Hawthorn Suites
Hawthorn Suites is a chain of hotels in the United States. Hawthorn Suites is among the key players in the upper midscale hotels category, according to CNN.com[[1]. Most Hawthorn Suites offer amenities such as meeting rooms, exercise facilities, swimming pools, and a free hot buffet breakfast and dinner. It competes with Hilton's Homewood Suites, Marriott's Residence Inn, and InterContinental'sStaybridge Suites in the upper moderate to low upscale segment of the extended-stay market. Because Hyatt also offers a similar extended-stay brand called Summerfield Suites, it may also compete with SpringHill Suites and Comfort Suites in the non-extended-stay, all-suite segment of the market.
History
The chain was founded in 1983 and was initially acquired in 1985 by the Pritzker family, owners of the Hyatt Hotel Chain. The brand grew from 10 hotels to 17 during the Pritzker's ownership. In 1996 the Pritzker’s signed an agreement with US Franchise Systems, Inc. granting all franchising rights for Hawthorn Suites to USFS. In early 1998 USFS purchased Hawthorn completely from the Pritzker family and continued to grow the brand at rapid pace, reaching over 100 hotels. Today, Hawthorn continues to expand in both primary and tertiary markets around the country and worldwide. In November 2000 Hawthorn Suites parent company, US Franchise Systems, was purchased by business interests of the Pritzker family.
New Future
On July 21, 2008, Wyndham Worldwide, owner of Wingate by Wyndham, AmeriHost Inn, Days Inn, Baymont Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Knights Inn, and TraveLodge hotels, purchased US Franchise Systems, Inc., owner of the Microtel Inns and Hawthorn Suites brands for $150 million. US Franchise Systems had previously sold the America's Best Inn (formerly Best Inns) chain to the Country Hearth Inns chain in 2005. That holding company is now known as America's Best Franchising Inc.