New co-CEOs at Sonesta

NEWTON, Massachusetts – Sonesta International Hotels Corp. announced that Keith Pierce, executive vice president and president of Franchise and Development at Sonesta, and Jeff Leer, executive vice president at The RMR Group, have been appointed as co-CEOs, effective April 1, 2026. Current CEO John Murray is retiring from his positions with Sonesta and The RMR Group, effective March 31, 2026.

Sonesta currently owns, manages and franchises more than 1,000 properties (100,000 rooms) across 13 brands in 10 countries, which includes its management of 69 hotels on behalf of Service Properties Trust.

Last month, Noble Investment Group acquired a 35-asset portfolio of Sonesta Simply Suites from Sonesta parent company Service Properties Trust totaling more than 4,000 rooms across 19 states and 25 markets.

Pierce has been a member of Sonesta’s executive leadership team since 2021, leading the expansion of Sonesta’s global franchising business. Prior to joining Sonesta, he held senior executive positions at The Passionality Group, Wyndham Hotel Group and Cendant Corp.

Leer, a member of RMR’s management committee, has held senior finance and accounting leadership roles within the organization since 2013, including most recently serving as the president and CEO of senior living business AlerisLife Inc. since 2022.

“We are honored to lead Sonesta into its next phase of growth,” Pierce and Leer said in a statement. “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.”