Our History
Hospitality Started Here
In 1937, real estate mogul A.M. “Sonny” Sonnabend pooled his resources with other investors to purchase the Preston Beach Hotel in a tiny Massachusetts seaside town. Thanks to the success earned from the unrivaled service and hospitality he provided every guest, his focus moved from real estate to hospitality. Excellent service and authentic experiences became the foundation for what would become one of the first U.S.-based international hotels—and they remain a cherished tradition Sonesta has honored every day for over 80 years.
1937
A.M. “Sonny” Sonnabend purchased the Preston Beach Hotel in Massachusetts with 6 other investors.
1944
Newly formed Sonnabend Operated Hotels purchased the Biltmore, Whitehall and Palm Beach Country Club in Florida.
1944
Newly formed Sonnabend Operated Hotels purchased the Biltmore, Whitehall and Palm Beach Country Club in Florida.
1948
Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago is purchased by Sonnabend Operated Hotels.
1948
Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago is purchased by Sonnabend Operated Hotels.
1950
Sonnabend Operated Hotels purchased the Hotel Cleveland and Terminal Tower.
1950
Sonnabend Operated Hotels purchased the Hotel Cleveland and Terminal Tower.
1953
A.M. Sonnabend purchased the Plaza Hotel in New York from Hilton. This was followed by the sale of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC and long-term lease on the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.1st specialty restaurant in a hotel opens; the Rib Room at the Somerset in Boston.
1953
A.M. Sonnabend purchased the Plaza Hotel in New York from Hilton. This was followed by the sale of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC and long-term lease on the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.1st specialty restaurant in a hotel opens; the Rib Room at the Somerset in Boston.
1954
Sonny Sonnabend named Director and then President - Childs Restaurant Corporation.
1954
Sonny Sonnabend named Director and then President - Childs Restaurant Corporation.
1955
Child Restaurant Corporation buys 3 Sonnabend Operated Hotels.
1955
Child Restaurant Corporation buys 3 Sonnabend Operated Hotels.
1956
Child Restaurant Corporation changes its name to Hotel Corporation of America, founded as a publicly traded company with A.M. Sonnabend as President.
1956
Child Restaurant Corporation changes its name to Hotel Corporation of America, founded as a publicly traded company with A.M. Sonnabend as President.
1959
1st International hotel built by Sonesta opens in San Juan.
1959
1st International hotel built by Sonesta opens in San Juan.
1964
A.M. Sonnabend passes and sons Roger, Paul and Stephen redirect the company to be a hotel management company, rather than a real estate or finance company.Charterhouse/Hotel Sonesta/Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston opens.
1964
A.M. Sonnabend passes and sons Roger, Paul and Stephen redirect the company to be a hotel management company, rather than a real estate or finance company.Charterhouse/Hotel Sonesta/Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston opens.
1969
Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans opens.
1969
Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans opens.
1970
HCA renamed Sonesta International Hotels Corporation.
1970
HCA renamed Sonesta International Hotels Corporation.
1978
Sonesta introduces 1st Travel Agent Advisory Board, meeting annually since.
1978
Sonesta introduces 1st Travel Agent Advisory Board, meeting annually since.
1982
Sonesta Hotel Cairo opens.
1982
Sonesta Hotel Cairo opens.
1983
Sonesta introduces Meeting Planner Advisory Board.
1983
Sonesta introduces Meeting Planner Advisory Board.
1989
1st Sonesta Cruise Ship – Sonesta Nile Goddess is launched.
1989
1st Sonesta Cruise Ship – Sonesta Nile Goddess is launched.
1993
Sonesta Sun Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt.
1993
Sonesta Sun Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt.
1994
Sonesta Beach Resort & Casino Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt opens.
1994
Sonesta Beach Resort & Casino Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt opens.
1997
Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor, opens in Egypt.
1997
Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor, opens in Egypt.
1998
Sonesta Club Sharm El Sheikh, opens in EgyptSonesta Hotel El Olivar Lima, Peru opens.
1998
Sonesta Club Sharm El Sheikh, opens in EgyptSonesta Hotel El Olivar Lima, Peru opens.
1999
Sonesta Posada del Inca Miraflores Lima, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Cusco, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Lake Titicaca Puno, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Sacred Valley Yucay, opens in Peru.
1999
Sonesta Posada del Inca Miraflores Lima, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Cusco, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Lake Titicaca Puno, opens in Peru.Sonesta Posada del Inca Sacred Valley Yucay, opens in Peru.
2000
Sonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship launched in Egypt.
2000
Sonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship launched in Egypt.
2002
Sonesta Posada del Inca Arequipa opens in PeruSonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove opens in Florida.
2002
Sonesta Posada del Inca Arequipa opens in PeruSonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove opens in Florida.
2004
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino rebranded in St. Maarten.
2004
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino rebranded in St. Maarten.
2006
Sonesta Star Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt.Sonesta St. George I cruise ship launches in Egypt.Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort rebranded in St. Maarten.
2006
Sonesta Star Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt.Sonesta St. George I cruise ship launches in Egypt.Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort rebranded in St. Maarten.
2008
Sonesta Pharaoh Beach Resort Hurghada rebranded in Egypt.
2008
Sonesta Pharaoh Beach Resort Hurghada rebranded in Egypt.
2009
Sonesta Hotel Valledupar opens in Colombia.Sonesta Hotel Osorno opens in Chile.
2009
Sonesta Hotel Valledupar opens in Colombia.Sonesta Hotel Osorno opens in Chile.
2010
Sonesta Hotel Cusco rebranded in Peru.Le Royale - A Sonesta Luxury Resort opens in Sharm El Sheikh.Sonesta Hotel Barranquilla in Colombia introduced.
