Choice Hotels Launches Online Resource to Improve the Hotel Opening Process for Franchisees

Choice Hotels International, Inc. said it is simplifying and improving the process of opening a hotel for its franchisees with the launch of the new Openings Portal. This sophisticated project management tool lets Choice owners track every step of the opening process – from franchise agreement to the first check-in – so owners can welcome guests faster and capitalize on their investment sooner.

Choice's dedicated Opening Services team will continue to be franchisees' primary resource during the opening process, and the Openings Portal will supplement the hands-on, personal services, with the following features:

• Three tracks: critical milestones, brand requirements, and training and activation, where owners can monitor their progress as they complete each step in the hotel's opening process.
• Fully mobile functionality so franchisees can update their progress anywhere, at any time.
• A powerful search feature that quickly guides owners to important documents and valuable educational content, which helps franchisees learn about the opening process and how to help improve profitability.

"Owner success is core to everything we do at Choice, which is why we're constantly developing and equipping them with best-in-class resources," said Tim Tobin, vice president, franchisee onboarding and learning, Choice Hotels. "Choice's pipeline is the largest it has ever been, and the Openings Portal will help those hotels open faster. The platform's intuitive design and functionality will help remove friction and create a more seamless process."

The Openings Portal is housed on Choice University, a premier property-level training resource, which was ranked No. 6 in ELearning! Magazine's 'Top 100 Companies for Corporate Training' in 2018. Choice University offers hotel owners a wide range of engaging, relevant content designed to deliver a positive impact across all areas of the business, including a curriculum tailored to each user based on job function and brand.

The new resource builds on several innovations that Choice Hotels recently created, including Virtual Pay capabilities and the Group Management Platform. Virtual Pay allows travel managers to quickly and effortlessly book stays for their guests without needing a personal credit card, and Group Management Platform is an online reservation solution that makes planning and booking group travel easier.