Military Audit - Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Audit Target: Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) Audit Phase: Military (Military Forensics) Research Date: 29 June 2026 Primary Sources Consulted: SEC EDGAR filings; UN/OHCHR databases; civil-society investigations (AFSC Investigate, Who Profits Research Center, BDS Movement, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Don’t Buy Into Occupation, PAX, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre); trade press; board biographies; proxy filings.

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

No verified contracts, tender awards, framework agreements, or memoranda of understanding between Choice Hotels International or any of its subsidiaries and the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Israel Defence Forces, Israel Prison Service, Israel Border Police, or other Israeli state security bodies were found in any source consulted, including the company’s FY2024 Form 10-K filed with the SEC ¹, civil-society screening databases ²³⁴, or news archives. Choice Hotels’ FY2024 subsidiary disclosure (Exhibit 21.01 to the annual report) was not directly accessible due to an HTTP 403 access restriction on the primary SEC filing URL; no secondary source identified any Israeli defence-related entity within the corporate structure ⁵.

No public evidence identified of any Choice Hotels International listing in SIBAT (Israel Defence Export and Defence Cooperation Directorate) registries, international defence exhibition catalogues, or defence procurement directories. No corporate press releases, government announcements, or trade-press reports were found detailing defence cooperation, joint ventures, or partnership agreements between Choice Hotels and Israeli defence entities ¹⁶.

No public evidence identified of any formal defence procurement relationship between Choice Hotels International and any Israeli military, paramilitary, or security-sector body.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

Choice Hotels International is a hotel franchisor whose business model consists entirely of issuing franchise licences for branded lodging properties; the company does not manufacture hardware, equipment, or physical products of any kind ¹⁶. It therefore neither develops nor markets ruggedised, tactical, mil-spec, or defence-grade variants of any product, and no evidence of product sales to Israeli security forces was identified in SEC filings or civil-society databases consulted ¹³.

No public evidence identified of any export licence applications, end-user certificates, or government export-control reviews related to any Choice Hotels product or service supplied to Israeli defence or security end-users in UK government or US Bureau of Industry and Security records. No public evidence identified of any civilian product line converted or adapted for military application or re-exported under dual-use classification to any Israeli government entity.

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

No NGO investigation, UN documentation, photographic evidence, or press report documents any Choice Hotels-branded or Choice Hotels-owned equipment, vehicles, or machinery used in construction, maintenance, or demolition activity within Israeli settlements, along the separation barrier, at military installations, or in any part of the occupied Palestinian territory or Golan Heights ⁷⁸⁹¹⁰. The organisations that systematically document such equipment deployment - including Who Profits, PAX, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - do not name Choice Hotels in this context ⁷⁹¹⁰.

No public evidence identified of any contracts for construction, maintenance, servicing, or expansion of checkpoints, detention facilities, military bases, the separation barrier, or settlement infrastructure involving Choice Hotels. No public evidence identified of any direct or indirect supply of heavy machinery, earthmoving equipment, or construction services by Choice Hotels to Israeli military or settlement-building programmes.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

Choice Hotels does not manufacture components, sub-systems, raw materials, or specialist manufacturing services of any kind; it therefore has no documented supply relationship with Elbit Systems, IAI, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, IMI Systems, or any other Israeli defence prime contractor or sub-tier supplier ¹¹¹⁹. PAX’s June 2024 report “The Companies Arming Israel and Their Financiers,” which exhaustively maps corporate supply chains feeding Israeli arms manufacturers and their financial backers, does not name Choice Hotels ⁹. The UN Special Rapporteur’s July 2025 report “From economy of occupation to economy of genocide” (A/HRC/59/23), which specifically identifies corporate actors integrated into Israeli defence supply chains and the broader economy of occupation, does not name Choice Hotels ¹¹⁷¹².

No public evidence identified of any joint development, co-production, technology-transfer, or sub-contract arrangement between Choice Hotels International and any Israeli defence prime or second-tier defence manufacturer.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

Choice Hotels International provides franchise licensing to independently owned hotel properties and does not operate, own, or directly manage hotel assets ¹. No public evidence identified of any contracts to provide catering, transport, fuel supply, waste management, facilities maintenance, telecommunications, or other base-support services to IDF installations, military training facilities, detention centres, or Israeli security installations.

