Skift Take
Everyone wants a piece of the extended stay market, so it'll be interesting to see how the new CEO guides Extended Stay America in this increasingly competitive space.
Monday saw a lot of news in the extended hotel space. First, Choice Hotels announced its intent to buy WoodSpring Suites for $231 million and later that same day, Extended Stay America announced a change of CEO.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based business has appointed current chief financial officer Jonathan S. Halkyard as the company's next president and CEO, effective January 1. The current president and CEO, Gerry Lopez, who has been with the company since August 2015, will serve as a senior advisor until March 18.
Halkyard has served as the CFO of Extended Stay America and its real estate investment trust, ESH Hospitality, since January 2015 and was also chief operating officer since September 2013. His previous roles included working for NV Energy as an executive vice president and CFO, as well as occupying various roles at Caesars Entertainment for a total of 10 years.
"Extended Stay America is a great company, and
