned Suburban Lodges were purchased by InTown Suites in 2002, while the franchise locations became Suburban Extended Stay Hotels.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/148637831/ "Niche hotels' business steady"], Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 20, 2002, page D4. In 2022, the chain was rebranded as Suburban Studios.[https://media.choicehotels.com/2022-03-16-Choice-Hotels-Unveils-Next-Generation-for-Extended-Stay-Brand-Suburban-Studios "Choice Hotels Unveils Next Generation for Extended Stay Brand: Suburban Studios"], Choice Hotels, March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
In 2008, Choice Hotels was the first industry chain to establish a "soft brand", Ascend Hotel Collection.{{cite news |title=Hotel franchiser rebrands collection |last1=Haberkorn |first1=Jen |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4SKT-8GY0-TWCW-40KS&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=The Washington Times |date=May 26, 2008 |access-date=May 28, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Independently Minded: The Power of Soft Brands |last1=Hughes |first1=Kate |url=http://lodgingmagazine.com/independently-minded-the-power-of-soft-brands/ |magazine=Lodging Magazine |date=September 15, 2017 |access-date=September 20, 2018}}{{cite news |title=The Rise of Hotel 'Collection' Brands |last1=Sickel |first1=Julie |url=http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Procurement/The-Rise-of-Hotel-Collection-Brands |newspaper=Business Travel News |date=July 7, 2017 |access-date=September 20, 2018}} The Ascend Hotel Collection includes upscale boutique and historic hotels whose owners are subject to fewer fixed brand standards compared with Choice's other brands.
=Recent history (2012–2023)=
File:Clarion Hotel Post 5.jpg, Sweden]]
Choice Hotels began a transformation of its Comfort properties in 2012,{{cite web |url=https://www.asianhospitality.com/seeking-comfort-sea-hotel-brands/ |title=Seeking Comfort In a Sea of Hotel Brands |author=Judy Maxwell |date=27 February 2018 |work=Asian Hospitality |access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924065625/https://www.asianhospitality.com/seeking-comfort-sea-hotel-brands/ |url-status=dead }} with the company removing its franchising from 600 properties that did not meet Choice Hotels’ new standards.{{cite web |url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/own/at-choice-conference-comfort-gets-new-logo-while-cambria-gets-new-plan |title=Choice Hotels' Comfort brand gets new logo, Cambria gets new plan |author=Jena Tesse Fox |date=May 3, 2018 |work=Hotel Management |access-date=September 20, 2018}} Choice Hotels rebranded Comfort in 2018, which brought its Comfort Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites, and Comfort Suites brands under one umbrella. Some of the Comfort properties that didn't meet Choice's standards for the brand were rebranded under the Quality Inn brand, as Comfort and Quality swapped market positions within Choice's hierarchy.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
In October 2010, officials in Maryland and Montgomery County announced that Choice Hotels International would move its headquarters from Silver Spring,{{Cite news|url=http://media.choicehotels.com/2013-04-04-Choice-Hotels-International-Headquarters-Move-Marks-A-New-Era|title=Choice Hotels International Headquarters Move Marks A New Era|work=Choice Hotels International - Media Center|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en}}
{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/maryland/choice-hotels-moving-to-rockvi.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223123620/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/maryland/choice-hotels-moving-to-rockvi.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 23, 2013 |title=Choice Hotels moving to Rockville |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 26, 2010 |access-date=October 9, 2011}} to a new {{convert|197,866|sqft}} facility in Rockville Town Center in Rockville. Groundbreaking occurred in August 2011,{{cite web |url=http://www.gazette.net/article/20110831/NEWS/708319509/1007/construction-starts-on-choice-hotels-headquarters-in-rockville&template=gazette |title=Construction starts on Choice Hotels headquarters in Rockville |publisher=Gazette.Net |date=August 31, 2011 |access-date=October 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510064424/http://www.gazette.net/article/20110831/NEWS/708319509/1007/construction-starts-on-choice-hotels-headquarters-in-rockville%26template%3Dgazette |archive-date=May 10, 2012 |url-status=dead }} and Choice Hotels completed the move into the new headquarters in June 2013.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/choice-hotels-international-completes-move-into-new-rockville-headquarters-210392931.html|title=Choice Hotels International Completes Move Into New Rockville Headquarters|publisher=Choice Hotels International |via=PR Newswire|language=en|access-date=2018-04-24}}
Throughout its history, Choice Hotels introduced new features into the hotel industry, including having all hotels include non-smoking rooms, 24-hour-a-day toll-free reservations, Internet-based property management systems, and the industry's first iPhone application.{{cite web |url=https://skift.com/2017/07/13/choice-hotels-appoints-pat-pacious-as-new-ceo-beginning-in-2018/ |title=Choice Hotels appoints Pat Pacious as new CEO beginning in 2018 |author=Deanna Ting |date=July 13, 2017 |publisher=Skift |access-date=May 28, 2018}} The company's technological developments also led it to create a division called SkyTouch Technology in 2013, which markets Choice Hotels' property management system to other hotel companies.{{cite web |url=https://hospitalitytech.com/intersection-technology-hospitality |title=The intersection of technology & hospitality |author=Dorothy Creamer |date=March 29, 2018 |publisher=Hospitality Technology |access-date=May 29, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels launches new reservations system at long last |last1=Cooper |first1=Rebecca |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/01/23/choice-hotels-launches-new-reservations-system-at.html |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=January 23, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018}}
In 2014, Choice Hotels invested millions of dollars to begin a multi-year process to develop the industry's first new global reservations system and distribution platform in 27 years. A cloud-based system, {{proper name|choiceEDGE}}, launched in 2018. The system can integrate with voice search and artificial intelligence.
