Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, announced the withdrawal of its previously issued first quarter and full year 2020 guidance, which did not contemplate the impact of the worldwide spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels, said, “The safety and well-being of guests, franchisees and associates is our top priority during these challenging and unprecedented times. We are working closely with our hotel owners and operators in managing difficulties posed by COVID-19 and helping mitigate the impact on their business by providing best-in-class franchisee resources and implementing timely changes to policies and procedures aimed at extending relief and minimizing disruptions. Concurrently, we remain committed to serving guests and the communities across the world where our hotels operate.”
“We are not able to precisely quantify the impact on our projected results at this time, given the uncertainty surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on the global hospitality industry — and specifically on the U.S. travel market, where the majority of our franchised hotels are located — as well as the rapidly changing circumstances impacting our hospitality franchising business, directly and indirectly. Consequently, we are withdrawing the guidance we previously issued on February 18, 2020. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and expect to provide an update during our first quarter earnings call based on the best information then available.”
“We are confident in the continued resiliency of our asset-light franchise business model, the strength of our proven brands, and our ability to navigate through these trying times. We are deeply proud of Choice Hotels’ contributions to the hotel industry and the foundation that we’ve built over the course of our more than 80-year history, all of which position the company for continued, long-term success.”