ROCKVILLE, Md.—The Comfort brand is opening its first two hotels with its new logo, following the unveiling of the new brand image at Choice Hotels’ annual convention in May. The Comfort Inn & Suites in Boise, Idaho, and the Comfort Suites in Wooster, Ohio, are the first new-construction hotels to feature the logo.
“Seven years ago, we started a $2.5-billion journey to transform the guest experience by modernizing Comfort brand hotels while remaining true to the brand’s track record of trusted reliability,” says Anne Smith, vice president, brand management and design at Choice Hotels. “The new logo on the outside of these properties signals to guests that something’s new on the inside.”
The new brand image is the capstone of the Comfort brand’s multi-year transformation and comes on the heels of the brand’s ‘Move to Modern’ initiative, which is driving renovations across the system. Those updates include lobbies designed for guests to relax, work, and gather; updated guestrooms with premium pillows, bedding, and bath amenities; and a 100-percent smoke-free policy, making it the largest smoke-free hotel brand in North America.
Hotels that complete the ‘Move to Modern’ upgrades can use the new logo on the property and across digital channels. The brand’s deadline for completing renovations and updating signage is by the end of 2020.
“There’s never been a better time to build a Comfort hotel,” says Brian Quinn, head of development, new construction brands, Choice Hotels. “Our substantial investment in the future of the brand, coupled with the brand’s proven performance in the upper midscale segment, has fueled developer interest and led to one of the largest pipelines in our history.”
The brand plans to open more than one hotel per week in 2018 for the second year in a row, with a pipeline of nearly 300 properties, 80 percent of which are new construction.
