As consumer demand for travel continues to grow, hotel developers are investing in new hotels in new destinations. However, as travelers increasingly seek a truly local feel during their travels, a subtle shift is taking place. It’s more important than ever for hotel brands to offer a personal touch and deliver unique experiences that appeal to the modern traveler. According to Skift Research’s “Luxury Travelers: Survey Results,” 82% of travelers say that engaging with local culture and community significantly improves their travel experience.
This has given rise to a new kind of upscale travel, where exclusivity lies not just in luxury but in a genuine connection with the place and its people. Select Hotels International is positioning its portfolio of upscale brands to meet these modern travel trends.
“Upscale means a high-quality hotel experience that is approachable and attentive. The latter aspect of this description, approachability and thoughtfulness, is the hallmark of our hotel. Our upscale hotels are not pretentious, tailored to a narrow audience, or cookie-cutter. of.
The company acquired Radisson Americas in 2022, accelerating its high-end strategy. It subsequently expanded and redefined Radisson Blu and the Radisson brand with a new look and improved guest experience, stimulating guest and developer interest.
Relaunch of Radisson Personal Hotels
With the market ripe for expansion, Choice’s natural next step was to invest in Radisson Individuals, a soft brand of full-service, boutique, unique independent hotels. The company recently relaunched Radisson Individuals as a premium brand in the Americas. The transformation includes upgraded facilities, an emphasis on unique local features and exceptional guest service compared to the previous upscale hotel.
“The biggest difference between upscale and ultra-upscale is the breadth of amenities. Upscale hotels may have more extensive food and beverage offerings and better meeting and function spaces. The second difference is that upper-tier upscale hotels tend to have more on that floor. Selective location,” Adenaw said. “We have a strong focus on the places that are most special at Radisson Personal Hotels, and this increase in premiumization is recognition of our commitment to delivering something special for every hotel within the brand.”
Tell the untold story of each hotel
A rapidly growing segment of travelers want to experience destinations through all aspects of travel. However, they often encounter hotel options that feel uniform and out of place with the local culture and community.
Radisson Hotels solves this problem by creating tailor-made experiences that incorporate the cultural fabric of each destination into its design, cuisine, wellness facilities and services. Design elements are rooted in local tradition, while food and beverage options draw on local flavours. Wellness facilities have been thoughtfully designed to reflect the spirit of the place, complemented by services designed to inspire a sense of discovery and satisfy guests’ innate curiosity.
“We strive to tell the untold stories of each hotel, and we’re excited about the traveler experience,” Adelno said.
Adenaw said Radisson Hotels is part of the highest-tier brand in the Choice ecosystem.
“We are no strangers to the soft brand space. In fact, we started in this space in the hotel industry with the Ascend Collection. Given our experience and presence in this space, we wanted to bring the focus of Radisson Personal Hotels to our In terms of independent hotels envisioning the richest travel experience, this is an upscale hotel in our system,” he explained.
As part of the Select Hotels Group, there are currently 15 Radisson individuals hotels open in the Americas.
Radisson Personal Owner Services
The Radisson brand enjoys extremely high brand awareness, which lays a solid foundation for new Radisson individual members to enter the market and develop. Homeowners can gain the benefits of a widely recognized brand while maintaining the unique character and customization of their properties. Hotels also gain direct access to specialized customer segments by leveraging Choice’s more than 68 million rewards program members. According to Skift’s 2024 State of Travel Report, loyalty programs are a key driver of profitability and long-term stability and are therefore considered one of the most valuable assets in a hotel company’s financial portfolio.
Owners can also benefit from ChoiceConnect, a new mobile-friendly owner portal that allows franchisees to manage their business remotely by aggregating all hotel metrics into one location and simplifying access to all Choice apps with one click. Manage its hotels. The platform is part of Choice’s purpose-built premium service delivery model, which combined with the brand’s compelling value proposition improves franchisee performance and drives revenue growth.
In addition, Radisson individual owners will have access to Choice’s proprietary technology platform and relationships with technology partners for support across property management, operations and revenue management.
The brand is closely integrated with more than 60 million select privileged members, a powerful digital platform, a global sales force and third-party partnerships to significantly increase the exposure and booking potential of affiliated hotels. Experts in business strategy, brand performance and operations actively support this effort, focusing on high-end performance and growth.
Aiano said that understanding and meeting the needs of car owners is the core of the relaunched brand concept. The owners’ insights and feedback directly determine the brand’s direction and operations.
“We have been franchisee-friendly for a long time. We are highly focused on the needs of our owners and we are working with some owners to design individual ones,” he explained. “This doesn’t mean leaving the door open to what can be done, but we set the direction and ask our owners to execute within the framework. We seek their input, build on their ideas, and foster collaborative systems with them. The level of involvement may not exist with other hotel brands.
Develop high-end market
With a portfolio of upscale brands including Ascend Hotel Collection and Cambria Hotels, Choice has a strong presence in the sector, with the brand present in more than 90% of upscale hotels in the top 25 U.S. markets. Ascend has more than 350 boutique and historic hotels, casinos and resorts, including The Inn at Napa Valley in California and Graystone Lodge in Boone, North Carolina, while Cambria also has a strong national presence with It has opened more than 75 hotels covering nearly 75 countries and regions. In JD Power’s 2023 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study, Cambria ranked No. 1 in the upscale hotel category.
For owners, joining Radisson Hotels means that they can use a strong network to expand market coverage, while leveraging strong operational infrastructure to meet high-end market demand.
“We are the most noteworthy premium brand in the industry,” Arnold said. “When you combine the strength of Choice’s distribution engine, our more than 68 million loyal members and our cutting-edge technology, you have a winning recipe for owners to expand into key market segments.”
Going forward, Radisson Hotel Group’s focus will be on deepening the connection between local culture and upscale hotels. Travelers can expect continued innovation in technology, customized services, and the launch of new hotels in new markets that reflect the true character of these regions.
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This content was co-created by Featured Hotels and Skift’s Branded Content Studio, SkiftX.
