Sonesta International Hotels Corp. executed 65 new franchise agreements in 2023, spanning 12 of the company’s 17 brands. The new agreements added 5,697 new guestrooms.

“Sonesta’s success in 2023 was driven by our franchise development strategy and our commitment to continue strengthening our capabilities and fortifying franchisee relationships,” Keith Pierce, Sonesta’s EVP, president of franchise and development, said in a statement.

At the end of 2021, Sonesta Franchising debuted in the U.S. with a complete platform of franchise services, hotel operations and franchise support. With significant growth in 2022 and 2023, and the recent establishment of The James lifestyle brand, Sonesta Essential focus service brand and two soft brands, Mod, A Sonesta Collection, and Classico, A Sonesta Collection, the company anticipates a strong 2024 as the company’s brand portfolio meets the needs of guests and owners.

“With last year’s launch of four new brands, we will continue to expand our franchising presence across several new segments in 2024,” Pierce added. “We expect our recent growth to continue as we execute deals with flexible standards and a turnaround from application to execution in just 30 days, creating a business model that is primed for conversions.”

With hospitality ownership and operating experience, Sonesta possesses a unique viewpoint and a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our franchisees across our portfolio, said Brian Quinn, Sonesta’s Chief Development Officer. “We leverage this perspective to help our existing franchise partners focus on their own success,” Quinn continued. “This perspective also allows us to stay ahead of industry trends and identify opportunities to diversify the portfolio geographically and across brand segments.”

The 65 franchise agreement executions completed in 2023 are distributed across 12 of Sonesta’s brands. Sonesta Franchising provides franchisees with a range of options across the upper upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments.

SOURCE: Hotel Management