Choice Hotels Hopes to Finish Out Year Ahead of 2019 Levels
Photo Credit: Brands like Comfort helped propel Choice Hotels above pre-pandemic performance levels again in the third quarter. Choice Hotels
Skift Take
Given Choice’s significant demand base of leisure travelers, essential workers, and road warriors, it isn’t surprising that it will be the first major hotel company to eclipse 2019 performance levels. But it is certainly a bragging point.
While other hotel companies are less certain of their recovery timelines, Choice Hotels leaders are already talking about eclipsing pre-pandemic performance levels.
Choice Hotels reported a nearly $117 million third quarter profit Thursday, but profits only tell one part of the story.
The more significant number was that the company’s domestic revenue per available room — the industry’s key performance metric — in the U.S. was 11.4 percent higher in the quarter than the same time in 2019 before the pandemic. This is a significant feat, as Choice’s portfolio is largely centered on the U.S.
Company leaders saw enough strength in the third quarter to do what many hotel executives are still hesitant on doing: providing a full-year forecast amid all the uncertainty with the pandemic. Choice Hotels expects to outperform 2019 this year.
“What’s most impressive is we continue to drive strong performan
