Seeks greater share of the corporate travel market
The company will launch a new nationwide advertising campaign June 17 that reinforces its commitment to welcoming both business and leisure travelers.
"We're proud of our history as the hotel company families turn to for vacations and road-trip stays—and that won't change," said Pat Pacious, president and CEO, Choice Hotels. "The company is ready to build on our success by demonstrating to business travelers that we've invested in everything they want and need—especially in our flagship Comfort brand and upscale Cambria brand. Our upcoming ad campaign will be the capstone to these investments and signal that we're open for business, whether that 'business' is meeting with clients or attending a family reunion."
Choice has made major investments in its brand portfolio to take advantage of a corporate travel market expected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2022:
Cambria Hotels: Choice has committed approximately $725 million to its upscale Cambria brand, which is designed for the time-starved, modern business traveler. Cambria hotels appeal to guests with central locations near corporate businesses, convention centers and city attractions, while developers appreciate the brand's success in top-tier markets and investment potential as being extremely competitive on a cost-per-key basis.
Comfort Hotels: Choice's multi-year, $2.5 billion joint investment with its franchisees has made Comfort its most competitive midscale brand in the corporate market. The Comfort hotels that completed renovations as part of the brand's transformation by the end of 2018 more than doubled their business travel revenue growth in the first quarter of 2019.
Sleep Inn: The proven midscale brand allows travel managers to ensure a reliable property experience for their corporate travelers while effectively managing travel costs. Sleep Inn's value proposition as a simply stylish, all new-construction brand is embodied by its new logo, which signals to travelers of all kinds that they will Dream Better Here®.
WoodSpring Suites: One of Choice's fastest-growing brands, WoodSpring appeals to the business traveler looking for a longer-term stay option in markets from coast to coast. Choice anticipates having more than 300 WoodSpring hotels open and serving extended-stay guests around the country by the end of next year.
In addition to brand enhancements, Choice Hotels has invested heavily in its best-in-class technology infrastructure to help franchisees capture more government and corporate business:
Choice is the first hotel company to offer Virtual Pay functionality on its consumer-facing website. This feature makes it easier for corporate travel managers to book reservations and eliminates the need for each traveler to have a corporate credit card.
The Group Management Platform simplifies the process of planning and booking group travel. This portal allows guests to make reservations for groups, review details at a glance, select various payment options, confirm reservations, send customized emails inviting guests to book, and make room modifications at any time.
Choice's automated solution that maintains rate parity is helping hotel owners capture room nights from federal and military travelers by offering rates that meet or beat per diem guidelines.
