Hotels Magazine:
Boston-based Sonesta International Hotels Corp. is pushing forth with its new U.S. franchise program, following the January debut of its first domestic franchise, in Orlando.
Sonesta has licensed hotels internationally for three decades, but its U.S. franchising push is a recent development. The company sees a void in the domestic upper-upscale franchising market as the hotel industry emerges from the downturn. Given the dearth of transactions in 2009 and the anticipated property turnover going forward, Sonesta believes the timing is right for a franchising push as owners look to reposition newly acquired assets.
Interest among developers and franchisees thus far has been somewhat brisk. “In this economy, we are actually pleasantly surprised,†says Phil Silberstein, Sonesta’s executive vice president of development. “We are getting a lot of calls and interest in franchising the Sonesta brand in the United States, because what we represent is an upscale branding option that, up to now, had not existed.â€
