Investment Group

What Investment Group does

Investment Group operates the Econo Lodge brand, a budget hotel franchise originally established in 1969 and now wholly owned by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. The brand targets price-sensitive travelers - road-trippers, families, business travelers, and pet owners - with clean, comfortable rooms and essential amenities including free Wi-Fi, complimentary coffee, in-room refrigerators, and bedside electrical outlets. Each Econo Lodge property is independently owned and operated by franchise partners that license the brand name and gain access to Choice Hotels' centralized infrastructure.

The core technology is a hotel-franchise platform comprising a centralized reservation system, the ChoiceHotels.com website, a native mobile booking app with lowest-price guarantee, and the Choice Privileges loyalty program, all integrated across Choice Hotels' 7,000+ properties. The franchise model delivers brand standards compliance, quality assurance, and centralized marketing support to independently operated hotels. Distribution spans direct booking (web/app/call center), online travel agencies, travel-agent partnerships, and corporate/business travel accounts.

Investment Group's revenue model is multi-stream: (1) franchise fees from licensing the Econo Lodge brand to independent hotel owners, (2) transaction-based revenue on room-night bookings through direct and indirect channels, and (3) loyalty-program monetization including a co-branded Choice Privileges Mastercard that generates affiliate/interchange revenue. Pricing tiers include Best Available Rate (BAR), non-refundable Advance Purchase Rate (APR) starting at 15% off BAR, member-only rates with 2-7% discounts for Choice Privileges members, and dedicated business/corporate rates.

Name

Investment Group

Legal name

Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Website

https://econolodge.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Investment Group operates the Econo Lodge budget-hotel franchise brand under Choice Hotels International, licensing the brand to independently owned hotels that access centralized reservations, the Choice Privileges loyalty program, and marketing support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Budget Hotels

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Budget & Limited-Service Hotels (THAGABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Value Inn / No-Frills Hotels (THAGABAL)

Keywords

• Budget hotel rooms
• Economy lodging
• Hotel franchise
• Hospitality services
• Pet-friendly accommodations

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Econo Lodge generates revenue by licensing the brand to independent hotel owners. Each franchisee pays fees for the right to operate under the Econo Lodge brand name and access Choice Hotels' reservation system, marketing, and loyalty program.
2. Room Night Bookings: Revenue from direct bookings through ChoiceHotels.com, the mobile app, and reservations call center. The company earns revenue on room bookings where franchisees pay a share of room revenue or fixed fees to Choice Hotels.
3. Choice Privileges Membership Program: Loyalty program monetization through co-branded credit card partnerships (Choice Privileges Mastercard) and member engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Investment Group operates Econo Lodge hotels, an economy hotel franchise brand offering budget-friendly rooms and basic amenities for travelers. Each property is independently owned and operated by franchise partners while leveraging Choice Hotels International's centralized reservation system, loyalty program (Choice Privileges), and marketing infrastructure. The brand offers clean, comfortable rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi, free coffee, in-room refrigerators, and pet-friendly options at many locations.

Product overview

Investment Group operates a diversified hospitality portfolio under the Choice Hotels International umbrella. The primary product is Econo Lodge, a budget hotel brand offering straightforward accommodation with essential amenities at economical prices. The hotels are independently owned and operated by franchise partners, providing consistent brand standards while maintaining local autonomy. The brand emphasizes value-focused travel with amenities like free Wi-Fi, complimentary coffee, in-room refrigerators, and pet-friendly options at select locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Econo Lodge: Budget hotel brand providing clean and comfortable rooms at affordable rates with free Wi-Fi, coffee, and refrigerators in every room
• Comfort
• Cambria Hotels
• Ascend Hotel Collection
• Quality Inn
• Sleep Inn
• Clarion
• Clarion Pointe
• Everhome Suites
• MainStay Suites
• Suburban Studios

Products and services

• Econo Lodge Budget hotel brand providing clean and comfortable rooms at affordable rates with essential amenities including free Wi-Fi, free coffee every morning, in-room refrigerators, and pet-friendly options at many locations. Each hotel is independently owned and operated by franchise partners while leveraging Choice Hotels' centralized reservation system, mobile app, and Choice Privileges loyalty program. Targeted at budget-conscious travelers for road trips, overnight stays, family travel, and business travel.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Choice Hotels InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcono Lodge is a brand under Choice Hotels International. Choice Hotels provides the franchise platform including brand standards, centralized reservation systems, loyalty program (Choice Privileges), marketing support, and technology infrastructure. Each Econo Lodge hotel is independently owned and operated by franchise partners.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Red Roof Inn: Red Roof is a privately-held US budget motel chain focused on economy travelers with a similar franchise and corporate-owned mix, directly comparable to Econo Lodge's value positioning.
• Travelodge by Wyndham: Travelodge is Wyndham's budget motel brand emphasizing simple, affordable accommodations for travelers on the road - functionally a near-twin to Econo Lodge in the value segment.
• Days Inn by Wyndham: Days Inn is a Wyndham budget hotel brand offering economy lodging with roadside-access properties, directly overlapping with Econo Lodge's target customer and amenity profile.
• Super 8 by Wyndham: Super 8 is Wyndham's flagship economy/budget motel brand, directly competing with Econo Lodge for price-sensitive road travelers with similar basic-amenity offerings and franchise economics.
• Knights Inn (Wyndham): Knights Inn is Wyndham's value-tier motel brand offering basic economy lodging, directly comparable to Econo Lodge in price point, amenities, and roadside-access positioning.
• Americas Best Value Inn: Americas Best Value Inn is a budget motel franchise brand serving price-sensitive travelers with basic accommodations, directly competing with Econo Lodge in the economy lodging segment.
• Motel 6: Motel 6 is one of the largest budget motel chains in the US (owned by G6 Hospitality/Blackstone), competing head-to-head with Econo Lodge in the value segment with similar franchise and corporate-owned operating models.
• Rodeway Inn (Choice Hotels): Rodeway Inn is another budget brand within Choice Hotels International, competing directly with Econo Lodge for franchisee signups and budget traveler demand within the same parent system.

Broad incumbents

• Choice Hotels International: Choice Hotels International is the publicly-traded parent franchisor (NYSE: CHH) that owns and operates Econo Lodge as one of its 11+ brands, providing the franchise platform, Choice Privileges loyalty program, and centralized reservations that Econo Lodge operates within.

Emerging players

• Microtel by Wyndham: Microtel by Wyndham is a newer-generation economy hotel brand with a slightly elevated tier than Econo Lodge, but still competes for budget-conscious travelers and franchise investment capital.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/econolodge
• Facebookfacebook.com/EconoLodge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/econo-lodge-charlotte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Investment Group