Choice Hotels Makes History by Moving Entire Infrastructure to AWS Cloud
The all-in move to AWS cements Choice’s technology leadership within the industry, and allows it to deliver cutting-edge services to franchisees
(IN SHORT) Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by closing its last data center and becoming the first hotel company to shift its entire system infrastructure to the cloud, specifically Amazon Web Services (AWS). This transition allows Choice to respond to real-time market conditions, offering a flexible, resilient, and scalable platform for its owners and operators. By embracing the cloud, Choice can update its hotel-facing operations and management tools more efficiently and harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other cloud technologies to enhance guest experiences and drive profitability. The migration to AWS Cloud marks the culmination of a five-year process, involving the decommissioning of over 3,729 servers, retiring more than 300 applications, and migrating over 250 applications. Choice’s commitment to cloud technology dates back to 2015 when it introduced choiceEDGE, a cloud-based central reservation system (CRS). The company’s ongoing focus on innovation is demonstrated by its history of technological firsts and achievements in the hospitality industry. With this migration, Choice aims to continue innovating and utilizing AI to provide increased value for franchisees.
(PRESS RELEASE) NORTH BETHESDA, Md., 2024-Jan-31— /Travel PR News/ — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) announced the closure of its last data center, making it the first hotel company to migrate its entire system infrastructure to the cloud. Now fully on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the move to the cloud enables Choice to respond to real-time market conditions and provides the company with a flexible, resilient, and scalable platform that benefits owners and operators within the Choice system. Being on the cloud enables Choice to update its hotel-facing operations and management tools more efficiently and more completely layer in the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other cloud technologies to help hotel owners drive profitability and enhance the guest experience.
“By moving all of our systems to the cloud, we’re ensuring that our franchisees have up-to-the-minute access to the latest innovations, saving time and money while providing industry-leading distribution and digital systems throughout the competitive hotel booking journey,” said Brian Kirkland, Chief Information Officer for Choice Hotels.
The migration concludes a five-year process and represents a significant milestone in Choice’s continued legacy of technology innovation. The move to AWS Cloud is a key component of Choice’s long-term technology roadmap and involved decommissioning more than 3,729 servers, with over 300 applications retired and more than 250 applications migrated.
“Choice Hotels leaned in big and early on the cloud, which helped them innovate, scale, pivot, and become a more sustainable business over the last 5 years,” said Matt Garman, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing, and Global Services at AWS. “The hotel company has a cloud-first mindset that permeates every part of their business from improved operations to extraordinary customer service, and we’re excited to see what they do next.”
Choice’s work with AWS began in 2015 with the creation of a cloud-based central reservation system (CRS), choiceEDGE. At the time, choiceEDGE was the industry’s first new CRS from a hotel company in over 30 years.
“Choice operates at the intersection of hospitality, franchising, and technology, and we are thrilled to leverage our cloud-first infrastructure,” said Jason Simpson, Vice President of Cloud Engineering for Choice Hotels. “AWS Cloud was key for us in completing the digital integration of Radisson in record time as well as increasing traffic and booking revenue across our platforms.”
Choice Hotels has a history of technological firsts and innovation, including:
- In 1995, Choice launched the first hotel website with real-time rate and availability information.
- In 2003, Choice launched the first cloud-based property management system (PMS), choiceADVANTAGE.
- In 2009, Choice released the first hotel app for iOS.
- In 2014, Choice became the first hotel company to offer instant booking on TripAdvisor. That same year, Choice was the only hotel company listed on Forbes’ Top 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies.
- In 2016, Choice became the first hotel company to offer immediate in-app gift card downloads.
- In 2018, choiceEDGE went live for all reservations – the first cloud-based central reservation system (CRS).
- In 2019, Choice was the first hotel company to commit to being 100% on AWS Cloud.
- In 2021, Choice launched ChoiceMAX, an AI mobile-first revenue management solution.
- In 2024, Choice completed its migration to the cloud.
Now fully on the cloud, Choice will continue to innovate and leverage the power of AI to drive even more business value for franchisees.
About Choice Hotels®
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. The challenger in upscale and a leader in midscale and extended stay, Choice® has over 7,500 hotels, representing more than 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories. A diverse portfolio of 22 brands that range from full-service upper upscale properties to midscale, extended stay and economy enables Choice® to meet travelers’ needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges® rewards program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.
Media Contact:
Gabriela Melendez
MediaRelations@choicehotels.com
SOURCE: Choice Hotels International, Inc.
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