No public evidence identified of any Choice Hotels-related services provided to military or security installations within the West Bank, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, or the Negev in any military or security context. Choice Hotels’ documented Middle East operations are confined to a master franchise licence agreement with Al-Tayyar Travel Group (Equinox Ventures) for Comfort and Quality brand properties in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Taif, Saudi Arabia, with no Israeli or occupied-territory component identified ¹³. Choice Hotels is not a shipping, freight-forwarding, or port-handling entity, and no evidence of any role in Israeli defence logistics or military cargo was found ¹.

No public evidence identified of any logistical sustainment contract, base-services agreement, or hospitality-service arrangement between Choice Hotels International and any Israeli military, paramilitary, or border-security installation.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

Choice Hotels International is a hotel franchisor with no manufacturing capability of any kind, lethal or otherwise ¹⁶. No public evidence identified of any involvement by Choice Hotels in the manufacture, assembly, testing, maintenance, sale, brokering, or financing of munitions, lethal weapons systems, precision-guided munitions, artillery, armoured vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, naval platforms, missile systems, or any other strategic or tactical weapons platform.

No precursor-material supply, propellant chemistry, explosive ordnance, or critical-component relationship linking Choice Hotels to Israeli weapons programmes was identified in any filing, report, or database consulted ⁹. No public evidence identified of any sub-system or critical-component supply role relating to Israel’s strategic or existential defence programmes, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, or the Arrow missile system. No public evidence identified.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

No public evidence identified of any government decisions to grant, deny, suspend, or revoke export licences for any Choice Hotels product or service to Israeli military or security end-users in UK government export-control records or US Bureau of Industry and Security records. No public evidence identified of any investigations, citations, or enforcement actions related to Choice Hotels’ compliance with arms embargoes, export-control regimes, or sanctions affecting defence trade with Israel.

No court proceedings, judicial reviews, or legal challenges brought against Choice Hotels - or against any government on grounds relating to Choice Hotels - regarding a defence supply or occupation-facilitation relationship with Israel were found in any source reviewed ³⁴. The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre records zero lawsuit profiles and zero response requests for Choice Hotels International across all subject areas, including those related to Israel and the occupied territories ³⁴. No public evidence identified of any regulatory or legal proceeding in any jurisdiction connecting Choice Hotels to Israeli defence procurement, arms export, occupation-related commerce, or international humanitarian law compliance obligations.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

UN OHCHR Settlement Business Database (HRC Res. 31/36 / 53/25)

Choice Hotels International is not listed in the UN OHCHR database of business enterprises involved in activities in Israeli settlements pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 31/36 and 53/25 ¹⁴¹⁵. In the most recent update, published September 2025 under document reference A/HRC/60/19, the database covers 158 enterprises from 11 countries; Choice Hotels does not appear in that list ¹⁵¹⁶. The hospitality-sector entities listed in the OHCHR settlement database are Airbnb (US), Booking.com (Netherlands/Booking Holdings, US), Expedia Group (US), and TripAdvisor / Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings (US) ¹⁶¹⁰.

UN Special Rapporteur Report A/HRC/59/23 - July 2025

Choice Hotels International is not named in UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s July 2025 report “From economy of occupation to economy of genocide” (A/HRC/59/23) ¹¹⁷¹². The report identifies 48 corporate actors with specific documented roles in the economy of occupation and the supply of war-related products and services; the only hospitality-sector entities named in the report are Booking.com and Airbnb ¹¹.

Amnesty International - “Destination: Occupation” (January 2019)

Choice Hotels International is not named in Amnesty International’s January 2019 investigation “Destination: Occupation” or its accompanying Chapter 4 on online tourism companies doing business in Israeli settlements ¹⁷¹⁸. The four companies investigated in that report are Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor; Choice Hotels is absent from both the investigation and the accompanying corporate findings ¹⁷¹⁸.

