Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance

Overview

This role is an Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance, 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 position serves as a trusted advisor to franchise owners, property leaders, and above-property management teams, translating broader strategies into property-level actions.

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 brand and corporate 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.
• Use independent judgment and hospitality expertise to address complex property and market challenges and recommend data-driven actions.

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.
• Champion effective use of 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 the organization at appropriate industry events, franchisee associations, and networking forums.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with franchise sales and other 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.
• Act 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.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $114,907 to $135,184 annually
• Eligible for an annual bonus under the Management Incentive Plan (MIP)

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 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 hotels worldwide

Location

Not specified; this role may be field/remote depending on assignment, with possible required travel depending on the role.