Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) announced today an agreement with Tesla to offer Tesla Universal Wall Connectors to participating Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, Quality Inn and other Choice-branded hotels across the U.S. Through this agreement, Choice-branded properties can add four or more charging stations for guests, helping to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging and eliminate one of the biggest pain points for EV drivers traveling for business or leisure. To find a hotel with a charging station, travelers can use the EV charging filter on ChoiceHotels.com and the Choice Hotels mobile app.
"This agreement with Tesla allows our brands to further stand out by increasing access to EV charging for guests and potentially drive incremental topline revenue for hotel owners," said Dominic Dragisich, Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Global Brand Officer for Choice Hotels International. "At Choice, we are focused on ensuring owners and operators of our hotel brands are set up to benefit from strategic agreements that drive booking consideration and value."
Offering over 7,500 hotels with more than 630,000 rooms across 46 countries and territories, Choice is uniquely positioned to address the growing consumer demand for EV charging. Guests who drove to its hotels accounted for 82% of all Choice room nights in 2022, well above the industry average, according to data from DK Shifflet. Approximately 90% of Choice-branded properties in the U.S. are in suburban, interstate, and small-town locations, with 76% located within one mile of a highway entrance.
Currently, 41% of Choice's Cambria hotels offer EV charging, and by the end of 2024, all are expected to be outfitted with at least one charging station. Cambria guests rank EV charging as one of the top three sustainability priorities that they look for when booking a stay. Additionally, several of Choice's corporate offices currently offer EV charging stations, including North Bethesda, Maryland and Scottsdale, Arizona.