The second half of 2024 is shaping up to be one of continued growth for Choice Hotels Asia-Pac.
Fresh from a successful 2023 that included the accommodation franchisor’s first multi-unit acquisition (the City Edge Apartment Hotels franchise), Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has been realigning its business this year in preparation for accelerated expansion.
Choice Hotels’ ever-evolving portfolio of properties highlights the organisation’s accelerated growth trajectory, with 28 hotels and a total of 2,474 rooms added across the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of this year.
The group’s flagship Comfort brand is proving to be an especially attractive offering to franchisees, with 22 new properties totalling 2,198 rooms added under that banner in Japan alone.
Those new additions, signed in conjunction with Choice Hotels Japan under a management agreement with Hoshino Resorts REIT, extends Choice Hotels Japan’s portfolio to 96 in key destinations.
During their two-decades of collaboration with Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels Japan has made significant investment to establish their mid-scale dominance in the booming Japanese accommodation landscape.
“As master franchisor, seeing bold deals like this come to fruition gives us further confidence we’re collaborating with the right team to help drive growth in Japan,” Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO Trent Fraser said.
“We couldn’t be prouder and we’re in full support of the Choice Hotels Japan approach to seizing opportunities for expansion.”
The Comfort Hotels family has also been growing in India, with three new properties totalling 151 rooms, added to the mix.
Back in Australia, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has also added three additional hotels: Comfort Inn Serenity Bathurst, Comfort Inn Shearing Shed, and Quality Resort Parkhurst in Rockhampton.
Quality Resort Parkhurst marks the seventh collaboration between Choice Hotels Asia-Pac and the investment and management company, Regional Accommodation Group.
Starting with just one hotel, Regional Accommodation Group has successfully expanded to seven properties with the support and flexibility offered by Choice – with the collaboration unlocking opportunities for both businesses.
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO Trent Fraser emphasised that this success underscores the group’s commitment to adaptable and supportive growth strategies.
“Our entire team is geared to support our 100 per cent franchise operations. We work closely with our franchisees to understand their needs to grow their business and tailor our support to complement their aspirations,” Mr Fraser said.
In the C-suite, Choice Hotels is excited to announce that two members of its dynamic executive team have assumed additional responsibilities to their remits to form a seamless commercial team, integrated for success.
Kari Hunter has added distribution and revenue management to her sales and marketing duties, with the new title of Senior Director Commercial and Revenue Management.
Meanwhile, Anthony Stanley is now Director of Franchise Performance, responsible for Choice Hotels’ Master Franchise Agreement (MFA) partners and overseeing a bolstering of the openings and onboarding team, to support the 28 openings this year and to the strong pipeline for the year ahead.
Also powering Choice Hotels’ growth agenda are two new members of its Investment & Development team: Adil Moosa (Senior Manager, Corporate Development) and David Silcock (Senior Manager, Development Australia New Zealand), who each bring a wealth of experience to the business and its franchisees.
“These appointments mean our team is set up with the systems, people and structure to make hotels ambitions a reality,” Mr Fraser said.
“We’re combining a comprehensive understanding of the hotel industry and a forward-thinking approach to expansion, so we’re well-equipped to unlock new opportunities.”
For the rest of 2024, and with growth still very much on its agenda, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac is looking ahead to a strong pipeline across all markets.
To find out how your hotel can be part of this expansion, and how it will benefit by joining Choice Hotels, call 03 9243 2500.