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Draft:Comfort Inn and Suites

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Comfort Inn and Suites
IndustryHospitality
Founded1981[1]
Number of locations
2159 (as of December 31, 2024)[2]
Area served
Worldwide[2]
OwnerChoice Hotels
Websitewww.choicehotels.com/comfort-inn/

Comfort is an international hotel franchise launched in 1981 by Quality Inns International (now Choice Hotels).[1] The franchise, originally targeted at economy travelers, experienced significant growth in the United States during the 1980s.[1] Repositioned in the early 2010s as an upper-midscale brand, its competitors include Marriott's Fairfield Inn & Suites, IHG's Holiday Inn Express, and Hilton's Hampton Inn.[2] Choice currently operates three franchise formats under the same Comfort logo: Comfort Inns, Comfort Suites, and Comfort Inn & Suites.[3]

Founding & early years

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At its founding in 1981, the Comfort brand represented one of the first attempts to employ market segmentation in the hotel industry.[4][5] Targeted at value-conscious travelers, including families and senior citizens, Comfort aimed to fill a gap in the market separate from Quality Inn, Sleep Inn and the upscale Clarion (launched in 1987), Quality Inns International's other brands at the time.[1] The first Comfort location was a refurbished property in Atlanta, previously known as the "Tech Motel" due to its proximity to Georgia Tech.[6] By the end of the 1980s, there were a total of 860 Comfort locations across the United States, with a presence in each of the 48 contiguous states.[1]

Franchise growth & standardization

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In the 1990s, Comfort began to expand internationally under CEO Robert Hazard, moving the brand from a largely North-American footprint to include Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.[7] In the United States, Choice continued to develop the Comfort franchise network, with franchise owners operating amid increasingly competitive management contracts across the hospitality sector as a whole.[8]

In 1998, newly appointed CEO Charles A. Ledsinger, Jr., introduced a multi-year standardization plan across Comfort franchisees, designed to improve the customer experience across the network.[9] Ledsinger's tenure saw continued international growth for Comfort[10], including a growing presence in Europe, the Middle East and Australasia.[11] In 2003, the brand entered New Zealand, converting properties of the Melbourne-based Flag Choice Hotels, of which Choice was a parent.[12]

The onset of the 2008 financial crisis suppressed occupancy rates for franchise owners across the Comfort network.[13][14] While the brand continued to develop its sustainability credentials[15], it pushed for greater integration of its booking technology across its international franchise network following further upgrading of its brand standards.[16]

Brand refresh

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In 2012, Choice launched a brand refresh for Comfort. As part of a $40 million property improvement incentive program[17], Choice Hotels removed around 600 underperforming hotels from the Comfort franchise, prompting a 0.6% year-over-year reduction in net room count by the end of 2015.[18] In 2018, Comfort again refreshed its logos across its midscale brands, with Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, and Comfort Inn & Suites now falling under the same design umbrella.[19]

Recent developments

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In recent years, Comfort has placed a focus on new construction. By early 2019, the development pipeline numbered almost 300, of which new constructions accounted for 80%.[20]

In 2021, Choice Hotels introduced a new prototype hotel for Comfort, emphasizing multi-purpose areas.[21] The first location opened in 2023 near the Mark Twain National Forest in Mountain Grove, Missouri.[22] In 2025, an updated version of the prototype was released, incorporating an additional three guest rooms within the same building footprint.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Jakle, John A.; Sculle, Keith A.; Rogers, Jefferson S. (1996). The Motel In America. Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press. p. 165. ISBN 0-8018-5383-4.
  2. ^ a b c "10-k for 2024". www.sec.gov. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  3. ^ Arlotta, CJ (May 2, 2018). "HB ON THE SCENE: Choice Hotels Unveils New Comfort Logo to Unify Comfort Brands". HB Hotel Business. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  4. ^ Jakle, John A.; Sculle, Keith A.; Rogers, Jefferson S. (1996). The Motel In America. Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press. p. 154. ISBN 0-8018-5383-4.
  5. ^ O’Neill, John W.; Mattila, Anna S. (February 5, 2010). "Hotel Brand Strategy" (PDF). Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. 51 (1): 27–34. doi:10.1177/1938965509352286.
  6. ^ "Article clipped from The Atlanta Constitution". The Atlanta Constitution. July 15, 1981. p. 11. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  7. ^ Covell, Jeffrey L. (May 3, 1996). International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 14. Detroit, Michigan: St. James Press. pp. 83–87. ISBN 9781558623422.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ^ Sangree, David l.; Hathaway, Peter P. (October 1, 1996). "Trends in hotel management contracts: Shorter lengths and changing fee structures". Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. 37 (5): 26–37. doi:10.1177/001088049603700521 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
  9. ^ Covell, Jeffrey L. (2007). Pederson, Jay P. (ed.). International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 83. Farmington Hills, Michigan: St. James Press (Gale, Cengage Learning group). pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-1-55862-587-7.
  10. ^ "HVS Hospitality E-News Europe". hospitalitynet.org. May 12, 2002. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "Old hotel name goes the way of all flesh". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 12, 2002. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  12. ^ "Choice Hotels International Launches Comfort Inn, Quality and Clarion Brands in New Zealand". hospitalitynet.org. September 13, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  13. ^ Bhattara, Abha; Bernstein, Fred A. (July 31, 2008). "Terrible Timing for a Hotel Boom". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  14. ^ Bagli, Charles V. (October 2, 2009). "Little Rooms, Big Profits". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  15. ^ Diener, Michele L.; Parekh, Amisha; Pitera, Jaclyn (March 2008). "High Performance Hospitality: Sustainable Hotel Case Studies" (PDF). Sustainable Conservation. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Gough, Andrew (February 27, 2011). "Hotel brands you need to know... Choice Hotels International". Business Traveller. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  17. ^ Baker, Michael B. (May 15, 2013). "Choice Hotels Allots $40 Million To Jumpstart Comfort Brand Overhaul". Business Travel News. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  18. ^ "Choice's Comfort 'rejuvenation' Gains Momentum". CoStar. November 2, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  19. ^ "Comfort Brand Unveils New Logo at Choice Hotels' Annual Convention". Lodging. May 3, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  20. ^ "Comfort Brand Continues U.S. Expansion Amid Transformation". Hotel Business. March 20, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  21. ^ Simon, Elaine (March 26, 2021). "Choice debuts new prototype for 40-year-old Comfort brand". Hotel Management. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  22. ^ Graber, Jenna (October 31, 2023). "Choice unveils new look for Comfort brand with Rise & Shine prototype". Hotel Dive. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  23. ^ Fox, Jena Tesse (May 1, 2025). "HM on Location: Choice refreshes breakfast at Comfort, Country Inn". Hotel Management. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
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