2010
Sonesta Hotel Cusco rebranded in Peru.Le Royale - A Sonesta Luxury Resort opens in Sharm El Sheikh.Sonesta Hotel Barranquilla in Colombia introduced.
2011
Sonesta Hotels in Bogota and Cartagena open in Colombia, and in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
2011
Sonesta Hotels in Bogota and Cartagena open in Colombia, and in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
2012
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation sold to a Newton-based affiliate of Hospitality Properties Trust.Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island reflagged in April.Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore reflagged in May.Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia reflagged in June.Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston reflagged in July.Sonesta's newest brand the Sonesta ES Suites were introduced in Andover MA, Atlanta GA, Auburn Hills MI, Burlington MA, Charlotte NC, Columbia MD, Dublin OH, Flagstaff AZ, Houston TX, Orlando FL, Parsippany NJ, Princeton NJ, Malvern PA, St. Louis MO, Schaumburg IL and Somerset NJ over the summer.
2012
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation sold to a Newton-based affiliate of Hospitality Properties Trust.Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island reflagged in April.Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore reflagged in May.Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia reflagged in June.Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston reflagged in July.Sonesta's newest brand the Sonesta ES Suites were introduced in Andover MA, Atlanta GA, Auburn Hills MI, Burlington MA, Charlotte NC, Columbia MD, Dublin OH, Flagstaff AZ, Houston TX, Orlando FL, Parsippany NJ, Princeton NJ, Malvern PA, St. Louis MO, Schaumburg IL and Somerset NJ over the summer.
2013
Sonesta Hotel Gwinnett Place Atlanta reflagged in May.
2013
Sonesta Hotel Gwinnett Place Atlanta reflagged in May.
2014
Sonesta Fort Lauderdale reflags on May 30th.
2014
Sonesta Fort Lauderdale reflags on May 30th.
2015
Sonesta Bee Cave Austin opens.
2015
Sonesta Bee Cave Austin opens.
2016
Sonesta ES Suites brand expands with new hotels in Burlington, VT, Cincinnati, OH, Colorado Springs, CO, Minneapolis, MN, Monmouth Junction, NJ, Oklahoma City, OK, Omaha, NE, Somers Point, NJ and Tucson, AZ.Sonesta ES Suites brand opens two new hotels Cleveland Westlake and Cleveland AirportSonesta Silicon Valley San Jose opens in December.
2016
Sonesta ES Suites brand expands with new hotels in Burlington, VT, Cincinnati, OH, Colorado Springs, CO, Minneapolis, MN, Monmouth Junction, NJ, Oklahoma City, OK, Omaha, NE, Somers Point, NJ and Tucson, AZ.Sonesta ES Suites brand opens two new hotels Cleveland Westlake and Cleveland AirportSonesta Silicon Valley San Jose opens in December.
2017
The Chase Park Plaza, A Royal Sonesta - St. Louis opens in June.Sonesta Hotel Bucaramanga opens in September.Sonesta ES Suites opens 14 hotels in one day with new locations in Vancouver, WA, Houston, TX, Memphis, TN, Cincinnati, OH, St. Louis, MO, Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Jacksonville, FL, Birmingham, AL.Sonesta Travel Pass launches in South America where you can now earn and redeem points.Sonesta opens their first dual brand in Gwinnett Place Atlanta: Sonesta ES Suites Gwinnett Place Atlanta and Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta.
2017
The Chase Park Plaza, A Royal Sonesta - St. Louis opens in June.Sonesta Hotel Bucaramanga opens in September.Sonesta ES Suites opens 14 hotels in one day with new locations in Vancouver, WA, Houston, TX, Memphis, TN, Cincinnati, OH, St. Louis, MO, Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Jacksonville, FL, Birmingham, AL.Sonesta Travel Pass launches in South America where you can now earn and redeem points.Sonesta opens their first dual brand in Gwinnett Place Atlanta: Sonesta ES Suites Gwinnett Place Atlanta and Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta.
2018
Sonesta Travel Pass restructures its tier structure for redemptions to start as low at 15,000 points.The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel in San Francisco, CA opens in May.Sonesta Suites Scottsdale Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ opens in October.
2018
Sonesta Travel Pass restructures its tier structure for redemptions to start as low at 15,000 points.The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel in San Francisco, CA opens in May.Sonesta Suites Scottsdale Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ opens in October.
2019
Sonesta Hotel Loja opened in February marking our second hotel in Ecuador.Sonesta Hotel Arequipa was added to the collection in Peru in February.Sonesta World Mastercard®, our first cobrand credit card is introduced in June.Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront and Sonesta Irvine join the portfolio in November.Sonesta ES Suites New Orleans opened its doors in the bio-medical district in December.
2019
Sonesta Hotel Loja opened in February marking our second hotel in Ecuador.Sonesta Hotel Arequipa was added to the collection in Peru in February.Sonesta World Mastercard®, our first cobrand credit card is introduced in June.Royal Sonesta Chicago Riverfront and Sonesta Irvine join the portfolio in November.Sonesta ES Suites New Orleans opened its doors in the bio-medical district in December.
2020
Sonesta Atlanta Northwest, Sonesta Suites Dallas Park Central, Sonesta ES Suites Dallas Park Central, and Sonesta Hamilton Park Morristown Hotel & Conference Center joined the portfolio in September.
2020
Sonesta Atlanta Northwest, Sonesta Suites Dallas Park Central, Sonesta ES Suites Dallas Park Central, and Sonesta Hamilton Park Morristown Hotel & Conference Center joined the portfolio in September.
2021
Sonesta acquires Red Lion Hotels Corporation and a new era begins in Hospitality.
2021
Sonesta acquires Red Lion Hotels Corporation and a new era begins in Hospitality.