Choice Hotels Celebrates Major Milestones and 80 Years of 'Stand-Out' Success at 65th Annual Convention
ROCKVILLE, Md., April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) marks its 80th anniversary by bringing together more than 5,000 hotel owners, general managers, and hotel staff for the company's 65th annual convention in Las Vegas. Over the next three days, Choice leaders will present a vision for the future of the business and celebrate the company's decades-long commitment to fueling the profitability of its franchise hotel owners consistent with the convention's theme: Stand Out.
"The reason so many business owners trust Choice with their investment is that we were founded on the principles of hard work and respect for the value of a dollar—principles that we uphold to this day," said Pat Pacious, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. "We measure success by how well we empower our franchisees to grow their businesses, build better lives for their families, and invest in their communities. Convention is the perfect opportunity to thank our owners for their business and chart a course together for the future."
Pacious will officially kick off convention by reinforcing the actions Choice has taken to strengthen its midscale presence, grow its upscale and extended-stay portfolio, and advance its technology leadership position, as well as recognize several "stand-out" company achievements. Last year, Choice Hotels:
- Surpassed 7,000 open hotels in its global system.
- Drove the company's best domestic development year in more than a decade.
- Expanded its domestic development pipeline to the largest in company history.
- Grew its international room count by nearly 6 percent.
- Maintained an industry-leading voluntary franchisee retention rate, attributable to the company's superior business-delivery capabilities.
"Choice's exceptional 2018 was more than just a single good year—it builds on eight decades of delivering stand-out results for our 12,000 franchisees," said Pacious. "We've grown Choice Hotels from a cooperative of seven motels to the publicly traded, global enterprise we are today because we put our owners' profitability front and center, and always will."
In the opening session, Pacious will update attendees on key areas of the Choice business, such as:
- Unparalleled software development expertise, which the company leveraged to engineer custom resources aimed at driving owner profitability and improving hotel operations, like Choice University, the new Openings Portal, and choiceEDGE, which recently won a Visionary Award from Hospitality Technology magazine.
- One-of-a-kind emerging markets department—the industry's only development team dedicated to creating a diverse franchisee base, which awarded and financially supported 19 franchise agreements last year with individuals underrepresented in hotel ownership.
- Philanthropic partnership with Operation Homefront to support military families.
- Stand-out service to guests and hotel staff with announcements of new training and resources.
Queen Latifah, critically acclaimed musician, actress and entrepreneur, will share her success story as the opening keynote speaker. Convention attendees will participate in over 100 education sessions, brand sessions, and networking events designed to empower their success as business owners before rapper Flo Rida closes out the convention with a high-powered performance.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,000 hotels, representing nearly 570,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of December 31, 2018, the Choice® family of hotel brands provides business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.
© 2019 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.
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