In 2018, Choice Hotels acquired WoodSpring Suites, an extended-stay economy hotel brand.{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels buys extended stay brand |last1=Trejos |first1=Nancy |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2017/12/19/choice-hotels-buys-extended-stay-brand/964059001/ |newspaper=USA Today |date=December 20, 2017 |access-date=May 29, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Choice revels in extended-stay success |last1=Mest |first1=Elliott |url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/choice-revels-extended-stay-success |newspaper=Hotel Management |date=May 10, 2018 |access-date=July 2, 2018}} Adding WoodSpring's 240 hotels across the U.S. tripled the number of extended-stay hotels in the company's portfolio to around 350 properties.
{{As of|2018}}, Choice Hotels-branded properties are located in more than 40 countries and territories, including hotels in Europe,{{cite web |url=http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/246977/Choice-centers-Europe-growth-on-four-known-brands |title=Choice centers Europe growth on four known brands |date=October 16, 2017 |work=Hotel News Now |access-date=September 19, 2018}} Asia-Pacific,{{cite web |url=http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/choice-hotels-unveils-new-brand-identity-in-asia-pacific/ |title=Choice Hotels unveils new brand identity in Asia-Pacific |author=Gabriella Warden |date=August 28, 2015 |work=Travel Weekly |access-date=September 19, 2018}} the Middle East,{{cite news | url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/hotels-and-resorts/choice-hotels-signs-master-agreement-to-enter-middle-east.html | title=Choice Hotels Signs Master Agreement to Enter Middle East | first=Patrick | last=Clarke | work=TravelPulse | date=May 2, 2016}} and Scandinavia.{{cite web |url=https://nordic.businessinsider.com/a-norwegian-hotel-billionaire-wants-to-use-blockchain-to-cut-out-expedia--/ |title=A Norwegian hotel billionaire wants to use blockchain to cut out booking sites like Expedia |author=Björn Wallenberg |date=May 29, 2018 |work=Business Insider Nordic |access-date=September 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100137/https://nordic.businessinsider.com/a-norwegian-hotel-billionaire-wants-to-use-blockchain-to-cut-out-expedia--/ |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |url-status=dead }} Choice Hotels entered into an agreement with Spanish hotel operator Sercotel in 2018 to increase Choice's footprint in Spain and Latin America.{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels chain announces partnership with Spanish Sercotel |url=https://www.forbes.com.mx/cadena-choice-hotels-anuncia-alianza-con-espanola-sercotel/ |newspaper=Forbes Mexico |date=April 11, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018}}
In September 2018, Choice Hotels announced Clarion Pointe, an extension of the Clarion brand for locations with limited service.[https://media.choicehotels.com/2018-09-20-Choice-Hotels-Launches-Clarion-Pointe "Choice Hotels Launches Clarion Pointe"], Choice Hotels, September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2024. The first Clarion Pointe hotel opened on May 1, 2019, in Sulphur Springs, Texas, converted from a former Holiday Inn Express.[https://media.choicehotels.com/2019-05-01-First-Clarion-Pointe-Hotel-Opens-in-Texas "First Clarion Pointe Hotel Opens in Texas"], Choice Hotels, May 1, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
Choice Hotels announced the creation of a new brand of midscale extended stay hotels, Everhome Suites, in January 2020.[https://media.choicehotels.com/2020-01-27-Choice-Hotels-Introduces-Everhome-Suites-To-Help-Developers-Build-A-Strong-Portfolio-And-Empower-Guests-Success-On-The-Road "Choice Hotels Introduces Everhome Suites To Help Developers Build A Strong Portfolio And Empower Guests' Success On The Road"], Choice Hotels, January 27, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2024. The first Everhome Suites location opened on September 29, 2022, in Riverside, California, after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[https://media.choicehotels.com/2022-09-29-Inaugural-Everhome-Suites-Hotel-Debuts-in-California "Inaugural Everhome Suites Hotel Debuts in California"], Choice Hotels, September 29, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
