Candlewood Suites is an extended-stay hotel brand owned by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group). The brand was founded in 1995 by Jack DeBoer, a pioneer of the extended-stay segment, and was acquired by IHG in December 2003.[1] The chain operates properties primarily in the United States, Canada and Mexico.[2]
Design and History
Candlewood Suites has used at least two distinct logo designs since the early 2010s. A trademark filed in February 2012 describes a mark consisting of the words “Candlewood Suites” below a design of two interlocking circles, all depicted within a square box.[3] A related variant filed in March 2017 added the words “AN IHG HOTEL” centered below “Suites,” with the same two interlocking circles above the wordmark.[4]
In May 2019, IHG debuted a new logo for Candlewood Suites alongside the Beacon 4.0 design prototype for the brand’s hotels.[5] The new identity was introduced at an IHG conference in Las Vegas, where the company said the logo would appear on all new hotel openings, refurbished hotels and across marketing platforms starting that summer.[5] A representative for the brand described the new logo as “more contemporary” and “a complementary touch to the new exterior prototype.”[6]
The 2019 redesign replaced the interlocking circles with a stylized flame design. A trademark application filed in December 2018 describes the mark as the word “CANDLEWOOD” above the word “SUITES,” with a stylized flame design in a shaded circle to the left of the wording.[7] The flame motif references the “candle” in the brand name, which itself derives from Candlewood Lake in Connecticut, where the brand’s founder had a home.
Meaning and Symbolism
The current Candlewood Suites logo, registered internationally in March 2025, consists of a stylized flame design in a shaded circle above the word “CANDLEWOOD,” centered above the word “SUITES,” with the wording “BY IHG” below, surrounded on the left and right by horizontal lines.[8] The flame in a circle is a direct visual reference to a candle, echoing the “Candle” portion of the brand name. The “BY IHG” endorsement line, added in the most recent iteration, aligns the brand more explicitly with its parent company’s portfolio.
Typography and Design
The wordmark in the current logo uses a clean sans-serif typeface with “CANDLEWOOD” set in larger letters above “SUITES.”[8] The earlier 2012-era logo placed the words “Candlewood Suites” in a more traditional serif or transitional style below the interlocking circles device.[3] Neither trademark filing claims color as a feature of the mark, meaning the logos are registered in black and white and may be reproduced in various color treatments depending on application.[9]
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