Dive Brief:
- Choice Hotels International relaunched the upper upscale soft brand Radisson Individuals in the Americas region Thursday, the company announced.
- Radisson Individuals, one of the nine upscale hotel brands Choice assumed as part of its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas in 2022, is relaunching as an upper upscale soft brand focused on full-service, boutique and independent hotels. The properties will offer bold design and immersive experiences in leading destinations, according to Choice.
- The brand relaunch is the latest strategic move by Choice to expand its upscale portfolio. The company’s upper-tier scale-up is a bid to improve guest experience as consumer demand changes, Indy Adenaw, senior vice president and general manager for upscale brands at Choice, shared with Hotel Dive.
Dive Insight:
Radisson Individuals hotels will offer a guest experience that leans into localized and bold design; curated experiences that immerse guests in their destination, including a full-service bar and restaurant with regional food and beverage offerings; and staff that can guide guests to nearby attractions, according to Choice.
With Radisson Individuals, Choice is “seizing on major potential” to give guests the immersive, individualized and local experiences they are seeking in the upscale space, according to Adenaw. He said Choice has increasingly witnessed travelers “place a high value on unconventional hotel experiences,” particularly those offered at independent hotels.
“There’s a real hunger for more independent-type hotels,” Adenaw told Hotel Dive. “Customers are looking for hotels that feel like they're unique and are reflective of the environment that they are in, and that they stand for a sense of individuality that other larger boxes do not have.”
The company’s Ascend Collection of boutique, upscale hotels has “cleared the way” for the relaunch of Radisson Individuals, Adenaw said.
“We have shown the ability with Ascend of creating these very tailored, unique, independent moments in all types of markets,” he said, adding that the brand has given Choice the knowledge of which customers tend to go after independent hotels, and that demand for them in the upper-tier segments exists.
The relaunch of Radisson Individuals will “fill that white space” for independent hotels in the upper upscale segment that Choice has not yet tapped into, according to Adenaw.
Choice is in advanced discussions for five U.S. hotels under the brand in a mix of markets, including “higher-end leisure destinations” and “more bespoke, semi-urban locations,” Adenaw added.
The brand relaunch comes amid Choice’s larger push in upscale. In May, the hotel company relaunched the Park Inn by Radisson brand as a conversion-friendly product. Then in June, Choice relaunched its Radisson and Radisson Blu brands.
The company has also focused marketing efforts on its upscale Cambria Hotels brand this year and expanded the flag’s portfolio and pipeline with openings and groundbreakings.
According to Adenaw, Choice will continue to make an assertive push in the upscale segment, which is forecasted to see significant RevPAR growth for the remainder of this year and into 2025.
Hospitality professionals told Hotel Dive in August that consumers are flocking to upscale hotels, particularly boutique and lifestyle properties, because of their unique design and amenity offerings.
