At its 69th annual convention, held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Choice Hotels International Inc. introduced a refreshed complimentary breakfast program at Comfort and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson as part of its broader strategy to refine and differentiate its upper-midscale brands and help attract travelers.
The company is piloting new signature breakfast items, including a Comfort breakfast bowl and a Country Inn & Suites biscuit sandwich, at select properties. As part of this initiative, it has signed agreements with Florida’s Natural and General Mills.
“At Choice Hotels, we recognize that a hearty breakfast is an essential element of what upper-midscale hotel guests expect, and these on-property upgrades we codeveloped with owners are designed to drive enhanced value for them and for guests of Comfort and Country Inn & Suites,” said Judd Wadholm, SVP/GM, core brands, Choice Hotels. “As we have done for the past 85 years, we are continuously investing in areas that will help owners drive more revenue and attract the right repeat guests, working hand-in-hand with hotel owners to chart that path.”
The Comfort brand will launch a pilot of a build-your-own breakfast bowl concept that gives guests the flexibility to create a meal tailored to their own tastes and dietary preferences. Guests can take their pick from a selection of ingredients that will include scrambled eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions, bacon bits, cheddar cheese and everything bagel and Nashville hot seasonings.
Country Inn & Suites will launch a pilot of Pillsbury biscuit sandwiches.
“Guests expect a breakfast experience that goes beyond convenience,” said Jenny Aboudou, head, upper-midscale brands. “They want a delicious, customizable meal that reflects the quality of the brands they choose. At Choice Hotels, we are deeply attuned to evolving consumer trends, and we are well-positioned to exceed expectations with a refreshed, innovative breakfast that makes the experiences at Comfort and Country Inn & Suites unlike any other brands in the industry—giving owners an even more compelling reason to grow with us.”
She added, “For both, we’re introducing halo brand names that guests recognize and trust to keep infusing recognition and confidence in the breakfast and elevate the quality.”
Earlier this year, Choice introduced new brand positioning for Comfort and Country Inn & Suites, along with refreshed prototypes designed to create more revenue-generating spaces within the same footprint. The company also plans to test and roll out a series of new and evolved brand hallmarks later this year, including updated furniture, fixtures, and equipment packages.
The breakfast pilots are the product of extensive research, including consumer insights, and the direct collaboration with owners and Choice Hotel’s GPO, Entegra, which played a key role in product development to align offerings with both guest preferences and owner goals.
The partnership with Entegra, which began in July 2024, showed an average 9% savings on food costs for participating hotels through March based on market basket comparisons by Entegra. As it tests its new breakfast items, Choice Hotels is also bringing franchise owners into the Entegra Performance Kitchen to work with their culinary team, gaining real-time feedback to shape its food offerings.
