Dive Brief:
- Choice Hotels International launched new prototypes and brand identities for its upper midscale Comfort and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brands, the hotel company announced Tuesday.
- The new “value-engineered” prototypes include additional spaces designed to drive revenue and reduce costs for owners without compromising traveler needs, according to Choice. The brand identities, meanwhile, have been “sharpened to create even more distinction within the marketplace for travelers,” the company detailed in a release.
- Direct franchisee feedback and “the dynamic preferences of today’s travelers” were crucial in shaping the Comfort and Country Inn & Suites brand enhancements, according to Choice’s head of upper midscale, Jenny Aboudou. The company is focused on growth in the upper midscale segment amid increasing guest, owner and developer demand, she shared.
Dive Insight:
Choice revamped its Comfort and Country Inn & Suites brand prototypes in an effort to drive additional revenue growth and optimize costs for franchisees. The brands’ updated design, meanwhile, caters to evolving traveler needs, Aboudou shared.
Country Inn & Suites gains 18 keys while reducing the minimum land footprint required to develop, optimizing the hotel’s public spaces and back-of-house layouts, Choice detailed Tuesday. The brand’s model will also include lower furniture, fixture and equipment implementation costs, per Choice. Updated FF&E packages will be rolled out throughout the year, Aboudou noted.
The Comfort prototype adds three keys within the existing property footprint and shortens the timeframe to open by reducing the number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) in the brand’s furniture, fixture and equipment package by roughly 30%, making it easier and quicker to order and ship materials, according to Choice.
Both brand prototypes were also updated with fresh design to resonate with modern guest needs, Aboudou said.
The Country Inn & Suites prototype includes a single-story connected lobby and dining space, which “draws guests to relax, meet, and enjoy the lobby and hearth,” according to Choice. Comfort’s design was updated to more intuitively blend “refined furniture finishes, and a cheerful, energizing space for guests to work, play and enjoy breakfast,” the company stated.
Over the coming year, Choice plans to test and roll out a series of “new and evolved brand hallmarks,” including an updated breakfast offering for both brands, Aboudou noted.
“We've taken a holistic approach to ensuring that we have two upper midscale brands, each of which is primed to capture its fair share of the market without cannibalization,” Aboudou said. “The refreshed brand identities intended to deepen the emotional connection that our customers have with each brand, really sharpen the expectation they have from our brands, and make sure that for each distinct set of customers, they're getting the best experience and the best value for their money.”
Choice is focusing on growth in the upper midscale segment as both traveler and franchisee demand for the space increases, as evidenced by strong performance results for its Country Inn brand over the last year.
Country Inn & Suites saw a 19-point increase in RevPAR Index, a 20% boost in direct online contribution and accelerated revenue growth from group and business travelers year over year in 2024, Choice reported earlier this month.
Additionally, Choice has seen increased developer interest for upper midscale hotels, Aboudou said. Last year, Country Inn & Suites and Comfort opened 107 hotels combined.
The brand enhancements for its upper midscale brands come after Choice debuted updated visual identities for its upscale Radisson, Radisson Blu and Radisson Individuals brands in January.
