Sonesta International Hotels Corporation is shaking up its executive leadership, appointing Keith Pierce and Jeff Leer as co-chief executive officers, effective April 1, 2026.
The pair will succeed John Murray, who is retiring from Sonesta and his role as executive vice president of The RMR Group (Sonesta’s parent company) at the end of March.
The appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Newton, MA-based hospitality group, which has undergone one of the most aggressive expansions in the hotel industry over the last five years. Once a relatively small collection of assets, Sonesta ballooned in size during the height of the pandemic.
In a massive strategic shift starting in 2020, Sonesta absorbed over 200 hotels previously managed by Marriott and IHG (owned by RMR-managed Service Properties Trust), effectively rebranding them overnight. Shortly after, in 2021, Sonesta acquired Red Lion Hotels Corporation, a move that catapulted the company into the franchising major leagues and expanded its portfolio from approximately 80 hotels to nearly 1,200.
Keith Pierce has been a central figure in that post-acquisition era. Since joining the executive team in 2021, he has spearheaded the company’s global franchising business — a key pillar of the Red Lion deal. A veteran of the industry, Pierce previously held senior leadership roles at Wyndham Hotel Group and Cendant Corporation.
His co-CEO, Jeff Leer, brings deep financial and operational expertise from within the wider organizational family. A member of The RMR Group’s management committee, Leer most recently served as president and CEO of AlerisLife. There, he is credited with guiding the company through its post-pandemic recovery, driving a 440 percent increase in net operating income for its senior living division.
In a joint statement regarding the transition, Pierce and Leer said:
“We are honored to lead Sonesta into its next phase of growth. Over the past several years, Sonesta has transformed its management business, franchise business, technology, and commercial infrastructure under John’s leadership, creating a strong foundation for the future. Building on this progress, we are committed to advancing Sonesta’s ‘asset-right,’ franchise-focused growth strategy, leveraging innovative technology, and driving operational excellence to expand market share and deliver an exceptional guest experience across all segments. We look forward to working closely with our talented leadership team and roughly 7,000 employees to achieve these goals.”
Today, Sonesta owns, manages, and franchises more than 1,000 properties, including 69 hotels managed on behalf of Service Properties Trust.
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