Choice Hotels' "Mastery" 2026: A build week for practical AI in hospitality
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 27, 2026 - Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) kicks off its 11th annual technology and innovation summit, "Mastery." Across the week, 800+ associates shift into build mode-hacking, testing, and applying AI to real business challenges that drive revenue, reduce costs, and streamline operations for franchisees.
The focus is simple: put AI, cloud platforms, data and analytics, and cybersecurity to work in ways that improve on-property execution, strengthen business intelligence, and scale the company's proprietary systems with confidence.
What's happening this week
- Capture the Flag: A hands-on cybersecurity challenge that sharpens incident response and threat-hunting instincts.
- AWS AI League: A high-energy build sprint using AWS tools to ship real AI solutions under time pressure. Learn more about AWS.
- Make-a-Thon: Cross-functional engineers design, build, and present software to improve hotel operations and guest experience. Winning projects earn cash prizes, with top ideas considered for system-wide rollout.
Here's the punchline: these aren't demos for show. Teams are expected to deliver working prototypes that can move fast from the summit floor into production.
Why it matters for owners, operators, and event teams
- Revenue impact: Smarter pricing and merchandising through AI tools like ChoiceMAX and data-driven decisioning.
- Cost control: Streamlined workflows and automation reduce manual work and tech debt across properties.
- Operational lift: Faster, cleaner interfaces and cloud-first infrastructure keep staff on task and guests happy.
- Speed to market: A build-week format pressure tests ideas quickly so only what works moves forward.
- Cyber resilience: Repeated practice via CTF builds muscle memory before real incidents hit.
- Data literacy across teams: It's not just engineers; revenue, operations, and marketing learn to apply AI in day-to-day decisions.
Case study: Hotel Suite modernization-AI cut months of work and saved $750k+
Last year's winning project turned into real savings. A cross-functional team reimagined "Hotel Suite," a legacy, web-based system used company-wide. Applying lessons from Mastery 2025-generative AI and a "vibe coding" approach-the team delivered the first business-critical, end-user application at Choice Hotels built with an AI-assisted development model.
The result: a modernized UI, faster delivery by months, and more than $750,000 saved versus original projections. This is the standard being set for future platform upgrades.
A track record of building what the industry uses
- 1995: First hotel website with real-time rates and availability.
- 2003: First cloud-based PMS, choiceADVANTAGE.
- 2009: First hotel app for iOS.
- 2014: First hotel company to offer instant booking on TripAdvisor; named to Forbes' Top 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies.
- 2016: First hotel company to offer immediate in-app gift card downloads.
- 2018: Launched choiceEDGE, the first cloud-based CRS.
- 2019: First hotel company to commit to being 100% on AWS Cloud.
- 2021: Launched ChoiceMAX, an award-winning AI mobile-first revenue management solution.
- 2024: Closed the last data center-first major hotel company to fully migrate infrastructure to AWS.
- 2025: Introduced Choice Maps, an AI-driven platform to identify high-demand markets and guide development.
Community impact during Mastery
Associates will support Bey's Blessing: The Choice to Impact, assembling comfort kits for the unsheltered community with local nonprofit Bey's Blessings. Innovation is paired with service-both matter.
If you lead a hotel or events team, steal this playbook
- Pick 3-5 clear KPIs (RevPAR lift, check-in time, chargeback reduction) and tie every build to one metric.
- Form small, cross-functional squads (ops, revenue, IT, finance) and ship a working prototype in days, not quarters.
- Use an AI-assisted dev stack and a shared component library to speed delivery and reduce rework.
- Run a CTF to stress-test security skills; do a post-mortem and add the fixes to your standards.
- Stand up a clean data layer with role-based access so AI features are both useful and safe.
- End the week with live demos, owner feedback, and a go/no-go plan for deployment.
Want more practical ways to apply AI to hotel operations and guest experience? Explore AI for Hospitality & Events.
Quote from leadership
"At its core, Mastery is about designing technical capabilities that will shape the next chapter of hospitality," said Brian Kirkland, Chief Information Officer, Choice Hotels International. "By engaging associates across the organization-not just engineers-we're unlocking new opportunities to apply AI and emerging technologies to real business challenges. That collective investment in talent and expertise is accelerating innovation across the Choice Hotels system and translating into dependable, practical tools that help franchisees operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and grow their businesses with confidence."
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, with 7,500+ hotels and 650,000+ rooms across 50 countries and territories. A portfolio of 22 brands spans upper upscale to economy, giving franchise owners and guests options for more occasions and markets. Choice Privileges rewards and co-brand credit cards make it fast and simple for members to earn reward nights and personalized perks.
For more information, visit choicehotels.com.
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