Who Owns Embassy Suites ?

When discussing successful and famous hotel chains, it is impossible not to think about Embassy Suites. It is owned and operated by Hotels, a multinational all-suite hotel chain. However, when it comes to who owns Embassy Suites, it is also essential to take a comprehensive look into the brand’s history and how it started.

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An Overview of Embassy Suites by Hilton

Embassy Suites was started 41 years ago, in 1983, by the owners and founders of the Holiday Corporation. The first hotels were opened in Kansas, USA.

In addition, due to the success of the initial establishment, the Holiday Corporation founders laid out an aggressive expansion model and started franchising Embassy Suites in 1984.

Moreover, a few years later, the brand was acquired by Hilton Hotels after it and the Holiday Corporation merged. Over the years preceding the merger, as a Hilton subsidiary, Embassy Suites continued to thrive under new and forward-thinking leadership.

As a result, Hilton’s executive management made Embassy Suites a global hotel brand name, opening various franchises across North America and South America. Today, there are more than 253220 Embassy Suites locations in the US and abroad. However, many of them are now franchised.

The franchising model works for Hilton because the company owns and operates various prominent and reputed hotel brands, such as Hilton Hotel Resort, Hilton Garden Hill, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Homewood Suite by Hilton.

However, the company still ensures that the Embassy Suite’s name retains its glory and reputation. It continuously adds more high-quality amenities and services every year, exponentially increasing its service value.

Thanks to constant renovation projects over the decades, the Embassy Suites now have a more modern, atrium-style architecture, spacious, beautifully colored rooms, and all the amenities in the world. What sets Embassy Suites apart is its legendary layout and its cooked-to-order breakfast service, which not all 4-5-star hotels have.

A Glimpse Into Embassy Suites’ Colorful History and Background

When discussing who owns Embassy Suites, it is essential to understand its history first. Today, Embassy Suites by Hilton is among the most valuable hotel chains, ranging from top to middle luxury brands managed by the parent company worldwide.

According to 2019 estimates, up to 257 Embassy Suite franchises are spread across the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Like many of Hilton’s other hotel brands, the Embassy Suites are also independently owned and managed by franchises.

Combined, it is safe to say that more than 47,000 rooms are owned by franchise owners in the US, while more than 11,000 rooms are managed overseas in different countries.

Before you understand who owns Embassy Suites, it is just as important to know that Hilton did not own the brand outright but acquired it. The original owners of the brand were Mike Rose and Hervey Feldman. These individuals also owned and operated the Holiday Inn Corporation, and both were CEOs of the company.

However, Feldman later became the president of Embassy Suites, managing and operating as CEO until 1990. In 1992, Hervey Feldman became the chairman of the board of Embassy Suites. The first Embassy Suites hotel was established in 1984 in Overland Park, Kansas.

Just two years after the success of the first hotel, two more hotels were launched consecutively in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The combined estimated cost of opening those two hotels was $66 million.

2014 Entrepreneur ranked Embassy Suites among the top 120 most trusted and satisfactory brands. In 2015, Parent’s Magazine named Embassy Suites one of the ten best hotel chains for families. The same accolade was given the following year as well.

Franchise Acquisition History Over the Years

Acquisition by EOS Investor LLC

Four years ago, in 2020, Embassy Suites by Hilton, located in Washington D.C. and Georgetown, was acquired by a privately managed and operated real estate company, EOS Investors LLC. The company acquired up to 197 rooms in the West End of Washington, D.C.

EOS LLC was looking to further its hoteling and real estate footprint in the country’s capital, which if you look at it from a broader perspective, reels in up to 25 million local and international tourists every year.

Washington, D.C., is also speculated to be a phenomenally performing tourist market in the US. Securing Embassy Suites was a well-thought-out strategy, ensuring that EOS filled the hospitality gap in the region, accommodating thousands of customers and providing high-quality services while collaborating with Hilton’s leadership simultaneously.

Image credit Sasha Kaunas — Image credit: Sasha Kaunas

Acquisition by United Capital Corp

In November 2019, United Capital Corp. announced it would take over all Embassy Suite locations in Columbus, Ohio.

However, when it comes to knowing who owns Embassy Suites, it is essential to understand that this was United’s 7th hotel acquisition from Hilton. However, it was the first time the real estate and automotive parts distribution conglomerate bought Embassy Suites.

After acquiring the hotels in Columbus, the company went on a renovation spree, upscaling the brand and making a primo full-service hospitality entity in the entire area. The hotel saw a quick influx of premium clients, business travelers, vacationers from different parts of the US and abroad, and convention guests.

The Embassy Suites in Columbus had 198 spacious rooms, all two-room suites with separate lounging areas. Rooms ranged from standard to premium and came with the best amenities the hotel industry has to offer.

This includes built-in microwaves, large-screen LCDs, refrigerators, pillowtop beds, high-speed internet, and satellite television with digital programming. In addition, the upper-end rooms come with mini-bars.

The hotel also had a 24-hour fitness center with the best exercise machines and a complimentary evening or casual dinner.

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