Sonesta CEO on Turning the Brand Into One of the Largest U.S. Hotel Companies Overnight
Skift Take
Sonesta's ongoing growth spurt isn't likely to stop with just one acquisition target.
Sonesta International Hotel Corp.’s plan to acquire the parent company of Red Lion Hotels was a long time coming, according to the CEO of the smaller (until recently) Boston-based hotel company.
Sonesta CEO Carlos Flores remained bullish on growth opportunities for the hotel company as the pandemic wore on for months. After scooping up a roughly 200-hotel portfolio from Marriott and IHG in the latter half of last year due to respective defaults with landlord Service Properties Trust, Sonesta wasn’t done plotting out a growth trajectory.
The $90 million deal to acquire RLH Corp., announced just before the end of the year, puts Sonesta on track to have roughly 1,200 hotels under its various brand flags later in 2021. But it also opens up more franchising opportunities to fuel further organic gr
