Dive Brief:
- Choice Hotels International promoted Judd Wadholm to senior vice president and general manager of core brands, the company announced Tuesday.
- In his new role, company veteran Wadholm is tasked with driving the growth and performance of Choice’s nine upper midscale, midscale and economy brands in the U.S., including Comfort and Sleep Inn.
- The executive move is part of Choice’s growth strategy for its core brands, which remain a top priority despite the company’s recent focus on the upscale segment, according to Choice Hotels Chief Segment and International Operations Officer Raul Ramirez.
Dive Insight:
Wadholm assumes the SVP role after most recently serving as vice president of Choice’s managed hotels Americas division. He joined the hotel company in 2022 upon its acquisition of Radisson Americas, where he previously held leadership roles in operations, owner relations and finance.
In his new role, Wadholm is responsible for the growth of Choice’s core brands, including Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, Clarion Pointe, Park Inn by Radisson, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.
As of year-end 2023, the core brands portfolio comprised 5,500 hotels — and it’s growing.
In December, Country Inn & Suites signed 10 new franchise agreements, according to Choice. And last month, the Sleep Inn brand unveiled a new prototype that has already garnered significant owner and developer demand because of its “efficiencies in the layout and the operations,” Jason Cowan, senior vice president of signature development at Choice, previously told Hotel Dive.
Choice remains “committed as ever” to growing and improving the performance of its core brands, Ramirez said in a Tuesday statement, despite the company’s recent prioritization of its upscale growth.
He added that Wadholm has a “proven ability to develop strong relationships with hotel owners and operators while driving hotel revenue, profitability, and guest satisfaction.”
Choice’s focus on its core brands comes as it simultaneously works to “up the game in upscale,” Ramirez noted.
In recent months, Choice announced upgrades to several of its upscale and upper upscale brands in an effort to meet growing customer demand and expanded its upscale Cambria brand to new markets.
The company also showcased Cambria and Radisson in its largest marketing campaign to date, which was designed to change the perception around its segmentation.