ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on a
legacy of innovations, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:
CHH), announced today the transition to choiceEDGE, the
first new global reservation system (GRS) from a hotel company in
over 30 years. The state-of-the-art distribution platform supports
more than 6,500 Choice Hotels properties globally. The choiceEDGE
platform leads the way for the industry's shift towards accelerated
global digital communication and guest experience personalization
through data analytics.
choiceEDGE and its cloud-based, technically advanced design is
built to effectively handle the current and future volume on
digital channels, and is the most advanced GRS in the lodging
industry. The platform manages all distribution for Choice Hotels,
optimizing rate, inventory, availability, shopping, booking and
reservations for its website, mobile apps and third-party
distribution partners.
This transformational project, which began in 2014, is led by
the Choice Hotels technology innovation team, based in Phoenix, Arizona, and is a milestone
initiative for the company and recently appointed President and CEO
Pat Pacious.
"There has been an explosion of growth in shopping requests and
digital travel sales worldwide over the last decade. The industry's
old reservation systems are not designed to handle the volume and
velocity of transactions we see today in the digital space," said
Pacious. "choiceEDGE harnesses the power of cloud computing and big
data analytics to help deliver value to both guests and
franchisees, and leads the industry in capabilities. Through
personalization and machine-learning, we are now able to create the
intuitive experience guests want and provide data-driven, holistic
solutions to boost efficiencies for our franchisees and throughout
our value chain."
Flexibility, scale and speed to market are critical components
of the choiceEDGE platform's unprecedented design. As Choice Hotels
continues its growth in the upscale and midscale segments, and
internationally, the choiceEDGE product will support its expanded
system size, as well as multi-channel distribution and mobile
strategies.
choiceEDGE features:
- Faster-to-market new products, features and third-party
connectivity.
- Cloud-based scalability, stability and performance delivered
through a "reservation-as-a-service" model.
- Preconfigured, state-of-the-art connectivity with online travel
agents, global distribution systems and property management
systems, enabling rapid onboarding of hotels and instant value
delivery.
- Capability to add selling disparate inventory types, including
hotel rooms, meeting rooms, vacation rentals and package offerings
– or any space for any duration.
"This new platform showcases our talent and the
forward-thinking, fast-paced and collaborative nature at Choice
Hotels, mirroring that of any leading technology incubator," said
Brian Kirkland, vice president of
engineering at Choice Hotels. "choiceEDGE strengthens our core
capabilities, and positions us and our franchisees to capitalize on
the growth our industry is experiencing, while enabling the
efficient future delivery of new initiatives."
Choice has already onboarded multiple distributors onto the
advanced platform. Traci Mercer,
senior vice president, global lodging, ground and sea, Sabre Travel
Network, stated, "The new global reservation system, choiceEDGE, is
helping Choice Hotels and Sabre gain seamless distribution of the
broad and rich content for our buyers."
The choiceEDGE platform is the latest innovation by Choice
Hotels and is part of a portfolio of tools and technology-driven
solutions. Choice Hotels has pioneered some of the industry's
greatest developments, including the first online booking platform
and first mobile app.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc.
(NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With
over 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and
territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than
500,000 rooms around the globe. As of September 30, 2017, over 800 hotels were in our
development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection®,
Cambria® Hotels, Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Sleep Inn®,
Quality®, Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay
Hotel®, Econo Lodge®, Rodeway Inn®, and Vacation Rentals by Choice
Hotels® brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet
guests' needs. With more than 33 million members, our Choice
Privileges® rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with
benefits ranging from instant, every day rewards to exceptional
experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and
vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at
www.choicehotels.com for more information.
©2018 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights
reserved.
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SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.