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Choice Hotels celebrates major milestones and 80 Years of ‘stand-out’ success at 65th Annual Convention

Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced it will recognize and help support its hotel owners’ service efforts with the Your Community, Your Choice.

ROCKVILLE, MD. – Choice Hotels International, Inc. 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.

Choice Hotels Commits $25,000 in Grants to Franchise Business Owners Who Serve Their Local Community
On the first day of its 65th Annual Convention, Choice Hotels International, Inc. also announced it will recognize and help support its hotel owners' service efforts with the Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels Local Business Grant Program, which will award a total of $25,000 to five franchisees who plan to make a positive difference in their community.

"I'm always proud – but never surprised – by the stories I hear of our hotel owners supporting the places where they and their families live, work, and play," said Pat Pacious, president and CEO, Choice Hotels. "We're launching the 'Your Community, Your Choice.' grant program on the eve of National Small Business Week to highlight the many ways our franchisees extend hospitality's concept of 'service' beyond the hotel and into the local community."

Choice Hotels is one of the world's leading franchisors and has been a champion of local businesses since its founding 80 years ago, when seven independent hotel owners pooled their resources to refer business to one another. Today, the company fuels small business by empowering the success of more than 12,000 independent hotel owners around the country. Through the Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels Local Business Grant Program, Choice will help its hotel owners further their longstanding commitment to caring for the communities outside their hotel doors.

The grant program will reward initiatives that benefit the communities that welcome Choice-brand hotels, such as those that:

  • Rebuild a community affected by natural disasters;
  • Care for those less fortunate with food or clothing drives;
  • Mentor community youth or young professionals;
  • Honor local heroes;
  • Support other local businesses or organizations, such as schools, parks, etc.

The 'Your Community, Your Choice. Choice Hotels Local Business Grant Program is one of the many ways Choice serves the communities where its franchisees work and live. The Room to Give program supports organizations important to Choice associates by matching donations through the Choice Hotels International Foundation. Choice also partners with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

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