Sonesta expands in Caribbean with 5-hotel deal

NEWTON, Massachusetts — Sonesta is expanding in the Caribbean and continuing its Latin American expansion with a deal to open five Sonesta ES Suites hotels in the Dominican Republic.

The first property for Newton, Massachusetts-based Sonesta International Hotels Corp. will be an 80-key upscale, extended-stay Sonesta ES Suites Elements Jarabacoa, which is scheduled to open in the first third of 2026. The remaining four hotels are scheduled to be completed through 2031.

“With the construction of these hotels, Sonesta continues its expansion in the LATAM region to meet rising consumer and franchisee demand in the region for upscale apartment-style accommodations,” said Brian Quinn, chief development officer for Sonesta.

The five Sonesta ES Suites properties are franchised by Dominican Republic-based Almanzar Marte Ingenieros & Arquitectos, which has developed, constructed and delivered over 100 residential units in Santo Domingo.

“We are thrilled to introduce the Sonesta brand to the Dominican Republic. Their values and business practices align seamlessly with ours, as both companies share a strong foundation in family-oriented principles,” said David Almanzar, CEO of Almanzar Marte.

Sonesta is the eighth-largest U.S. hotel company and has hotels in Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt and Peru. Its other properties in the Caribbean are two all-inclusive resorts in Maho Bay on the island of Sint Maarten: the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa—St Maarten and the Sonesta Ocean Point Resort—St Maarten.

The company told Hotel Investment Today in May that it embraces property ownership while many of its competitors are moving to asset light. It’s also cutting the number of core brands in its portfolio while others continue to add.  

CEO John Murray also told HIT in May that international expansion is one way he sees Sonesta growing in the future. “We’ve really been focused on the U.S. and getting the distribution here,” he said. “We’re potentially looking to add in the Caribbean and Latin America.”

In July, Sonesta opened its first hotel in Mexico with the 206-key Costa Sur Resort, Classico Collection by Sonesta. The upper-upscale property is located on a private beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Banderas Bay, south of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.