Sonesta is debuting two soft brands: Classico, A Sonesta Collection and MOD, A Sonesta Collection. Sonesta, according to Smith Travel Research (STR) is the world’s 8th largest hotel company with approximately 1,200 properties totaling 100,000 guest rooms across 19 brands in eight countries.

Soft brands offer hotel owners the opportunity to affiliate with a network while retaining their own hotel names, identities, designs and established styles and have access to distribution channels and services.

Classico, positioned in the upper-upscale segment, “blends local authenticity with global appeal”. Marketed by Sonesta’s Luxury and Lifestyle Lodging Development Team, each Classico property “will have a distinct identity and offer signature local cuisine, traditional high-touch service and refined interiors”. The first Sonesta Classico brand property is the 40-room Z Ocean Hotel in Miami Beach (main picture), which rebranded on May 1, 2023.

MOD, positioned within Sonesta’s upscale portfolio, will feature “eclectic interior designs and amenities, such as curated food and beverage options”. The first MOD property will launch as Hotel 11 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We hope to see those eclectic interior designs soon, as the property, which traded as a Wyndham Garden Hotel, looks rather dull now with its exterior a typical brand prototype.