BrandWikiReturn

Country Inn & Suites

Country Inn & Suites is an upper midscale hotel chain founded in 1986 by Carlson Holdings.[1][3] Competing brands in the upper midscale segment include Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Best Western Plus, and Fairfield by Marriott.[2]

History

Carlson Holdings launched Country Inns by Carlson in 1986 to serve the midscale hospitality segment.[1] As part of a co-branding strategy, the original Country Inns hosted Country Kitchen restaurants,[1][4] an arrangement which ended when Carlson sold the latter brand to Kitchen Investment Group in 1997.[5] In 1994, Carlson entered a master franchise agreement with Rezidor Hotel Group AB, granting Rezidor rights to operate Radisson properties in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).[3]

By the late 2000s, the Country Inn & Suites portfolio had grown to over 500 locations, mainly in the United States.[6] In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, the brand reduced amenity spending by 7% as part of broader cost-containment efforts.[6] In 2010, Rezidor placed the Country Inn & Suites brand under review. At the time, only two locations were operated under Rezidor management in the EMEA region.[3]

Ownership changes

In 2016, Carlson publicly confirmed it had retained Morgan Stanley to explore strategic alternatives for its hotel division, including a potential sale or merger.[1] Later that year, China's HNA Tourism Group acquired Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, bringing Country Inn & Suites under its ownership as part of the deal.[7]

In 2018, the brand was renamed Country Inn & Suites by Radisson.[8] Around the same time, the brand launched a new logo, marketing campaign, and updated visual identity.[8] Later that year, Jinjiang International acquired the Country Inn brand from HNA as part of its acquisition of Radisson Hotel Group (previously Carlson Rezidor).[9]

In 2022, Choice Hotels International acquired Radisson Hotel Group Americas for $675 million.[10] Of the 624 hotels included in the deal, 453 were Country Inn & Suites properties, making it the single largest brand component of the acquisition.[11]

Corporate affairs

In 2013, Country Inn & Suites launched a brand refresh aimed at attracting millennial business guests, including design changes and expanded communal spaces.[12] The first property to showcase the new design, a 78-room hotel in Springfield, Illinois, featured architectural updates, a pool, and an outdoor veranda.[13] In 2025, Choice Hotels introduced a new prototype hotel including a redesigned lobby, updated breakfast offerings, and a new layout with 18 more guest rooms.[14]

See also

  • List of hotels

References

  1. M.L. Cohen. International Directory of Company Histories St. James Press (Gale, Cengage Learning group), 2016^
  2. 10-k for 2024 www.sec.gov, retrieved June 30, 2025^
  3. M. L. Cohen. International Directory of Company Histories St. James Press (Gale, Cengage Learning group), 2011^
  4. Laurette Dube, Cathy A. Enz, Leo M. Renaghan, Judy A. Siguaw. American Lodging Excellence: The Key to Best Practices in the U.S. Lodging Industry American Hotel Foundation, 1999^
  5. Ann Merrill. Carlson Hospitality Worldwide Gets Out of the Country Kitchen The Minnesota Star Tribune, July 24, 1997^
  6. Country Inns & Suites Holds the Line CoStar, September 30, 2010, retrieved June 29, 2025^
  7. Adam Jourdan, Denny Thomas. China's HNA Group agrees to buy Carlson Hotels Reuters, April 28, 2016, retrieved June 29, 2025^
  8. Elliott Mest. Carlson Rezidor reworks Country Inn brand name Hotel Management, January 17, 2018, retrieved August 10, 2025^
  9. Robert McCune. Radisson Execs See Chinese Inroads With Owner Jin Jiang CoStar, April 10, 2019, retrieved June 29, 2025^
  10. Evan Ramstad. Choice Hotels buys Radisson Hotel Group Americas, remnant of Carlson travel legacy The Minnesota Star Tribune, June 14, 2022, retrieved June 29, 2025^
  11. Jena Tesse Fox, David Eisen. Choice Hotels scales up, moves up with Radisson Americas buy Hotel Management, June 13, 2022, retrieved July 18, 2025^
  12. Alissa Ponchione. Country Inns Targets Gen Y With Prototype CoStar, March 18, 2013, retrieved June 29, 2025^
  13. Tim Landis. Country Inn & Suites scheduled to open Nov. 21 The State Journal-Register, November 10, 2013, retrieved August 10, 2025^
  14. Esther Hertzfeld. Choice introduces new brand identities, prototypes Hotel Management, March 18, 2025, retrieved July 18, 2025^