Choice Hotels Franchise News

LONDON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels Europe, the company behind the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands in Europe and part of Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, has launched a promotion enabling members of Choice Privileges, its award-winning rewards programme, to earn double points every time they stay in a participating Choice-brand property.
Between 17 May and 15 August, 2012 Choice Privileges members enrolled in Europe can now earn double bonus points for every qualifying stay at any hotel worldwide that participates in the Choice Privileges programme including the Quality Hotel Coventry, Comfort Hotel Finchley and Clarion Collection Birmingham in the UK, Quality Hotel Delfino in Venice, Quality Hotel Berlin Tegel in Germany, Clarion Hotel Park Avenue in New York and the Marque Sydney Clarion Collection in Australia...

Top Hotels Awarded "Hotel of the Year," "Premier Alliance" and "Developer of the Year" Recognitions
SILVER SPRING, Md., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) recognized the cream of the hotel crop this year at its 58th Annual Convention last night in Las Vegas. The winning hotels, owners and developers of this year's award season for the franchisor represent the best of the best within the 6,100-plus property Choice Hotels family throughout the United States and worldwide. Among this year's award winners were three "Developer of the Year" recipients, five "Premier Alliance" winners, 14 "Hotel of the Year" hotels, and one "Woman of the Year".
"Selected as the winning hotels and owners from all our properties and franchisees across the globe, these properties and hoteliers have shown a strong commitment to extraordinary guest satisfaction—they represent the true meaning of hospitality to our consumers," said Stephen P...

Upscale Portfolio Signs 13 New Members
LAS VEGAS, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ascend Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) unveiled a bright new look today at the company's annual conference in Las Vegas.
"Let the destination reach you," the tagline invites. The new message: "Ascend Collection is all about going native when you travel." Images have energy, creating a sense of place and immersing the guest in all that the destination has to offer.
The new creative, from the website to property collateral, highlights a key differentiator for this upscale portfolio of independent hotels: Each property is one-of-a-kind, a reflection of the local culture, enabling guests to experience the true flavor of the destination...

Two Stays Pays when guests earn unlimited $50 gift cards this summer.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 17, 2012) - Turn summer memories into $50 gift cards when you stay two separate times at all Comfort Inn, Quality and Econo Lodge hotels between May 17 and August 15, 2012 during the "Two Stays Pays" promotion courtesy of Choice Hotels.
When guests stay two separate times at Comfort Inn, Quality, Econo Lodge or any other Choice hotel in Canada or the U.S., they'll earn enough Choice Privileges points to redeem for a $50 gift card for gas, dining or shopping at participating retailers. Bookings must be made on ChoiceHotels.ca or via 800-4CHOICE, and Elite Platinum and Elite Diamond members of the Choice Privileges rewards program can book through any channel...

LAS VEGAS, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the company's 58th annual convention, Choice Hotels International unveiled a new dual-brand combination hotel prototype for its Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites brands. The combined Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites hotel design joins two great brands under one roof. With a highly efficient design and operating model, it allows for unique construction options in markets that could support more than a standalone Sleep Inn or MainStay Suites hotel.
The smart design captures efficiencies from every square foot of the hotel. Significant operating efficiencies can result from operating only one front desk as well as reduced back-of-the-house and service staffing. Through this new combination hotel prototype, operating margins and return on investment for owners can be driven through these reduced operating expenses and higher occupancy rates enjoyed by the MainStay Suites brand...

Choice Hotels Australasia is tackling the online hotel booking environment head on with an innovative Best Internet Rate Guarantee (BIRG).
Auckland, New Zealand (PRWEB) May 11, 2012 - Choice Hotels Australasia is tackling the online hotel booking environment head on with an innovative Best Internet Rate Guarantee (BIRG).
The hotel group is so confident that their properties have the best available rates on the internet that if a guest finds a lower price for the same hotel and room type on the same dates at any other qualified online source, Choice Hotels will match the rate and throw in the first night free.*
The guarantee is designed to reduce franchisee distribution costs and to deliver higher yielding rates to the property...

