Area Director - Upscale Franchise Performance

Job Summary

The Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance is a strategic individual contributor responsible for driving financial, commercial, operational, and guest-experience performance across a portfolio of upscale, select-service, and full-service hotels. Reporting to the Senior Regional Director, this role serves as a trusted advisor to franchise owners, property leaders, and above-property management teams, translating Choice Hotels' strategies into property-level actions that strengthen revenue, profitability, guest satisfaction, and competitive positioning. The Area Director applies deep hospitality expertise, independent judgment, and advanced financial and market analysis to diagnose performance opportunities and develop solutions tailored to individual hotels and markets. The role has no direct reports but provides functional leadership, coaching, and expertise across a matrixed network of franchisees and hotel leaders.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Commercial Performance

• Serve as a strategic advisor to franchise owners, property leaders, and above-property management teams, translating broader corporate and brand strategies into actionable property-level objectives.
• Develop, refine, and influence execution of commercial, revenue, sales, and marketing strategies designed to improve hotel performance.
• Analyze market trends, demand drivers, competitive performance, guest feedback, and property results to identify opportunities for revenue growth and competitive differentiation.
• Align operational, financial, and commercial priorities to strengthen RevPAR, ADR, market share, profitability, and overall hotel performance.
• Apply independent judgment and deep hospitality expertise to complex property and market challenges, recommending data-driven actions with meaningful financial and operational impact.

Operational Excellence

• Evaluate hotel operations, brand compliance, service quality, commercial effectiveness, and financial performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with franchise owners and hotel leadership to diagnose performance gaps and develop property-specific action plans that improve operational effectiveness and competitive positioning.
• Champion effective use of Choice proprietary systems and resources, including choiceADVANTAGE®, iDeaS G3, Medallia, and Choice University.
• Guide complex hotels, including properties with multiple food and beverage outlets and meeting/event operations, in addressing operational and commercial challenges.
• Share expertise and best practices across the portfolio to strengthen execution and sustainable performance.

Revenue Growth & Financial Management

• Analyze property P&Ls and financial reporting to identify opportunities to improve revenue, profitability, cost management, GOP, and ROI.
• Advise franchisees on revenue-management practices, demand forecasting, pricing, distribution, and commercial strategies.
• Develop and influence execution of property-specific revenue, sales, and marketing plans based on local market conditions and performance opportunities.
• Guide execution of strategic marketing, local sales, and brand-supported revenue programs, including Choice Privileges®.
• Translate complex financial, operating, market, and guest data into clear recommendations for franchise owners and hotel leaders.

Franchisee & Stakeholder Partnership

• Build trusted, high-impact relationships with franchise owners, operators, hotel leaders, and internal stakeholders.
• Provide strategic guidance and actionable recommendations that support franchisee success and long-term hotel performance.
• Represent Choice Hotels at appropriate industry events, franchisee associations, and networking forums.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with franchise sales and other Choice teams to support business opportunities and portfolio growth.
• Influence outcomes across a matrixed environment without direct reporting authority.

Leadership, Coaching & Knowledge Sharing

• Coach and advise General Managers and other property leaders on operational, commercial, financial, and guest-experience opportunities.
• Provide subject-matter expertise to help property leaders address complex performance challenges.
• Promote participation in applicable learning and development resources, including Choice University.
• Facilitate the sharing of best practices and expertise across properties to strengthen portfolio performance.
• Serve as a credible hospitality and franchise-performance resource to franchisees, property teams, and internal partners.

Guest Experience

• Analyze LTR results, guest feedback, third-party reviews, and guest sentiment to identify service improvement opportunities.
• Partner with hotel teams to develop actions that improve guest satisfaction, loyalty, and brand experience.
• Advise properties on strategies to strengthen online reputation and guest-experience performance.

Qualifications

Employment Experience

• 8–10 years of relevant hospitality, hotel operations, franchise performance, commercial strategy, revenue management, or related experience.
• Demonstrated experience advising hotel owners, operators, General Managers, or senior property leaders on financial, operational, commercial, and guest-experience performance.
• Experience evaluating hotel P&Ls and translating financial and operational data into actionable performance strategies.
• Experience with upscale, select-service, and/or full-service hotel operations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success leading and influencing complex initiatives across a matrixed environment without direct reporting authority.

Technical Skills

• Advanced financial and P&L analysis skills.
• Strong knowledge of hotel revenue management, forecasting, pricing, distribution, sales, and marketing disciplines.
• Ability to analyze hotel performance measures including RevPAR, ADR, market share, GOP, ROI, guest satisfaction, and related operational metrics.
• Experience with hotel property-management, revenue-management, and guest-feedback platforms; familiarity with choiceADVANTAGE®, iDeaS G3, and Medallia preferred.
• Strong proficiency in interpreting complex operational, financial, market, and guest data.

Additional Skills & Competencies

• Strategic and commercial acumen with the ability to connect property-level decisions to broader business objectives.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to operate effectively when issues do not have standardized solutions.
• Exceptional consulting, influencing, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to independently prioritize and manage complex work across a diverse portfolio of hotels.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills with the ability to influence franchise owners, operators, hotel leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• An advanced degree or relevant hospitality industry credentials are preferred.

Salary Range: $114,907 to $135,184 annually
 

This role is also eligible for an annual bonus under Choice’s Management Incentive Plan (MIP).

Choice prioritizes our associate wellbeing by offering a comprehensive benefits program that is both competitive and flexible to help you achieve your wellbeing goals - here are just a few:

• Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings
• Employee recognition programs
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too.

At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

Our corporate office locations:

North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.

Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.  

Choice’s Cultural Values

Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity

Choice’s Leadership Principles

Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver