Newton, MA (March 22, 2023) – Sonesta International Hotels Corporation (Sonesta), the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S., today announced the establishment of a Luxury & Lifestyle Lodging Development Team.   The team will lead Sonesta’s growth of its Upper Upscale brands, which include The James and The Royal Sonesta franchises in the Americas.  Today’s announcement underscores Sonesta’s commitment to and growing leadership position within the burgeoning lifestyle and luxury sectors.

“We are empowering this team, dedicated to the upper end of the market, to continue expanding Sonesta’s footprint of our upper upscale brands,” said Brian Quinn, Sonesta Chief Development Officer. “We anticipate accelerated portfolio growth with The James and The Royal Sonesta brands.”

The Luxury & Lifestyle Lodging Development Team is led by Senior Vice President Phil Hugh, who joins Sonesta with 20 years of experience leading and motivating lodging development teams. Regional Vice Presidents on the team include new hire William (Bill) Hall, Tom Williams and Mike Higgins. The team is fully committed to Sonesta’s ethos of strong relationships with owners, operators, and franchisees supported by a distinctive, differentiated hospitality product.

“The luxury and lifestyle markets are a compelling opportunity for Sonesta,” said Phil Hugh, Sonesta Senior Vice President and head of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lodging Development Team. “Sonesta has continued to expand its development capabilities and we, as a team, are committed to working with owners, management companies and the development community to grow this segment.”

In September 2021, Sonesta Franchising debuted in the U.S. with a complete platform of franchise services, hotel operations and franchise support. Sonesta Franchising now features 17 brands with a wide range of hotel service levels to meet travelers’ needs. Sonesta Franchising provides franchisees with a range of options across the upper upscale, upscale, upper-midscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. Sonesta’s continued growth, owner-centric approach, market availability and executive accessibility make it a compelling choice for developers and owners.

About Sonesta

Sonesta is the 8th largest hotel company according to Smith Travel Research (STR) with approximately 1,200 properties totaling 100,000 guest rooms across 17 brands in eight countries. Sonesta owns, manages and/or franchises under The Royal Sonesta; The James, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts; Sonesta Select; Sonesta Essential, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Simply Suites and Sonesta Cruise Collection  operating in Egypt, also; Sonesta Posadas del Inca; Hotel RL; Red Lion Hotels; Red Lion Inn & Suites; Signature Inn; GuestHouse Extended Stay; Knights Inn; Americas Best Value Inn and Canadas Best Value Inn. For more information about Sonesta, visit franchise.sonesta.com or email development@sonesta.com.

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