Continues to Be a Leader in Mobile Technology Strategy and Innovation for Hospitality Industry
SILVER SPRING, Md., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The first hotel company to introduce a global iPhone app, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), continues to serve as an industry leader in the area of mobile technology innovation as it launched its new iPad app today. The company has also made upgrades to its existing iPhone and Android apps, making Choice Hotels readily accessible to millions of travelers around the globe.
"Choice Hotels continues to be a leader in the emerging channels of hospitality e-commerce and through our various apps we're able to reach the growing segment of consumers who are booking their travel on mobile devices," said Kelly Poling, vice president of distribution strategy and e-commerce for Choice Hotels...

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly one-in-five (18%) Americans plan to take more vacation trips during this summer than last summer but are keeping value for their travel dollars top of mind, according to a national survey conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Choice Hotels International among 2,199 U.S. adults in April.
According to the survey, a vast majority (87%) of Americans indicate that they plan to take more or about the same number of trips this summer compared to what they did last year. Further, over two-in-five (42%) Americans report that they plan to take two or more trips this summer.
Results also indicate that a vast majority (84%) of Americans who will take vacations plan to travel primarily by car for at least one of their trips and plan on racking up an average of 1,172 miles on their leisure travel this summer...

Save Up To 50% On Leading Travel Brands At Dailygetaways.com
SILVER SPRING, Md., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels is joining more than 20 of America's top travel brands this spring in the Daily Getaways 2012 promotion offering travelers great savings just in time for the summer travel season.
The five-week online promotion at www.DailyGetaways.com is sponsored by American Express and the U.S. Travel Association and runs April 9 through May 11, with a preview of deals beginning April 2. Travelers can save up to 40 percent on hotels, car rentals, loyalty points programs, theme park admission and city attraction passes. American Express card holders will save an additional 10 percent off all transactions.
Each day a new exclusive deal from a prominent travel brand will be unveiled on www...

Global Hospitality Franchise Depends on IMN’s Digital Marketing Platform to Distribute Brand Content and Regulatory Materials to Owners and Managers
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMN, the digital marketing company that delivers branded newsletters and content for vertical markets, today announced that Choice Hotels International, Inc. is leveraging its digital marketing platform to communicate with owners and general managers within its 6,000 franchise properties across 11 brands in 38 countries. With IMN, Choice Hotels is able to create, send and manage its own informative newsletters for internal communications.
“Since franchisees are the most important part of our business, representing the front line of our brands, it is critical that we are able to communicate with them consistently and concisely on a regular basis,” explained Kelly Kane, vice president of corporate communications, Choice Hotels International...

Choice Hotels has added video footage of most of its UK properties to its website, offering travellers a visual summary of their chosen Choice-brand property.
London, England (PRWEB) April 21, 2012 - Choice Hotels Europe, the company behind the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands in Europe, has announced that video footage on the majority of its UK properties has been posted on choicehotelsuk.co.uk, giving travellers a useful visual summary on each Choice-brand hotel and its amenities.
The videos are presented by each hotel's General Manager who introduces the property and outlines the hotel's features and services, as can be seen for Quality Hotels Maida Vale (http://www.choicehotelsuk.co.uk/en/quality-hotel-gb169 ). The programme is part of a European-wide initiative to include video footage of all Choice-brand properties in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Portugal on both the hotel's individual websites as well as the Choice websites including ChoiceHotelsUK...

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together is celebrating National Rebuilding Month, a nationwide call to rebuild safe and healthy homes for families and homeowners in-need throughout the month of April. In support of the effort, Choice Hotels and Rebuilding Together Washington DC hosted a Room to Rebuild project with Washington Redskin NFL player, London Fletcher.
Today, Rebuilding Together and Choice Hotels provided critical renovations to the Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, a community center offering services to local homeless and others in need. Samaritan Ministry annually serves 350 clients, and provides them with housing, employment assistance, and a variety of social and professional services. Washington Redskin player London Fletcher was onsite alongside Choice Hotels' volunteers, as they repaired the community center, in order to make it a safer facility with increased capability to serve people in-need...

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) recently announced that it has promoted Stephanie Lykins to vice president, talent development. Ms. Lykins will continue to report to Patrick Cimerola, senior vice president, human resources and administration.
In her new role, Ms. Lykins will be responsible for several important areas of the organization including leadership and enterprise development, high-potential talent development, leadership competencies, executive on-boarding and partnering on talent review and organizational design. She will also lead the company's corporate culture initiatives.
"Stephanie is a key member of our leadership team and has been instrumental in elevating the company's training and organizational development efforts," said Cimerola...

