Country Inn & Suites
An upper-midscale hotel brand offering primarily suburban and roadside stays in the United States.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Country Inn & Suites is an American upper-midscale hotel brand established by Carlson Holdings in 1986. The chain was created to serve travelers seeking a more residential and comfortable alternative to basic economy lodging, with properties typically combining guest rooms and suites, complimentary breakfast, wireless internet access, and shared spaces intended for both short leisure stays and business travel. Its principal market has historically been the United States, where the brand developed a large network of franchised and managed hotels. The brand originally operated as Country Inns by Carlson. Early properties were connected to Country Kitchen restaurants in a co-branding arrangement that linked lodging with casual dining. That relationship ended after Carlson sold the Country Kitchen restaurant brand to Kitchen Investment Group in 1997, allowing the hotel business to develop independently. Country Inn & Suites subsequently became one of Carlson’s major lodging brands and competed in the upper-midscale segment against Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Best Western Plus, and Fairfield by Marriott. By the late 2000s, the chain had grown to more than 500 locations, mainly in the United States. The global financial crisis led Carlson and its hotel businesses to pursue cost controls, including a reported reduction in amenity spending in 2008. The brand also had a limited relationship with Rezidor Hotel Group in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Although Carlson and Rezidor were connected through a master franchise agreement, only a small number of Country Inn & Suites properties in the EMEA region were operated under Rezidor management, and Rezidor reviewed the brand’s position in 2010. Country Inn & Suites underwent a design and positioning refresh in 2013. The initiative was intended in part to make the brand more appealing to millennial business travelers. It introduced updated interiors, expanded communal areas, and property-level design features such as pools and outdoor verandas. A hotel in Springfield, Illinois, was identified as the first property to demonstrate the updated concept. In 2018, the brand adopted the name Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and introduced a new logo, marketing campaign, and broader visual identity. The ownership history reflects consolidation in the international hotel industry. Carlson confirmed in 2016 that it had engaged Morgan Stanley to consider strategic alternatives for its hotel division. HNA Tourism Group subsequently acquired Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, placing the brand within HNA’s portfolio. Later in 2018, Jinjiang International acquired Radisson Hotel Group, including the Country Inn brand, from HNA. In 2022, Choice Hotels International acquired Radisson Hotel Group Americas for $675 million. The transaction included 624 hotels, of which 453 operated under the Country Inn & Suites brand, making it the largest individual brand component of the deal. Following the 2022 transaction, Country Inn & Suites became part of Choice Hotels’ Americas portfolio. The brand remains positioned around dependable upper-midscale lodging, practical amenities, and a welcoming, home-like atmosphere rather than luxury or full-service hotel experiences. In 2025, Choice Hotels presented a new prototype incorporating a redesigned lobby, revised breakfast service, a refreshed guest-room layout, and 18 additional rooms compared with the referenced prototype. The brand’s current identity and operating footprint are therefore shaped by both its Carlson-era heritage and Choice Hotels’ efforts to modernize the acquired Radisson Americas system.
History
Country Inn & Suites began in 1986 when Carlson Holdings launched Country Inns by Carlson as a hotel brand for the midscale lodging market. The concept emphasized comfortable accommodations and a more welcoming, residential feel than standardized budget lodging. Early properties were associated with Country Kitchen restaurants, reflecting a co-branding strategy that combined lodging and casual dining. Carlson ended that arrangement after selling Country Kitchen to Kitchen Investment Group in 1997. The hotel brand expanded mainly through the United States and became a substantial part of Carlson’s lodging portfolio. By the late 2000s, its network had exceeded 500 locations. During the 2008 global financial crisis, the business implemented cost-containment measures, including a reported 7 percent reduction in amenity spending. Country Inn & Suites also had a limited international connection with Rezidor Hotel Group. Carlson granted Rezidor rights to operate Radisson properties in EMEA through a 1994 master franchise agreement, but Country Inn & Suites itself had only two Rezidor-managed EMEA locations when the brand was reviewed in 2010. In 2013, Carlson began a brand refresh designed partly to attract millennial business travelers. The program updated hotel interiors and increased the emphasis on communal areas. A 78-room property in Springfield, Illinois, served as an early showcase, with architectural changes, a swimming pool, and an outdoor veranda. The initiative reflected broader hotel-industry efforts to make upper-midscale properties more useful for informal work, socializing, and short leisure visits. The chain’s ownership changed several times after 2016. Carlson explored strategic alternatives for its hotel division and later sold Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to HNA Tourism Group. In 2018, the hotel brand became Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and received a new logo, marketing campaign, and visual identity. Jinjiang International acquired Radisson Hotel Group from HNA later that year. In 2022, Choice Hotels International purchased Radisson Hotel Group Americas for $675 million. Country Inn & Suites represented 453 of the 624 hotels included in that transaction, making it the largest brand grouping in the acquired portfolio. Under Choice Hotels, the brand continues to serve the upper-midscale segment, primarily in the United States. Its offer centers on guest rooms and suites, breakfast, wireless internet access, and selected property amenities such as pools, meeting areas, and outdoor gathering spaces. In 2025, Choice Hotels introduced a new prototype with a redesigned lobby, revised breakfast presentation, a new room layout, and 18 additional guest rooms. The prototype indicates an ongoing effort to update the brand while retaining its established emphasis on practical comfort and approachable hospitality.