Human Rights Watch - “Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land” (November 2018)

Choice Hotels International is not named in the Human Rights Watch/Kerem Navot November 2018 report “Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land: Tourist Rental Listings in West Bank Settlements,” which examined short-stay rental platforms operating in West Bank settlements ⁸. That report focuses on Airbnb and Booking.com rental listing activity in the occupied territories ⁸.

PAX - “The Companies Arming Israel and Their Financiers” (June 2024)

Choice Hotels International is not named in PAX’s June 2024 report “The Companies Arming Israel and Their Financiers,” which maps corporate supply relationships feeding Israeli arms manufacturers and the financial institutions that back them ⁹.

AFSC Investigate Database

Choice Hotels International is not listed in the AFSC Investigate database of companies with documented occupation-related concerns ². The hospitality and travel-sector companies listed in the AFSC database include Airbnb Inc., Booking Holdings Inc., Expedia Group Inc., Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings Inc., TripAdvisor Inc., and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.; Choice Hotels does not appear alongside any of these listings ².

Don’t Buy Into Occupation (DBIO) - 2025 Report

Choice Hotels International is not named in the DBIO 2025 report, which focuses primarily on European financial institutions and companies with settlement-related business ties ¹⁹. No public evidence identified of any DBIO publication or coverage linking Choice Hotels to settlement-related commercial activity.

Who Profits Research Center

A direct search of the Who Profits Research Center database returned no entry for Choice Hotels International ²⁰. Who Profits systematically documents companies profiting from Israeli occupation across multiple sectors; no documented commercial relationship with occupation infrastructure was identified for Choice Hotels by that organisation ²⁰.

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre

The BHRC profile for Choice Hotels International records zero response requests, zero lawsuit profiles, and no documented allegations or findings related to Israel, Israeli settlements, military connections, or the defence sector ³⁴. The BHRC Comfort Inn (part of Choice Hotels) profile similarly records no relevant allegations or engagement requests ⁴.

BDS Movement - Priority Targeting Guide (November 2024)

Choice Hotels International is not named as a target in the BDS Movement’s November 2024 “Guide to BDS Boycott & Pressure Corporate Priority Targeting”; the priority hospitality-sector targets identified in that document are Booking.com and Airbnb ²¹. No public evidence identified of any organised boycott, divestment, or exclusion campaign specifically targeting Choice Hotels International for defence-related activities linked to Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories. No public evidence identified of any institutional investor divestment decision citing Choice Hotels in relation to Israeli military, settlement, or occupation concerns.

Wikipedia - Companies Operating in West Bank Settlements

Choice Hotels International does not appear in the Wikipedia-aggregated list of companies documented as operating in West Bank settlements ¹⁰.

Corporate Response & Policy Posture

No public evidence identified of any public statements, policy changes, contract terminations, or end-use monitoring commitments made by Choice Hotels in response to civil society pressure regarding defence supply chains, settlement commerce, or occupation-related concerns.

Controlling Principals

Patrick S. Pacious (President & CEO, incumbent until May 2026): Pacious served as a commissioned officer in the US Navy, surface warfare specialty, before transitioning to a civilian hospitality management career ²². No Israeli military service, IDF or Unit 8200 affiliation, FIDF donation record, Israeli defence-industry directorship, or public statement of co-belligerency with Israel’s military operations was identified in any corporate biography or proxy disclosure reviewed ⁶²².

Stewart W. Bainum Jr. (Executive Chairman): Bainum’s documented philanthropy is focused on education, through the Bainum Family Foundation, and local journalism, including a $50 million pledge to the Baltimore Banner; he and his wife joined the Giving Pledge in 2018 ⁶. No public evidence identified of any Israeli military connections, FIDF involvement, Israeli defence-industry equity holdings, or occupation-related public statements for this principal.

Brian B. Bainum (Director): Bainum’s documented background spans management consulting at Deloitte and Infosys, investment through SunBridge Capital, and board service at Realty Investment Company, Sunburst Hospitality, Artis Senior Living, and the Three Graces Foundation, which is focused on health and education in developing nations ⁶. No public evidence identified of any military service, Israeli connections, or defence-industry ties for this director in proxy filings or any other source reviewed.

