A CHOICE YEAR IN REVIEW
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| January |
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Choicehotels.com is revamped to offer visitors to the Web site enhanced electronic brochures for each property and a
downloadable hotel directory. |
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Southwest Airlines becomes the newest partner in Choice’s airline miles program, increasing the number of airline
partners to six.
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| February |
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Choice signs a three-year agreement to be the official hotel partner of Little League Baseball. |
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The company launches its spring promotions featuring the airline miles program and offering Triple Miles to guests staying
at all Choice hotels in the United States and the Caribbean. |
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Choice acquires the remaining 45% interest in Flag Choice Hotels of Australia. |
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The company receives a Workplace Excellence Award and “Excellent Place to Work” designation from the Maryland
Work-Life Alliance.
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| March |
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Choice introduces the Best Choice e-rate Guarantee to provide customers with the best rate online for all of its domestic brands.
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| April |
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Choice renews its commitment to military families by extending government military rates to all active, retired and
dependent government and military travelers for all domestic Choice brand hotels. |
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• |
Choice and Arnold Worldwide/Washington, its agency of record, receive the Golden Bell Bronze Advertising award from
the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association for the “Thanks for Traveling” campaign from 2001–2002.
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| May |
• |
Choice’s 49th Annual Convention for franchisees in Orlando features an inspiring address by former President George H.
W. Bush and entertainment by Bill Cosby. |
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At the convention, Choice announces a brand extension of the full-service Clarion brand called the Clarion Collection,
which will feature unique historic boutique hotels. |
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Choice introduces more cost-effective new construction prototypes for the Sleep Inn and Comfort Suites brands to help
spur brand growth.
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| June |
• |
Choice partners with two e-wholesale Web sites, Travelocity and Travelweb, to give franchisees preferred placement on both
Web sites and their affiliate sites. |
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Summer promotions are launched, with midscale brand hotels offering weekly chances to win free gas and a Jeep Liberty
vehicle and economy brand hotels offering a $50,000 grand prize in a Fast Cash sweepstakes. |
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The company extends the benefits and rewards of the Choice Privileges program to guests at MainStay Suites brand hotels.
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| July |
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Choice Hotels Canada re-introduces the “Thanks for Traveling” campaign to assist Canadian hotels facing difficulties in
attracting business because of the concerns related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in that country. |
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For the second quarter in a row, the Sleep Inn brand is named the top economy brand by Market Matrix.
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| August |
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Choice announces it will initiate a cash dividend on its common stock, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2003.
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| September |
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Choice begins its fall promotions by offering guests at its midscale brand hotels a free night for every two stays and, at its
economy brand hotels, guests receive double EA$Y CHOICE stamps for each night’s stay or the chance to redeem the
stamps for airline miles.
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| October |
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Choice Hotels International is named one of “50 Great Places to Work” in the greater Washington D.C. area by
Washingtonian magazine.
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| November |
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Choice announces it will receive a payment in excess of $45 million from Sunburst Hospitality as prepayment of an
outstanding note. |
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Choicehotels.com is upgraded to include localized Japanese content, giving Japanese-speaking travelers access to information
about Choice and its brands. The company also signs a 20-year master franchise agreement with Nippon Choice K.K. of
Japan, opening the way for rapid development in that country.
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| December |
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Choicehotels.com is ranked number one in transactional reliability among hotel company Web sites by the Gomez
Performance Index. |
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The Best Choice e-rate Guarantee is extended to all Choice hotels worldwide, encompassing more than 4,800 properties
around the globe.
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