Choice Hotels International’s relaunch of this familiar flag leverages the company’s expertise in faster conversion timelines, customized support tools and lower operational costs.
NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland — There’s a lot of brand noise in the hotel conversion market. Choice Hotels International is leveraging its sector expertise, conversion capabilities and owner-friendly business model to offer a compelling investment opportunity for its recently relaunched Park Inn by Radisson brand, as well as its segment-spanning range of proven performers, like Quality Inn.
In this exclusive interview, Tom Nee, Senior Vice President, Foundation Brands, Franchise Development, Choice Hotels International, details the differentiators that are helping fuel fast growth for this refreshed flag.
Hotel Investment Today (HIT):Choice Hotels acquired Park Inn by Radisson through its 2022 acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas and strategically repositioned it into the premium value conversion space in 2024. How has this repositioning made Park Inn an even more compelling investment opportunity today?
Tom Nee: The repositioning of Park Inn by Radisson was a strategic move to unlock its full potential in a segment where Choice Hotels has deep expertise and a long track record. By placing Park Inn in the premium value conversion space, we’ve made the brand an even more attractive investment by offering owners a streamlined, accessible entry point with minimal renovation requirements, fast conversion timelines, and in the longer run, intended low operational costs. It’s a model designed to help deliver efficiency from day one, both in terms of speed to market and long-term operational performance.
Choice Hotels is a leader in conversion efficiency...often completing conversions in three months or less in the economy segment and seven months or less in midscale, on average. We are able to move at the pace our owners can support, helping them capitalize on opportunities and start generating revenue faster.
Tom Nee
Choice Hotels is a leader in conversion efficiency. While timelines vary based on property readiness and owner engagement, we’ve consistently demonstrated the ability to move quickly — often completing conversions in three months or less in the economy segment and seven months or less in midscale, on average. We are able to move at the pace our owners can support, helping them capitalize on opportunities and start generating revenue faster.
We’ve also invested in modernizing the brand to meet the needs of today’s value-conscious traveler and capture an even broader demographic — including younger guests who seek affordability without sacrificing style or comfort.
This refreshed product is designed to help capture the highest possible RevPAR while maintaining operational simplicity. It’s a brand built for growth, fueled by Choice Hotels’ award-winning franchisee support system, our unparalleled knowledge of the midscale and economy guest, and nearly 90% customer awareness of the Radisson name.
HIT: How does Park Inn by Radisson fit into Choice Hotels’ broader midscale and economy strategy?
Nee: Park Inn by Radisson is a natural extension of Choice Hotels’ long-standing leadership in the midscale and economy segments. Our portfolio is built on a foundation of trusted brands that help deliver value to owners and guests.
Quality Inn, our founding brand established more than 85 years ago, remains one of the fastest-growing midscale brands in the U.S., with more than 1,800 properties. One in four midscale hotels in the country is a Quality Inn, underscoring our leadership in this space.
We’re also seeing strong growth with Clarion Pointe, one of our newer brands that's drawing significant developer interest. The brand’s portfolio has grown by 12% year-over-year and will soon reach a milestone of 80 open hotels, with nearly 40 more in the pipeline.
What’s driving this growth is the brand’s flexible, low-cost conversion model paired with elevated offerings that appeal to both younger and older experience-seeking guests—all at just the right price point. It’s a prime example of how Choice Hotels knows how to position its brands to capture demand and deliver value.
Park Inn further strengthens our portfolio by filling a white space portfolio — premium value lodging with simple amenities and strong brand equity. For owners, it’s a chance to join a collection of brands that are not only well-recognized but also growing.
HIT: What kind of support can owners expect when investing in Park Inn?
Nee: By investing in Park Inn by Radisson, owners gain a long-term collaborator in Choice Hotels. Our commitment to owner success is reflected in the comprehensive support we provide across every stage of the hotel lifecycle, from design and development to operations, marketing, and performance optimization.
A cornerstone of this support is the Ramp Success Program, an initiative we tailor-made for and in collaboration with Park Inn owners, recognizing the unique needs of conversion properties and the importance of a strong launch. It’s designed to guide owners through the critical first year of brand operation and to help equip owners with what they need to help them launch confidently and sustain momentum.
The Ramp Success Program, an initiative we tailor-made for and in collaboration with Park Inn by Radisson owners,...is designed to guide owners through the critical first year of brand operation and to help equip owners with what they need to help them launch confidently and sustain momentum.
Tom Nee
To enhance the program’s impact, we’ve appointed a dedicated team member to lead Ramp Success, providing owners with direct, personalized guidance. This includes a single point of contact for onboarding, strategic operations coaching, financial benchmarking tools, and guest experience support. This complements a cross-functional team of channel expertise and tools — spanning revenue management, technology, and operations — that we provide to support owners.
On the marketing front, we invest heavily to help each Park Inn stand out in its local market. Our strategic campaigns are designed not only to help drive demand but also to elevate the visibility of individual properties. Owners benefit from targeted outreach, brand storytelling, and access to Choice Privileges, our award-winning loyalty program that is increasingly driving repeat business and guest engagement with our brands.
These investments reflects our broader philosophy of supporting owner success at every step of their journey.
HIT: What kind of performance are you seeing in Choice Hotels’ midscale and economy brands today?
Nee: Choice Hotels continues to lead in the economy segment, even in a challenging operating environment. In Q2 2025, our domestic transient economy segment outperformed the broader economy chain scale by over three percentage points, achieving RevPAR Index share gains versus competitors.
This performance is a result of a strategic approach to growth. Our conversion strategy has been a key driver, allowing us to expand our footprint efficiently while maintaining brand integrity and operational excellence. By the end of last year, our core brand conversion pipeline was up 82% year-over-year.
We’re not stopping there. We’re committed to continuously finding new ways to help unlock revenue for our owners, and that’s where our proprietary tools come into play.
One of the most unique advantages of joining Choice Hotels is access to our area directors — seasoned professionals who work closely with owners to help optimize operations and revenue management. In 2024 alone, their hands-on guidance helped hotel owners uncover over $25 million in potential savings.
This combination of market leadership, smart growth strategy, and revenue-driving tools is what makes Choice Hotels one of the most trusted names in the midscale and economy space.
HIT: What’s your message to developers considering Park Inn by Radisson?
Nee: Choice Hotels is fully committed to reaching new heights for Park Inn by Radisson, and we’re actively seeking investors who want to grow with us. With nearly 75% of Choice Hotels’ rooms globally in the upper midscale, midscale, and economy segments, we bring deep expertise to help remain competitive in these spaces.
Our industry-leading franchisee retention rate speaks volumes about the trust owners place in us: We have a 97% retention rate. About 4,000 of our current franchisees own two or more Choice Hotels. More than half of all new franchise agreements are with existing or returning owners.
Park Inn by Radisson represents a rare opportunity for developers to tap into a refreshed brand with global recognition, backed by the systems, support, and infrastructure of a company that has built its reputation on supporting owner success. With a clear path for growth and a strategic position in the midscale segment, we've reimagined Park Inn by Radisson to help deliver long-term gains for owners.
Mary Scoviak is custom and design content director for Hotel Investment Today by Northstar.
The views and opinions expressed in this content do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel Investment Today by Northstar or Northstar Travel Group and its affiliated companies.