Other Named Directors (Gordon A. Smith, Donna F. Vieira, Liza K. Landsman, Maureen D. Sullivan, William L. Jews, Ervin R. Shames, John P. Tague, Monte J.M. Koch): Professional backgrounds in financial services, technology, retail, and hospitality management were documented in proxy biography review ⁶. No Israeli military service, IDF affiliations, Israeli defence-industry equity, FIDF involvement, or public statements related to the Israel/Palestine conflict were identified for any of these individuals in proxy review or any other source consulted ⁶.

Settlement Nexus & Geographic Footprint

No public evidence identified of any Choice Hotels-branded properties operating in Israel, including Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Israel is not included in published EMEA coverage areas for any Choice Hotels brand as of 2024–2025 ¹³. No Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, Cambria Hotels, Sleep Inn, or other Choice Hotels franchise brand was confirmed as operating in West Bank settlements, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights through the OHCHR database ¹⁴¹⁵, the Who Profits database ²⁰, or any NGO report reviewed.

Choice Hotels’ documented Middle East operations consist of a master franchise licence agreement with Al-Tayyar Travel Group (Equinox Ventures) for Comfort and Quality brand properties in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Taif, Saudi Arabia, announced in 2019 ¹³. A continuation of a Seera Group master licence agreement covering the Saudi market was also identified through available press materials ¹³. No public evidence identified of any Israel-based franchise operations, Israeli market-entry announcements, or Israeli franchise partner agreements.

Technology Vendor Notes (Routed to Digital)

The following findings fall outside Military domain boundaries per the test of whether a product’s designed output produces a targeting decision or weapons effect; they are flagged here for routing to the Digital audit only.

AWS Cloud Migration: Choice Hotels completed the migration of all data-centre infrastructure to Amazon Web Services in January 2024, becoming the first hotel company to complete a full data-centre migration to AWS ²³²⁴²⁵. No Choice Hotels-specific contractual nexus to Project Nimbus (the Israeli government cloud infrastructure programme for which AWS holds a prime contract) was identified in any source consulted; Choice Hotels’ relationship with AWS is as a commercial enterprise-cloud customer ²³²⁴²⁵.

Finout (FinOps Platform): Choice Hotels uses Finout, a Tel Aviv-based cloud cost-management software provider, for cloud cost allocation and optimisation ²⁶. Finout’s CEO and co-founder, Roi Ravhon, disclosed in a published 2024 founder interview that he commenced his career in Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200, where he received programming training and served for seven years ²⁶. Finout’s designed output is cloud-cost allocation data and does not produce targeting decisions or weapons effects ²⁶; this vendor relationship is accordingly routed to Digital rather than Military.

Evidence Gaps

The following source limitations constrain the completeness of this audit:

1. Choice Hotels FY2024 Exhibit 21.01 (Subsidiary List): The SEC direct-file URL ⁵ returned HTTP 403 on retrieval; the full corporate entity list, including dormant or non-US holding entities, could not be verified from the primary filing.
2. OpenIntel UK Profile: The URL for a Choice Hotels profile on OpenIntel UK ²⁷ returned HTTP 404; its content could not be assessed.
3. UN OHCHR BHR Database Direct Query: The OHCHR database interface ¹⁴ returned HTTP 403; non-appearance of Choice Hotels was confirmed via the 2025 press release ¹⁵ and secondary reporting on the 158-company list ¹⁶, but not by direct database query.
4. DBIO 2025 PDF Full Text: The PDF ¹⁹ returned binary-only content on retrieval; full-text extraction failed. Non-appearance of Choice Hotels was inferred from the absence of any search result linking the company to DBIO publications.
5. Choice Hotels Vendor and Supplier List: No public procurement disclosure names individual technology or service vendors beyond those identified in press releases; a comprehensive review of Israeli-origin technology vendors to Choice Hotels is not possible from public sources alone.
6. SIBAT Database: Not publicly accessible in searchable form; the possibility of an Israeli reseller or sub-franchisor appearing in Israeli defence export directories cannot be fully excluded from public-source research alone.
7. FY2025–FY2026 SEC Filings: Not yet fully indexed at the time of this research; any new Israeli-market franchise activity or material supply-chain change since 31 December 2024 would not be captured.

End Notes