On June 13, 2022, Choice Hotels agreed to purchase Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million, acquiring the Radisson franchise agreements, operations and intellectual property in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.{{Cite web |title=Choice Hotels International to Acquire Radisson Hotel Group Americas |url=http://media.choicehotels.com/2022-06-13-Choice-Hotels-International-to-Acquire-Radisson-Hotel-Group-Americas |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Choice Hotels International - Media Center |language=en}}
In October 2023, Choice Hotels announced a proposal to purchase all outstanding shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for $90 per share.{{Cite web |last=Tesse Fox |first=Jena |date=Oct 17, 2023 |title=Breaking News: Choice seeks to buy Wyndham for nearly $8B |url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/own/breaking-news-choice-seeks-buy-wyndham-nearly-10b |website=Hotel Management}} That offer came after Wyndham declined a direct acquisition bid from Choice.{{Cite web |last=Tesse Fox |first=Jena |date=Oct 17, 2023 |title=Wyndham board details reasons for rejecting Choice takeover bid |url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/own/wyndham-board-details-reasons-rejecting-choice-takeover-bid |website=Hotel Management}}
Corporate affairs
Choice Hotels International is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol CHH.{{cite web |url=https://quotes.wsj.com/CHH |title=Choice Hotels International |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=June 1, 2018}} It maintains a corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland,{{Cite web |title=Choice Hotels Announces New Corporate Headquarters In North Bethesda, Maryland |url=https://media.choicehotels.com/2021-10-25-Choice-Hotels-Announces-New-Corporate-Headquarters-In-North-Bethesda,-Maryland |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Choice Hotels International - Media Center |language=en}} and a technology campus in Phoenix, Arizona.{{cite news |title=Capital Business |last1=O'Connell |first1=Jonathan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/2013/03/29/369711bc-964e-11e2-8b4e-0b56f26f28de_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 31, 2013 |access-date=May 29, 2018}} At year-end 2017, Choice Hotels employed 1,987 people in its global corporate operations.{{cite web |title=2017 Form 10-K |url=http://app.quotemedia.com/data/downloadFiling?webmasterId=101533&ref=12097646&type=HTML&symbol=CHH&companyName=Choice+Hotels+International+Inc.&formType=10-K&dateFiled=2018-03-01 |access-date=May 28, 2018 |publisher=Choice Hotels}} Stewart W. Bainum Jr. is chairman of Choice Hotels' board of directors, a position he has held since 1987.{{cite news |title=Bainum takes father's post at Manor Care |last1=Abramowitz |first1=Michael |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S8G-PXN0-000B-14VC&csi=280434&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 6, 1987 |access-date=March 10, 2017}} Pat Pacious became president and CEO in September 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/own/pat-pacious-to-step-up-as-choice-hotels-international-ceo-september |title=Pat Pacious to step up as Choice Hotels International CEO in September |author=Jena Tesse Fox |date=August 10, 2017 |publisher=Hotel Management |access-date=May 29, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Choice Hotels CEO Pat Pacious: WoodSpring, Cambria efforts paying off |last1=Nycz-Conner |first1=Jennifer |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/03/22/choice-hotels-ceo-pat-pacious-woodspring-cambria.html |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=March 22, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018}} Previously, he served as Choice Hotels' president and chief operating officer.{{cite news |title=Choice's new CEO will take helm early as Joyce exits |last1=Cooper |first1=Rebecca |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2017/08/10/choice-s-new-ceo-will-take-helm-early-as-joyce.html |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=July 3, 2018}} In 2023, the company moved their headquarters from Rockville, Maryland to the Pike and Rose neighborhood of North Bethesda, Maryland.
