Comcast Business Nabs Choice Hotels Hunting License

Opening up a new revenue growth opportunity, Comcast Business said Choice Hotels International has selected the operator as a “qualified vendor” for business-class data, video and voice services.

Under the agreement, Comcast Business can be utilized by any of more than 5,000 Choice Hotels franchise properties across the U.S. that are in the MSO’s service footprint.

Choice Hotels operates several brands, including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Hotels & Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Hotels.

Comcast Business, which offers a product line tailored for hospitality clients, noted that Choice Hotels picks qualified vendors via an evaluation of hundreds of potential partners that must meet standards on pricing, experience with hospitality clients, and overall financial stability.

“In the hospitality industry, the key to building brand loyalty is to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience, especially in meeting guest expectations for reliable, high-speed Internet access and a robust HD solution,” said Alex Sewell, executive director, emerging markets, Comcast Business, in a statement. “Choice Hotels has a rich history of implementing technological innovations for their guests, including offering the first global hotel application for the smart phone, and we look forward to working with their franchisees to provide our advanced technology solutions.”

The hospitality sector is just one of several growth opportunities being pursued by Comcast Business, which pulled in total revenues of $917 million in the first quarter of 2014, establishing an annual run rate of $3.66 billion