Conference Call to be Held on April 27, 2012
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that it will report first quarter 2012 results on Thursday, April 26, 2012. The company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2012 earnings at 10:00 a.m. EST on Friday, April 27, 2012.
The dial-in number for the teleconference is 1-888-396-2356 and the access code is 79227006. International callers should dial 1-617-847-8709 and enter access code 79227006. A live Web cast will be available on the company's Web site, choicehotels.com, and can be accessed via the Investor Info link.
The call will be recorded and available for replay beginning at 12:00 p...

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ascend Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International is poised for record growth in 2012 with the creation of a dedicated membership development team, comprised of hospitality industry veterans Bill Balletto, Joe Dreiske, Dennis Wynn and Jose Salvador Icaza.
"Expanding the Ascend Collection footprint is a top priority for Choice Hotels," says David Pepper, senior vice president of global development. "We exceeded our goals last year. To maintain – and build on – that momentum, the company is backing growth in Ascend Collection with one of the most experienced and successful membership sales teams in the industry. We look forward to unprecedented growth in 2012...

5,500 Franchised Properties Worldwide Celebrate Newest Choice Privileges Rewards Program Airline Partner with Special Double Points Offer
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate its newest airline partner, Choice Hotels is offering consumers the chance to earn double Club Premier airline miles with Aeromexico.* For every qualifying stay booked at a Choice Hotels brand property with arrival between April 2 and June 29, 2012, members of the Choice Privileges rewards program will be able to redeem their points for double the amount of Aeromexico Club Premier Miles.
To take advantage of this limited time celebratory offer, consumers must simply present their Club Premier Card when checking in at any of the more than 5,500 participating Choice Hotels brand locations worldwide...

Pick Your Players, Rack Up the Points and Shoot for the Grand-Prize
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 30, 2012) - For one lucky Canadian the third time really is a charm when they win a trip for two to any pro hockey city in Canada with Follow the Cup - the third annual playoff hockey pool from Choice Hotels Canada.
Between April 1 and April 13, 2012, as soon as the final playoff teams are confirmed, the action starts at FollowtheCup.com where fans can sign up for free to build a dream team of 15 players from the 2012 playoff teams. Once their players are selected, participants will rack up points not only for bragging rights, but for their chance to win a hockey fan's ultimate prize including airfare to a Canadian city, accommodations, jerseys and tickets to a 2012/2013 regular season game...

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, recently announced that it has named its associate Mark Weiner as the new head of its global sales division. Mr. Weiner previously served as the company's vice president of customer care and reservations, an area he will continue to lead as well, reporting to the organization's Senior Vice President of Global Distribution Robert McDowell.
In his new expanded role as vice president of global sales and customer care, Mr. Weiner will lead the company's worldwide sales efforts. By fully integrating the sales support function throughout the company's global sales operations around the world, seeking new opportunities for business in a changing environment and continuing to build the global sales function as a competitive advantage for the company, the global sales team, under Mr...

SVP Alexandra Jaritz and SVP Michael Murphy Named Corporate Officers for Leading Worldwide Lodging Franchisor
SILVER SPRING, Md., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that it has named two company associates as the organization's newest corporate officers. The company's board of directors appointed Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president of brand strategy and marketing, and Michael Murphy, senior vice president of Cambria Suites and Ascend Collection, as officers of the company. Both Ms. Jaritz and Mr. Murphy report directly to President and CEO Stephen P. Joyce.
Ms. Jaritz, who has been with Choice since 2001, is responsible for setting the vision and brand strategy for its core portfolio of brands including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion,
MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn...

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As winter wanes and warmer weather beckons weary travelers, Choice Hotels is looking to send one lucky Facebook user on a wonderful Caribbean vacation getaway.*
From now through April 30, 2012, Facebook users who "Like" Choice Hotels can learn how to enter into the "Caribbean Dreamin' Sweepstakes" where they'll have the chance to win a trip for two to the Caribbean. The sweepstakes grand prize winner will receive cash for round-trip airfare for two and 100,000 Choice Privileges rewards points to redeem at one of our 11 different Caribbean island hotels.
Don't like your odds? Well in addition to one grand prize winner, Choice Hotels will also give away instant prizes right on its Facebook page...