=Partnerships=
Choice Hotels formed an alliance with Bluegreen Vacations, an international timeshare company, in 2013. Pursuant to this arrangement, many Bluegreen resorts are members of Choice Hotels' Ascend Hotel Collection brand.{{cite web |url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/91517/choice-hotelsbluegreen-join-forces-revised |title=Choice Hotels-Bluegreen Join Forces |publisher=Zacks.com |access-date=May 24, 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://skift.com/2013/01/23/choice-hotels-is-no-longer-just-a-hotel-franchisor-as-it-gets-into-timeshares/ |title=Choice Hotels is no longer just a hotel company as it gets into timeshares |author=Dennis Schaal |date=January 23, 2013 |work=Skift |access-date=September 19, 2018}}
In 2021, Choice Hotels and Penn National Gaming entered into a strategic partnership to allow guests to book one of many Penn properties directly through Choice.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-13 |title=Choice Hotels And Penn National Gaming Team Up To Offer More Fun And Entertainment Through The Ascend Hotel Collection |url=https://media.choicehotels.com/2021-01-13-Choice-Hotels-And-Penn-National-Gaming-Team-Up-To-Offer-More-Fun-And-Entertainment-Through-The-Ascend-Hotel-Collection}}
=Loyalty program=
Choice Hotels' rewards program is called Choice Privileges. In order to earn points through the program, one must book a reservation by either calling a toll-free number, going online, or using their mobile app. Points are updated the day after the user's stay.{{Cite web|url=https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges/faq|title=Choice Privileges FAQ|website=Choice Hotels}} To redeem points earned using the program, one must log in on Choice Hotels' website. Points can be redeemed for gift cards or airline mileage. Additionally, there is the option to redeem points through the use of their Co-Branded Credit Card which launched with Mastercard and Wells Fargo in February, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Choice Hotels, Wells Fargo, and Mastercard to Launch New Cobranded Credit Card |url=https://media.choicehotels.com/2023-02-14-Choice-Hotels,-Wells-Fargo,-and-Mastercard-to-Launch-New-Cobranded-Credit-Card}}
Brands
File:Comfort Suites Laredo.jpg
File:Sandefjord_Hotel_Atlantic.jpg]]
File:Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile exterior.jpg
Choice Hotels International is the parent company of a number of hotel brands split among various market segments, in addition to a vacation rentals brand. As of the third quarter 2023, Choice Hotels franchised nearly 7,500 hotels, representing nearly 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories.[https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1046311/000104631124000010/chh-20231231.htm "Choice Hotels International, Inc. 2023 Annual Report to Stockholders"], via EDGAR, Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved June 3, 2024.[https://media.choicehotels.com/our-brands "Our Brands"], Choice Hotels, accessed June 3, 2024.
{{Table alignment}}
class="wikitable sortable defaultleft col4right" |
Brand
! Price category ! style=max-width:9em | Added to Choice Hotels system ! style=max-width:5em | Locations (2023) |
---|
Park Plaza
|Upper upscale |2022 (acquired) |1 |
Radisson Blu
|Upper upscale |2022 (acquired) |10 |
Radisson RED
|Upscale |2022 (acquired) |4 |
Radisson (core)
|Upscale |2022 (acquired) |111 |
Radisson Individuals
|Upscale soft brand |2022 (acquired) |9 |
Radisson Collection
|Upscale soft brand |2024 |0 |
Cambria Hotels
|Upscale select service |2007 |74 |
Ascend Hotel Collection
|Upscale soft brand |2008 |363 |
Radisson Inn & Suites
|Upper midscale |2024 |0 |
Comfort Inn & Suites
|Upper midscale (economy in Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania) |1981 |2,162 |
Country Inn & Suites
|Upper midscale |2022 (acquired) |434 |
Park Inn by Radisson
|Midscale |2022 (acquired) |16 |
Clarion
|Midscale (upscale in Australia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland) |1987 (acquired) |246 |
Clarion Pointe
|Midscale select service |2019 |60 |
Quality Inn
|Midscale |1939 |1,902 |
Sleep Inn
|Midscale |1989 |452 |
Everhome Suites
|Midscale extended stay |2022 |1 |
MainStay Suites
|Midscale extended stay |1996 |127 |
Suburban Studios
|Economy extended stay |2005 (acquired) |104 |
WoodSpring Suites
|Economy extended stay |2018 (acquired) |235 |
Econo Lodge
|Economy |1990 (acquired) |732 |
Rodeway Inn
|Economy |1990 (acquired) |480 |
Total
! ! ! style=text-align:right | 7,527 |
See also
{{Portal|Hotels}}
- Strawberry, the largest Choice Hotels franchisee in Scandinavia
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Hotel chains}}
{{S&P 400 companies}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1939 establishments in Florida
Category:American companies established in 1939
Category:Companies based in Rockville, Maryland
Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Category:Hospitality companies established in 1939
Category:Hospitality companies of the United States