SILVER SPRING, Maryland – Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is putting its weight behind the region’s premier travel and tourism trade convention, by sponsoring Caribbean Marketplace, opening at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Jamaica this Sunday, January 16.
Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Caribbean Franchise Development and Emerging Markets of Choice Hotels International, and Bill Clegg, Regional Vice President of Brand Performance and Programs, will lead the Choice Hotels team at the trade convention which is produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) under the theme “All Tourism, All Caribbean, All Business.”
Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Caribbean Franchise Development and Emerging Markets of Choice Hotels International.
“We will be educating audiences about our upscale Ascend Collection membership program, which, among many other things, offers owners immediate access to our central reservations system, which booked over $1.7 billion system-wide in gross room revenue for 2009*,” announced Icaza who foretold that while in Jamaica the company will announce very attractive choices for hotel owners to enhance their operations and productivity.
Ascend Collection is a network of Historic, Boutique and Unique hotels that offer an authentic local experience and a commitment to service excellence.
“The beautiful thing about Ascend is that you come as you are – the hotel remains independent while benefiting from the power of the Choice Hotels central reservations system, multi-million dollar marketing campaign, revenue management tools and brand performance consultants,” said Icaza, who explained that Ascend was designed specifically for people who appreciate an upscale hotel with a strong local flair.
The strong support from Choice Hotels for Caribbean Marketplace signals a redoubling of the company’s commitment to the Caribbean: “We like the region, many of our employees are from the Caribbean, and we know we can make a difference by giving regional hoteliers immediate access to global markets,” Icaza stated ahead of the tourism showcase.
Choice Hotels International has nine hotels in the Caribbean: in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Puerto Rico and Turks & Caicos Islands. Anguilla will also join the Choice network early this year when The Royale Caribbean Resort & Spa, a high-end boutique hotel in Little Harbor on the island’s southern coast, opens as a member of Ascend Collection.
