| January |
- The successful “Stay Twice. Earn a Free Night.” and double EA$Y CHOICE stamps promotions are re-launched for the spring.
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| February |
- Choice teams up with 3Com Corporation to provide wireless connectivity in its U.S.-based Clarion and Comfort Suites brand hotels.
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| March |
- Choice signs a worldwide automated e-Wholesale agreement with Orbitz giving hotels in competitive markets the chance to receive enhanced sell position on Orbitz.com, the third largest online travel site.
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| April |
- Choice secures an exclusive position as an Official Broadcast Partner in the hotel category for the NBC broadcast of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
- Alaska Airlines becomes the ninth airline partner in Choice’s airline miles program, giving members of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan a chance to earn miles when staying at any of Choice’s brands.
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| May |
- Choice announces a three-year partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) that gives Choice national media exposure and the potential for more than 20,000 room nights annually at its brands.
- Choice unveils new prototypes for the MainStay Suites, Comfort Inn and Quality brands, designed to attract guests, improve guest experience, reduce development costs and deliver a more compelling return on investment for franchisees.
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| June |
- The “Wake Up A Winner” promotion features a sweepstakes on choicehotels.com with a chance to win one of two trips, including airfare, hotel and $10,000 spending money, for two to attend the Athens Games, followed by visits to Rome and London.
- Choice and Bank of America introduce the Choice Privileges Visa Platinum credit card, which offers extra Choice Privileges benefits to cardholders and provides an incentive for cardholders to stay more often at Choice mid-scale brands.
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| July |
- Choice releases the Customer Information System (CIS) for storing and tracking its brands’ customers with the goal of helping Choice know more about its guests, leading to enhanced customer service and customer loyalty.
- Choice forms a new subsidiary, Choice Hotels Mexico, headquartered in Mexico City, to begin a direct franchising effort to introduce the Choice brands to hotel owners and developers in the county.
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| August |
- Choice’s online guest satisfaction survey is officially named the Guest Insight System (GIS) to reflect the additional insights provided by guests that will help enhance Choice properties.
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| September |
- Air Canada Aeroplan becomes Choice’s 10th airline partner, allowing Aeroplan members to earn Aeroplan Miles when staying at any of Choice’s properties.
- The Comfort Inn brand introduces its re-imaged logo at Fall Regional Meetings (held in Ocean City, Md., Atlanta, Las Vegas and Chicago), revealing a vibrant new design that is part of a broader improvement strategy of the Comfort Inn brand.
- With the re-branding of 138 Flag properties to the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands in Australia, Flag Choice Hotels changes its corporate name to Choice Hotels Australasia.
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| October |
- Choice partners with The Mark Travel Corporation, a leading provider of hotel and airline branded vacation packages, to create an e-wholesale relationship that allows travelers to book rooms at Choice’s eight brands via Mark Travel’s Funjet Vacations and United Vacations.
- Choice enters into an agreement with Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide that allows Choice Privileges members to redeem points for free nights at luxurious Preferred properties in 21 countries.
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| November |
- Choice Hotels Mexico opens its first Mexican hotel, the Comfort Inn hotel of Atlacomulco. The 50-room hotel includes six suites and features two restaurants.
- Econo Lodge hotels receive promotional materials launching the new Breakfast by Econo Lodge, an enhanced offering for economy guests.
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| December |
- The Choice Privileges rewards program hits one million members for the year: the Sleep Inn hotel of Memphis, Tenn., signed up the one-millionth member, putting the program’s total membership above 3.2 million.
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