Sonesta International Hotels Corporation today announced the recent growth of their Franchise & Development team under the leadership of Chief Development Officer, Brian Quinn.

Quinn was appointed in April 2021 under the mandate to further Sonesta’s continued growth. Now with 15 diversified brands, more than 1,200 locations, and 100,000 plus guest rooms; Quinn has brought on several new industry leaders to fortify his team’s capabilities and capacity to fuel Sonesta’s continued growth. Each of the new leaders brings with them extensive experience, in-depth knowledge, and strong relationships within the hospitality and real estate industries.

Sonesta’s five new Franchise & Development leaders include:

Mike Castro joins as a Senior Vice President of Select Service Brands (SSB). Castro comes to Sonesta with extensive experience in both franchise sales and hotel operations. Having spent much of his career at RLH Corporation, Mike’s familiarity with the brand is a welcome and powerful advantage.

Keith Biumi joins as a Senior Vice President of Upscale Brands (USB). Biumi began his career in hospitality operations and sales and marketing identifying promising B2B opportunities, an experience to which he believes established the foundation for his successful tenure in development in hospitality that has taken him from IHG, Choice Hotels, Marriott, and now Sonesta.

Chris Leiser joins as a Regional Vice President of USB. Leiser is adept at working with Full-Service, Upper Scale Brands, previously at Wyndham Hotels Group and Choice Hotels International. Chris is bringing well-rounded experience to his new position.

Ahmer Naushad joins as a Vice President of Analytics and Administration. Naushad is a seasoned industry professional, holding diverse, global positions in operations, strategy, investment, and asset management for a range of hospitality and real estate organizations such as Gencom, Miral Asset Management, and Majjd Al Futtaim Properties.

Mike Higgins joins as a Regional Vice President of USB. Higgins has comprehensive experience working across a broad spectrum of property types and executing strategic development plans for franchise and management growth, proven through his prior positions at IHG, Choice, and Domio.

“This newly extended team brings an unmatched wealth of industry experience.” Quinn said “I am appreciative and pleased to welcome these talented hospitality executives to Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. This business is about building and maintaining strong relationships, these well-seasoned professionals excel at both, and we are thrilled to have them now part of Sonesta’s Franchise & Development team.”

As a result of the growth in over the last 12 months, Sonesta globally ranks as one of the largest hotel companies.

These additions to the Franchise & Development team will serve to support the renewed global growth efforts of Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. The company offers a complete platform of franchise services, hotel operations and franchise support, with 15 brands between the managed and franchised portfolios that service an extensive array of the lodging demand.

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, Classico – a Sonesta Collection, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts; Mod – A Sonesta Collection, Sonesta Select; Sonesta Essential, Sonesta ES (Extended Stay) Suites, Sonesta Simply Suites and Sonesta Cruise Collection operating in Egypt, also; Sonesta Posadas del Inca; Red Lion Hotels; Red Lion Inn & Suites; Signature Inn; GuestHouse Extended Stay; Knight's Inn; Americas Best Value Inn and Canadas Best Value Inn. For more information about Sonesta and its locations, visit franchise.sonesta.com or email [email protected].