Latest news with #KeithPierce
Travel Daily News
29-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Sonesta executes 31 franchise agreements in H1 2025
Sonesta adds 31 new franchise deals and opens 10 hotels in H1 2025, reinforcing its strategic growth and global brand expansion. NEWTON, MA – Sonesta International Hotels (Sonesta), the 8th largest hotel company in the US, announced the execution of 31 new franchise agreements during the first half of 2025 as well as 10 openings that showcase Sonesta's global expansion and continued growth strategy. 'The continued growth in the first half of 2025, with 31 new franchise agreements, highlights Sonesta's sustained momentum and our attractive value proposition for owners,' said Keith Pierce, Sonesta's EVP and President of Franchise & Development. 'We're seeing continued demand across our diverse portfolio, which speaks to our ability to meet the needs of various markets and strengthens our existing owner relationships.' Sonesta's ongoing franchise expansion, in spite of the macroeconomic and political headwinds that started the year, highlights its success in growing its footprint. This growth is bolstered by its fast, friendly, and flexible model, which especially appeals to hotel owners during times of uncertainty. 'Our tailored brand offerings and flexible standards are clearly resonating with developers looking for strategic growth,' said Brian Quinn, Sonesta's Chief Development Officer. 'These 31 new agreements, spanning our distinct brands, along with the 10 recent openings, demonstrate our continued commitment to providing solutions that drive success for our franchisees and expand Sonesta's footprint in key locations.' Sonesta had 10 new hotels add nearly 1000 new rooms to the portfolio in the first six months of 2025. They include (in order of opening): Sonesta Essential Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge, LA – Baton Rouge, LA Red Lion Hotel Charlotte – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte, NC Signature Inn Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – Berkeley, CA Americas Best Value Inn Donaldsonville – Donaldsonville, LA – Donaldsonville, LA Americas Best Value Inn Fredonia – Fredonia, NY – Fredonia, NY Sonesta Essentia Blue Springs – Blue Springs, MO – Blue Springs, MO Sonesta Essential Overland Park – Overland Park, KS – Overland Park, KS Signature Inn Miami – Miami, FL – Miami, FL Americas Best Value Inn/Knights Inn Pilot Mountain (dual brand) – Pilot Mountain, NC In late 2021, Sonesta RL Hotels Franchising Inc. launched four Sonesta-branded hotel concepts in the U.S., complete with a comprehensive platform of franchise services, hotel operations, and franchise support. Building on this momentum, 2023 marked another milestone with the introduction of four new brands: The James, Sonesta Essential Hotels, and two soft brands – Classico Collection by Sonesta and MOD Collection by Sonesta. In 2024, Sonesta expanded its reach by introducing the 'by Sonesta' endorser branding to the Red Lion portfolio, further reinforcing its commitment to strategic growth and innovation. Sonesta's diverse portfolio of 13 distinct brands provides owners and developers with a wide range of options across the upper-upscale, lifestyle, upscale, midscale, extended-stay, and economy segments. With a focus on strategic growth, an owner-first approach, available market opportunities, and direct access to its leadership team, Sonesta stands out as an attractive partner for developers seeking flexibility and innovation in hospitality. Guests of these new locations can earn or redeem points as members of the award-winning Sonesta Travel Pass guest loyalty program.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Milky Way arcs over Kitt Peak National Observatory
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On a warm June evening, viewers in Arizona watched the sky burst with color from the clouds of gas and dust that help create our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way galaxy is around 100,000 light-years in diameter, containing our solar system and many other objects. Our solar system orbits the galaxy's center, taking about 250 million years to make one revolution. The reason our galaxy is called "the Milky Way" is due to its milky white appearance in the night sky, which, according to Greek mythology, came from the goddess Hera. This image was captured at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. Kitt Peak National Observatory, a a program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, hosts the recently retired McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. According to NOIRLab, the solar telescope honors astronomers Keith Pierce and Robert McMath. For many decades, the McMath-Pierce telescope was the largest solar telescope in the world, standing at 110 feet tall (33 meters), with a 26-foot-diameter (8 m) platform. The telescope worked by reflecting light from a mirror down a 200-foot-long (61 m) concrete optical tunnel. In 2017, the telescope was decommissioned, after decades of serving the scientific community. It is in the process of transitioning to the NOIRLab Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach, according to NOIRLab. You can read more about solar telescopes and NOIRLab's research as humans continue to study the sun.
