Choice Hotels International is kicking off 2026 with a clear message: value in travel is no longer just about price. It is about what a stay enables. More experiences. More memories. Less friction. And, ideally, more reasons to travel again.

Its newly launched global marketing campaign, built around the idea of “Travel Values,” taps directly into how travelers are behaving right now. Instead of spending on things, people are prioritising experiences. Instead of one big, expensive trip, they are choosing multiple shorter ones. And instead of luxury for luxury’s sake, they are looking for brands that help them stretch their budgets without sacrificing comfort or flexibility.

This is not a subtle repositioning. It is Choice Hotels doubling down on a narrative that midscale and upper-midscale brands have been quietly winning on for years.

Keegan-Michael Key returns as the face of value-driven travel

For the third year in a row, Choice Hotels is partnering with Keegan-Michael Key to bring that message to life. The choice makes sense. Key’s humour is familiar, disarming, and grounded. He does not sell aspiration in the glossy, out-of-reach sense. He sells relatability.

That tone runs throughout the campaign’s creative. Developed with 72andSunny New York and dentsu X, the ads lean into the idea that “value” is personal. For one traveler, it might mean squeezing in an extra round of golf. For another, it might mean having enough left in the budget for a great meal or a spontaneous night out. For someone else entirely, value might simply be a room that feels calm, predictable, and easy after a long day on the road.

The spots will run in 30- and 15-second formats across TV, connected TV, digital, and social channels throughout 2026, including high-visibility sports programming like college basketball. Choice is also amplifying the campaign through its own social channels and Key’s platforms, covering Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok.

Why “value” has become the most powerful word in travel

There is a reason so many hotel groups are suddenly talking about value again. According to data from sources like Skift Research and McKinsey, travelers are still eager to move, but they are far more intentional about how they spend. Inflation has not killed demand. It has refined it.

Choice’s campaign reflects this shift well. Instead of positioning itself against luxury brands, it reframes the conversation. The question is not “Why pay less?” but “What do you unlock by paying smart?”

This framing is especially relevant for domestic travellers, regional business trips, road trips, and blended leisure and work travel. These are segments where Choice has always been strong, and where price sensitivity is high but expectations are not low.

Familiar comfort meets modern design across the portfolio

A big part of making the “Travel Values” message credible is showing range, not just affordability. This year’s campaign puts the spotlight on brands that represent different interpretations of value within the Choice ecosystem.

On one end, there is Comfort Inn, built on familiarity, consistency, and ease. You know what you are getting, and that predictability is, for many travelers, a form of value in itself.

On the other end is Cambria Hotels, which leans into elevated design, local character, and spaces that feel more boutique than budget. Cambria speaks to travelers who want something a bit more distinctive without crossing into luxury pricing.

Together, these brands illustrate a broader strategy. Choice is not trying to be everything to everyone in a single product. It is offering different kinds of value across different price points and travel occasions.

Loyalty as a value engine, not a points game

Another pillar of the campaign is Choice Privileges, which Choice continues to position as a loyalty program built around simplicity and speed.

The program recently rolled out an updated rewards experience designed to help members earn faster, reach elite status sooner, and redeem more flexibly. In a market where loyalty programs from players like Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide are often criticised for complexity and devaluation, Choice is leaning hard into accessibility.

This is a smart move. Loyalty fatigue is real. Many travelers want rewards that feel attainable, not theoretical. By emphasising ease of earning and using points across more than 7,000 properties in over 45 countries, Choice is reinforcing the idea that value does not stop at checkout.

A campaign designed for how people actually travel

What stands out in this campaign is how little it relies on fantasy. There are no overproduced destination montages or aspirational narratives that feel detached from reality. Instead, the messaging is grounded in real decisions travelers make every day.

Do I take one expensive trip or two affordable ones?
Do I upgrade the hotel or spend that money on experiences?
Do I stick with a brand I trust or gamble on something unknown?

Choice’s answer is clear. You should not have to choose between comfort and experiences. A well-priced, well-located hotel can be the thing that makes the rest of the trip possible.

Where Choice fits in the broader hotel market

Compared to luxury-focused groups and even premium lifestyle brands, Choice is playing a different game. While Marriott pushes Bonvoy experiences and Hilton leans into aspirational status tiers, Choice is aligning itself with practical optimism. Travel is still joyful, but it is also calculated.

This positioning mirrors broader industry trends. Reports from Phocuswright and Deloitte consistently show growth in midscale and upper-midscale segments, especially among millennials and Gen Z travelers who value flexibility and frequency over indulgence.

Choice’s scale, combined with its franchising model, gives it an advantage here. It can adapt to local markets quickly while still benefiting from global recognition.

Conclusion: value as strategy, not slogan

Choice Hotels’ “Travel Values” campaign works because it does not invent a new trend. It names one that already exists and gives it a face, a voice, and a clear philosophy.

In a market crowded with promises of exclusivity and aspiration, Choice is betting on something quieter but arguably more powerful: usefulness. By framing value as a gateway to experiences rather than a compromise, it positions itself alongside how people actually travel today.

If current data from Skift, McKinsey, and Phocuswright continues to hold, brands that help travelers do more, not just spend more, will win the next phase of the travel cycle. Choice Hotels is not trying to out-luxury the giants. It is trying to out-understand them. And right now, that may be the smarter bet.