Choice Hotels Focuses on Future at 63rd Annual Convention

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, is hosting its 63^rd annual convention this week in Las Vegas, themed "Future Ready." More than 5,000 hotel owners, general managers and hotel staff will participate in educational sessions on topics, ranging from the state of the industry and emerging trends to the latest business tools and technology.

"Our annual convention is a special time for all of us. It allows us to connect directly with our franchisees, celebrate our successes, educate them on our latest tools and resources, and most importantly, inspire everyone who attends to continue to create best-in-class experiences for guests," said Choice Hotels CEO Stephen P. Joyce. "This year's theme, "Future Ready" conveys our goal of making sure that every Choice hotel is ready for tomorrow, so our franchisees can achieve success now and for generations to come."

Several new tools and technology will be highlighted at the conference, such as:

• Choice University, the best-in-class, award winning online learning system for hotel managers and staff, is previewing a newly enhanced website that creates a more tailored hotel learning portal, new training delivery approaches, and provides a better user experience with more intuitive search and navigation. The new ChoiceU.com officially launches on May 17.
• An innovative next-generation, cloud-based reservation system is rolling out this year. This new distribution platform creates a more seamless experience for guests and franchisees, and offers a unified, flexible technology infrastructure that is nimble and allows for a more personalized customer experience.
• Our Choice proprietary revenue management tools – ChoiceRM and SmartRates – will be featured as two must-have tools that enable franchisees to optimally price their rooms. SmartRates is the most advanced RevPAR technology in the industry and a powerful tool for franchisees.
• Badda Book. Badda Boom. Our new integrated advertising campaign that encourages consumers to book directly through ChoiceHotels.com or the Choice mobile app for the lowest prices guaranteed and instant rewards.

The conference also showcases all 11 Choice brands, including the Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria Hotels, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn.

Innovation continues to drive Choice's positive momentum and results. Following a robust financial year in 2016, the company reported strong results in the first quarter of 2017. Choice domestic RevPAR was up 3.8 percent in first quarter, compared to the industry which was 3.4 percent, according to Smith Travel Research. When compared to their focused competitive set, Choice fared even better, as their focused competitive set experienced growth of only 2.3 percent.

"Our commitment to franchisees drives us to continuously innovate, and provide the tools and resources to help ensure their success for many years to come," said Choice Hotels President and COO Pat Pacious. "The continued success that Choice has as a company is a result of the efforts of our hotel franchisees who strive to deliver an excellent guest experience 365 days a year."