Articles tagged “choice hotels”

Just like everyone wants a piece of the tours and activities industry right now, everyone in hospitality wants a cut of the vacation rental business, too.

Choice CEO Pat Pacious has demonstrated he's not one for a sleepy start as he settles into his new role as CEO. He's hit the ground running with the rollout of a new booking system and an acquisition that will help the company play ball in a competitive midscale and extended stay landscape.

There may not be a "one size fits all" model for all hotel properties, but our latest research report highlights key items for hotel owners to think about when it comes to operating structures and branding strategies in today's environment.

As we've noted before, as much as hotels and online travel agencies may not necessarily love one another, they certainly need each other. Their current love-hate relationship will certainly change, however, if and when other players like Airbnb or Google become bigger players in the hotel booking space.

The answers vary but there's at least one overriding shared sentiment. Even if times are good, there's always room for improvement in any industry.

Choice's decision to build its own reservation system in-house is a poke in the eye to the many technology companies that sell systems to hotel chains.

It wouldn't be a proper end of the year in hospitality without at least one more merger or acquisition, right? Choice Hotels' purchase of WoodSpring Suites makes some sense as it bolsters its position in the midscale and economy extended-stay space.

Choice Hotels executives talk a big game about the company's new reservations system, debuting early next year. They even use buzz phrases like, "transformative platform" and "innovative tools." But will the new system be a panacea for the hotel chain? We'll soon find out.

This makes a lot of sense, but can Marriott and Choice make their established midscale brands stand out among all of the more design-driven newcomers that others are unleashing? Or do consumers and developers not really care as long as they save or make money?

It'll be interesting to see how Pacious' understanding of digital technology and online distribution will inform Choice's future business strategy.