Choice Adds Econo Lodge Brand in Australia
Choice Hotels Australasia (CHA) has announced this morning at their annual conference in Sydney that they will introduce Econo Lodge as its new economy brand in Australia to meet the need for a more affordable accommodation option in the CHA portfolio.
Announcing the new brand Managing Director David Bayes said Econo Lodge was one of the leading economy brands in North America, with almost 1000 properties open or under development.
“We are bringing Econo Lodge to Australia to complement our existing Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands at a time when challenging economic times are encouraging many travellers to look for broader accommodation options,†Mr Bayes said.
“Our Econo Lodge hotels will typically offer between 15 and 30 rooms and be 3 or 3.5 star rated. They will not directly compete with our existing brands, for facilities, standards, services and rates.â€
Mr Bayes said the first Australian Econo Lodge is expected to come online early next year. No plans were in place to launch the brand in New Zealand at this stage.
Reviewing the year, Mr Bayes stated that properties in the CHA network continued to outperform properties outside the group, due to the group’s diverse distribution channels and significant growth in internet bookings.
“Latest figures show that online bookings are accounting for almost 20 per cent of all CHA accommodation revenue in Australia, well ahead of the reported industry average of 13.2 per cent,†he told more than 300 delegates at the three-day conference at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.
“Another measure of our ongoing success is the number of properties we are continuing to sign to our three key brands in this region. Since our last conference in Cairns we have added 29 new properties, giving us a total portfolio of 280 hotels in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.â€
Themed Charting Your Course to Business Success, the conference includes a range of keynote speakers and business workshops, and a Market Place of more than 60 preferred suppliers showcasing products and services available to CHA franchisees.
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