As the old adage says, "necessity is the mother of invention," and many of you are proving how true that is. The solutions and programs you are implementing at your properties for the safety of your guests and team members are a testament to your compassion and ingenuity. The ways that many of you have provided support within your communities by sharing food, linen, and hotel rooms are immeasurable acts of kindness.

You are also assisting your fellow CHOC Family by sharing changes that you have made at your hotels. Here are just a few of the creative, functional, and inexpensive solutions that have come directly from the genius that is found among hoteliers.

• A Region 4 owner has implemented a process in which the laundry person folds the room towels and places them in the guest-room laundry bag with a note that the towels have only been touched by one person, and this was adopted in R12 the same day. Imagine how this will ease a guests’ mind!

• A R6 owner is placing videos of how his team cleans their guest rooms and is posting them to their hotel's Facebook page, and it is receiving attention from future guests!

• A R5 hotel is helping individuals that need a place to work because they can’t work or are tired of working from home by renting their suites as day-use office space. This is a revenue win for the hotel and a sanctuary for the guest!

Please continue to share your inspiring stories and your incredible innovations as they are helpful to all of us. We will add these "Property Innovative Practices" to the Owner submitted Best Practices and Tips section under the COVID 19 resources and provide assistance and much love across the entire country.

If you have any solutions that you have implemented that you would like to share, please submit them to your Regional Administrator.

Thank you to everyone that has joined the bi-weekly zooms that CHOC is putting together to bring you valuable information. We will continue to provide these zooms as the country begins to reopen. Our CBRE presentations, the Gillis Sales tool kit preparing you for selling now, and the regional health, tourism, and industry experts, have been some of your favorites.

Our next series of speakers will also be some that you don't want to miss. We are working with Ecolab and FisherPhillips to bring content that will be very beneficial as you prepare for the return of your guests and your team members.

Although this pandemic has created challenges and stressors that many of us have never experienced, it has also brought a collective energy of support and survival, and that is what CHOC is all about. We are all here for each other and with each other.

YOU ARE ALL TRULY AMAZING!!!

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our country and our world. I know this pandemic is having a significant impact on all of our businesses and in these uncertain times, I wanted to reach out to you personally and share what CHOC is doing to support you. As an industry, we are all in this together and in these challenging times, the power of hospitality and unity is needed most of all.

We have been in constant communication with Choice senior leadership during this difficult time. We have also solicited feedback from your CHOC Regional Directors on how we can mitigate our risk of operations and shared this feedback with Choice Hotels. The feedback I have received and shared centered around cleanliness, continental breakfast, reservation cancellation policies, LRA inspections, PIP deadlines, brand initiatives, and royalties. Choice has issued a communication that has taken our feedback into consideration. I suggest you review it carefully as it includes brand standards relaxations and temporary operational changes. I also assure you that CHOC continues to have engagement with Choice senior leadership to address other franchisee concerns during this dynamic situation.

Choice Hotels, AH&LA, AAHOA, and IFA are all sending emails and/or conducting webinars on topics ranging from the economic impact of the virus to safety, sanitation, and proper hygiene along with applicable EEOC and OSHA regulations relevant to this issue.

CHOC is committed to keeping you informed through this rapidly changing situation and please know we are committed to standing with you. In everything we do, we’re guided by our mission and our purpose: To represent you through a unified voice protecting the greater interests of its members by providing ideas, advocacy programs, and services – in other words, To be Your Voice.

In these types of challenging times, it is important to remember that we are all in this together. Our united voice as an industry and franchisee will undoubtedly resonate more and help us better navigate through these uncertain times.

Sincerely,

Sam Patel Chairman Choice Hotels Owners Council