Choice Hotels Promotes Abhijit Patel to Vice President of Marketing and Distribution Strategy and Operations

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s largest hotel franchisors, has promoted Abhijit Patel to vice president of marketing and distribution strategy and operations.

In this role, Patel will oversee the company’s marketing and distribution functions, including property management systems, third-party distribution channels, and vendor relationships to increase revenue and improve performance and profitability for franchisees. He will also work closely with Choice’s technology and business intelligence organizations to refine booking and shopping functionality, mobile evolution, and loyalty contribution.

“At Choice Hotels, we excel at creating best-in-class resources and staying ahead of evolving customer preferences to improve revenue for our owners,” said Robert McDowell, chief commercial officer, Choice Hotels. “Abhijit is an innovative leader with extensive industry experience and knowledge of the changing distribution landscape, making this promotion well deserved. His solutions-driven approach will enable our team to continue improving our franchisees’ bottom line while ensuring Choice remains at the forefront of technology in the hospitality and franchising sectors.”

Patel joined Choice Hotels in 2015 as a director of business planning and, throughout his tenure, has held roles of increasing responsibility. Immediately prior to his promotion, Patel served as senior director of product management and operations, where he led the implementation of new products and technology initiatives to fuel midweek business across the Choice portfolio.

Before arriving at Choice, Patel supported global marketing at Mars Drinks, a division of Mars Inc., where he helped evolve the company’s merchandising strategy to improve customer experience and brand awareness. Earlier in his career, he held various positions at GEICO. Patel earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 6,900 hotels, representing more than 560,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of September 30, 2018, the Choice® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. Comfort, Comfort Suites, Comfort Inn & Suites, Quality, and Quality Inn & Suites are registered trademarks of Choice Hotels International. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.