Choice Hotels International kicks-off its 67th Annual Convention after a tremendous year

Yesterday, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, kicked off its 67th annual convention in Las Vegas with more than 6,000 hotel owners, general managers, vendors and Choice associates in attendance.

The convention comes on the heels of a landmark 2022 for Choice, with step-function growth bolstered by the acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas. The company continues to solidify its moves upmarket into the upscale and upper upscale segments, creating more opportunity for franchise owners to capture higher-income consumers.

The three-day conference is designed to showcase the ways Choice franchisees will remain "unstoppable" as the company continues to be the challenger within the upscale market while bolstering its leadership position in extended stay, midscale and economy hotels.

Choice Hotels President and CEO Patrick Pacious opened the convention with a keynote address highlighting the company's favorable position in the current high-travel environment.

"The entire industry sees us differently," Pacious told Choice Hotels franchisees at the Corporate Business Session. "We are now the challenger in upscale, we own extended stay, and we keep stealing share in midscale and upper midscale… For two straight years, the new hotels we've brought in are, on average, performing at twice the revenue of the hotels that we've exited. Our model is different. We're not chasing growth at all costs. Our entire system is getting better together."

Throughout the week, keynote speeches, educational sessions, brand sessions, a trade show and more will help franchisees harness the value that Choice is creating at an enterprise level, understand key travel trends and position themselves to harness the value of the Choice system amid an uptick in travel.

Choice provides franchisees with the tools they need to succeed, offering all 22 brands a suite of proprietary cutting-edge cloud-based solutions, including the choiceADVANTAGE property management system, the choiceEDGE guest reservation platform, and ChoiceMAX, a mobile-friendly revenue management tool that continuously adapts to changes in the market using real-time data. Additionally, the award-winning Choice University educational platform delivers customized and always evolving learning and development resources.

As Choice's portfolio moves upmarket amid a resurgence in travel, the company is prioritizing innovative programs, amenities and loyalty opportunities, including the introduction of a new Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earlier this month and the launch last month of a national multichannel marketing campaign starring award-winning actress and multi-hyphenate entertainer Zooey Deschanel. The company also continues to integrate sustainable business practices, including the implementation of programs like Commitment to Green and Room to be Green.

Pacious emphasized to Choice franchisees that their properties are particularly well-positioned to capitalize on what he called the "5 R's" now driving an increase in travel demand.

"Rising wages, retirements, remote work, road trips, and rebuilding America," Pacious said. "The Choice brands and your hotels are in the sweet spot for all of these trends... At Choice, we've always been united by our shared belief that tomorrow will be even better than today. Together, we are going to build that better tomorrow."