Three Questions For Janis Cannon, Choice Hotels’ New SVP Of Upscale Brands

What were the first things you did on your new job? What are your priorities?
My goal from day one was simple — to spread the word about our upscale brands, Cambria and Ascend, drive market-leading performance, and continue the drumbeat of groundbreakings and grand openings in key markets nationwide. After more than two decades in the hotel business, you can tell when a brand is gaining momentum, and Choice’s upscale brands are doing just that. Our long-term objective is for Ascend and Cambria to be household names with more locations opening across the country.

Our Ascend Hotel Collection was a pioneer of the “soft brand revolution” but still a bit of a hidden gem not everyone knows about — yet. The historic and boutique hotels in our Ascend Hotel Collection are a wonderful way to experience a destination and learn something new.

Cambria Hotels & Suites makes business travel easier—and more fun—than ever before. Offering modern décor, rooms that feel like an upgrade, and fresh, local cuisine at our Social Circle restaurant, Cambria makes every guest feel like a VIP.

What do you see as Choice Hotels’ biggest challenges and biggest advantages?
In the hotel industry, we’re constantly working to meet the changing needs of travelers. With Cambria and Ascend, backed by the Choice master brand, we aim to reach a new audience with our brand positioning geared toward the needs of today’s modern traveler. For example, more and more travelers (especially Millennials) want instant gratification. We recently conducted a study and it showed that 43% of Millennials want their first reward benefit as soon as they sign up.

So our remodeled Choice Privileges loyalty program is rooted in helping these travelers get their rewards faster and more frequently. Our new welcome coaster program at Cambria means you get a souvenir and free drink upon check in. From frequent business travelers to Millennials craving a local experience, we have the upscale offerings to meet their needs.

Our biggest advantage is our offerings and our momentum on the upscale front, which makes this an exciting time for the brand. Cambria enjoyed a wave of grand openings and groundbreakings in 2015, including two openings in Manhattan (the Cambria Times Square and the Cambria Chelsea), and ground breakings in top destinations like New Orleans and Los Angeles. We also signed new agreements to bring Cambria to Chicago, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Boston, Orlando, Seattle, Charleston, and Savannah, Georgia, just to highlight a few.

Similarly, Ascend signed 37 new domestic franchise agreements in 2015 and has expanded internationally to the U.K., with two new properties in Edinburgh.

Our upscale lines offer a personalized experience and all of the amenities travelers are looking for, whether it’s for business or leisure—and we know this because we asked our guests what they wanted.

What changes do you think customers and travel agents will see from Choice Hotels for the rest of the year?
As far as our upscale brands are concerned, guests and travel agents will start to see a major presence in urban markets across the country—building brand recognition in those major markets is a key goal of ours. 

Ascend Hotel Collection continues to build on a year of rapid expansion by differentiating its offerings and attributes from the rest of the pack. Ascend offers independent, upscale hoteliers the support and simplicity they need in an increasingly complex operating environment, without dictating how their hotels should look, feel, or operate.

As mentioned earlier, there’s been a steady stream of Cambria hotels & suites groundbreakings and openings in major markets such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York. We have 25 open properties with 30 more in development so you’re going to be hearing about Cambria a lot in the future.

Choice Hotels named Janis Cannon as its senior vice president of upscale brands earlier this month. She previously worked with InterContinental Hotel Group as vice president and global brand leader for the company’s upscale portfolio. In her new role, Cannon will help drive Choice’s upscale urban market development strategy.