- 2025
Choice Hotels introduced a new prototype
[1]The prototype featured a redesigned lobby, revised breakfast offering, updated layout, and 18 additional guest rooms.
- 2022
Choice Hotels acquired Radisson Hotel Group Americas
[1]Choice Hotels acquired the Americas business for $675 million, including 453 Country Inn & Suites properties among 624 acquired hotels.
- 2018
The brand became Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
[1]The renamed brand launched a new logo, marketing campaign, and visual identity.
- 2016
HNA acquired Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
[1]The acquisition transferred the brand into HNA Tourism Group’s hotel portfolio.
- 2013
Brand refresh introduced updated hotel design
[1]Carlson refreshed the brand to appeal more strongly to millennial business travelers, adding updated interiors and expanded communal spaces.
- 2008
Amenity spending was reduced during cost containment
[1]In response to the global financial crisis, the brand reduced amenity spending by 7 percent as part of broader cost controls.
- 1997
Country Kitchen co-branding ended
[1]Carlson sold the Country Kitchen restaurant brand, ending the original restaurant affiliation at Country Inns properties.
- 1994
Carlson entered a master franchise agreement with Rezidor
[1]The agreement gave Rezidor rights to operate Radisson properties in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, creating a later corporate connection between the two hotel groups.
- 1986
Carlson launched Country Inns by Carlson
[1]Carlson Holdings introduced the brand to serve the midscale hotel market.
Products and positioning
Upper-midscale lodging focused on comfort, convenience, practical amenities, and a welcoming residential atmosphere.
Hotel accommodation · 1986
Country Inn & Suites hotel stays
The core offering is overnight accommodation in upper-midscale hotels, primarily in the United States. Properties generally target leisure travelers, families, road travelers, and business guests seeking practical facilities and a comfortable, less formal atmosphere. Depending on the property, the offer may include standard rooms, larger suites, pools, meeting areas, outdoor spaces, breakfast service, and wireless internet access.
Lodging rooms · 1986
Guest rooms and suites
Country Inn & Suites properties provide conventional guest rooms alongside suite-style accommodations. The brand’s naming and positioning emphasize additional space and a residential character, although exact room configurations and amenities vary by hotel. The newer prototype presented by Choice Hotels uses a revised layout intended to increase room capacity while updating the guest experience.
Hotel food service
Breakfast service
Breakfast is a recurring part of the brand proposition and has historically supported the chain’s value-oriented upper-midscale positioning. Choice Hotels’ 2025 prototype included an updated breakfast offering as part of a broader redesign of public areas and operating concepts.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Country Inn & Suites by Radisson identity launch
United States
Following the adoption of the Radisson name, the brand launched a new logo, marketing campaign, and visual identity intended to establish a unified position within the Radisson portfolio.
Outcome. The brand operated under the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson name before the later Choice Hotels acquisition of the Americas business.
- 2013Country Inn & Suites brand refresh
United States
The refresh updated hotel design and expanded communal spaces with the stated aim of making the brand more attractive to millennial business travelers. A Springfield, Illinois, hotel served as an early demonstration property.
Outcome. Introduced a revised design direction for selected properties.
Brand decisions
2025
Introduce a new hotel prototypeOtherBackground
Choice Hotels continued modernizing the Country Inn & Suites concept after acquiring the Radisson Hotel Group Americas business.
Action taken
The prototype redesigned the lobby, updated breakfast offerings, revised the room layout, and added 18 guest rooms compared with the referenced earlier prototype.
Aftermath
The prototype established a current design direction for future or renovated properties.
2022
Transfer the Americas portfolio to Choice HotelsM&ABackground
Choice Hotels pursued the acquisition of Radisson Hotel Group Americas to expand its hotel portfolio.
Action taken
Choice Hotels acquired Radisson Hotel Group Americas for $675 million, including 453 Country Inn & Suites hotels.
Aftermath
Country Inn & Suites became part of Choice Hotels’ Americas brand system.
Acquisition price. $675 million (2022 transaction)
2018
Rebrand as Country Inn & Suites by RadissonStrategyBackground
The brand was being integrated into the Radisson-related hotel portfolio after changes in Carlson’s ownership structure.
Action taken
The chain adopted the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson name and introduced a new logo, campaign, and visual identity.
Aftermath
The rebrand aligned the chain with Radisson before Radisson Hotel Group Americas was acquired by Choice Hotels in 2022.
2008
Reduce amenity spending during the financial crisisStrategyBackground
The global financial crisis placed pressure on hotel demand and operating costs.
Action taken
The brand reduced amenity spending by 7 percent as part of broader cost-containment measures.
Aftermath
The measure formed part of the chain’s response to the downturn; no further quantified outcome is identified in the reference material.
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