Sonesta International Hotels has established a Luxury & Lifestyle lodging development team that will lead Sonesta’s growth of its upper-upscale brands, which include The James and The Royal Sonesta franchises in the Americas.
“We are empowering this team, dedicated to the upper end of the market, to continue expanding Sonesta’s footprint of our upper upscale brands,” Sonesta Chief Development Officer Brian Quinn said in a statement. “We anticipate accelerated portfolio growth with The James and The Royal Sonesta brands.”
The team is led by Senior Vice President Phil Hugh, who joins Sonesta with 20 years of experience leading lodging development teams. Regional VPs on the team include new hire William Hall, Tom Williams and Mike Higgins.
“The luxury and lifestyle markets are a compelling opportunity for Sonesta,” Hugh said. “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 has 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.