Timeline
For over 75 years, Sonesta has owned, managed, designed, built and marketed hotels throughout the world. Sonesta International Hotels Corporation is an outgrowth of Sonnabend Operated Hotels and Childs Restaurant Company. The merger of these two companies led to the founding of Hotel Corporation of America, one of the first major hotel companies in the world.
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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. | |||||||
1948 | Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago is purchased by Sonnabend Operated Hotels. | |||||||
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. |
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1954 | Sonny Sonnabend named Director and then President - Childs Restaurant Corporation. | |||||||
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. | |||||||
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. |
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1969 | Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans opens. | |||||||
1970 | HCA renamed Sonesta International Hotels Corporation. | |||||||
1978 | Sonesta introduces 1st Travel Agent Advisory Board, meeting annually since. | |||||||
1982 | Sonesta Hotel Cairo opens. | |||||||
1983 | Sonesta introduces Meeting Planner Advisory Board. | |||||||
1989 | 1st Sonesta Cruise Ship – Sonesta Nile Goddess is launched. | |||||||
1993 | Sonesta Hotel Port Said opens in Egypt. Sonesta Sun Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt. |
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1994 | Sonesta Beach Resort & Casino Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt opens. | |||||||
1995 | Sonny's granddaughter Stephanie assumes responsibilities as President of Sonesta. | |||||||
1997 | Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor, opens in Egypt. | |||||||
1998 | Sonesta Club Sharm El Sheikh, opens in Egypt Sonesta Hotel El Olivar Lima, Peru opens. |
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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. |
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2000 | Sonesta Moon Goddess Cruise Ship launched in Egypt. | |||||||
2002 | Sonesta Posada del Inca Arequipa opens in Peru Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove opens in Florida. |
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2003 | Stephanie and Peter Sonnabend become Co-CEO’s for Sonesta. | |||||||
2004 | Sonesta Beach Resort Taba opens in Egypt. Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino rebranded in St. Maarten. Sonesta Hotel Sao Paulo opens in Brazil. |
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2006 | Sonesta Star Goddess Cruise Ship launches in Egypt. Sonesta St. George I cruise ship launches in Egypt. Sonesta Hotel Brasilia opens in Brazil. Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort rebranded in St. Maarten. |
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2008 | Sonesta Pharaoh Beach Resort Hurghada rebranded in Egypt. | |||||||
2009 | Sonesta Dahabeya Amirat launched on the Nile. Sonesta Hotel Valledupar opens in Colombia. Sonesta Hotels in Osorno and Calama open in Chile. |
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2010 | Sonesta Hotel Cusco rebranded in Peru. Le Royale - A Sonesta Collection Luxury Resort opens in Sharm El Sheikh. Sonesta Hotel Barranquilla in Colombia introduced. |
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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, Myrtle Beach SC, St. Louis MO, Schaumburg IL and Somerset NJ over the summer. |
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2013 | Royal Sonesta Hotel & Casino Panama opens as the first international Royal Sonesta. | |||||||
Sonesta Hotel Gwinnett Place Atlanta reflagged in May. | ||||||||
2014 | Sonesta Fort Lauderdale reflags on May 30th. | |||||||
2015 | Sonesta Bee Cave Austin opens. | |||||||
Sonesta's 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. |