Agents book 43%

Agents have a strong presence in Choice Hotels International, responsible for 43% of bookings in the chain’s 4,000 worldwide properties in 40 countries, according to Christine Chippindale, who oversees travel agent and corporate marketing for the company. “We try to get across the idea that by having so many different brands, in so many locations, that regardless of a client’s price category, we have a hotel to suit their needs,” she told TravelMole. The chain is currently installing high speed internet in its upper end business hotels, Clarions and Comfort Suites. “The high speed internet used to be nice to have. Now, it’s an amenity that is really in demand by corporate customers,” said Ms Chippindale. In addition to agents, she said, Choice emphasizes tour operators. It is somewhat unusual in having an entire department that works with tour operators. “VIP services is only for tour operators. They have pretty strict requirements and we have an entire service team to help them,” she said. Choice is looking at various agent and tour operator incentives that it will unveil before the end of the year, according to Ms Chippindale. Report by David Wilkening