November 14, 2025 – Neenah, WI – The Cobblestone brand conference kicked off this year in Orlando,  Florida as owners, operators, and the Cobblestone Hotels leadership team gathered at the Hilton Orlando  Lake Buena Vista Hotel on November 2^nd and 3^rd. The significance of Florida, and specifically Orlando, as  the location of this year’s conference was not lost on attendees, as this was a favorite place of the late  founder of Cobblestone Hotels – Brian Wogernese. It seemed fitting that the overarching topics of this  year’s conference were company culture and a return to the fundamentals of the brand, as many of the  discussions focused around maintaining Cobblestone’s identity in the face of constant change and  remaining steadfast in promoting brand directives that will not only catapult Cobblestone into the future,  but also build on and protect the standards that the franchise was built on.  

Conversations About Culture 

This year saw a refreshing return to conversation about the process of consciously creating and  maintaining a culture that stays true to the small-town values and unique franchising structure that  Cobblestone offers.  

Cobblestone’s focus on growing alongside small communities remains one of the strongest selling points  of the franchise. While complications caused by industry costs, operational challenges, and managing the  growth of the brand in the face of an economic ecosystem that is constantly demanding more and bigger,  Cobblestone leadership is conscious of the need to remain flexible while also remaining constant and true  to the ideals that the brand was founded on.  

While the franchise works to maintain its community-first culture, the brand also brought in keynote  speakers Lucy Lantis and Meridith Elliott Powell to provide attendees with tools to take back to their  hotels so that they too can actively participate in the process of building a culture, as leaders, that  employees will feel a sense of belonging in.  

Managing Growth; Maintaining Values 

An overarching topic throughout many of the segments led by Cobblestone Hotels leadership was a  return to the fundamentals of the brand, such as bolstering brand standards and brand identifiers, and  shifting their focus on growing inward rather than outward.  

From a development perspective, Cobblestone Hotels is continuing to pursue projects in communities  that have a need for lodging. Since the 2024 conference, Cobblestone celebrated the openings of 8 

locations and announced the signing of three more. Cobblestone Hotels President of Development  Jeremy Griesbach also teased six additional signings that are expected by the end of the first quarter in  2026. Along with this new growth, Griesbach announced the brand’s intent to return to basics, including  turning focus inward towards the hotels that are currently in operation and exploring creative ways to  promote expansion from what currently exists in the framework of the franchise. Part of this initiative  includes the intent to market the Main Street brand as independent from the standard hotel prototype, in  an effort to capture yet another niche in the hospitality industry and allow Cobblestone to continue  building recognition in the larger markets that they currently inhabit.  

From the perspective of brand standards, 2025 saw the return of the full quality assurance visit brand wide, and a focus on brand integrity that will continue into the next year of quality assurance. Part of  Cobblestone’s dedication to brand integrity includes the enforcement and implementation of property  improvement plans, which serve to revitalize hotels that have been in operation for years and are  beginning to see the effects of this wear throughout the property. Another program that was recently  launched is Cobblestone Coffee and Connections, which is a collaborative, virtual meeting space  dedicated to connecting properties with each other and their brand representative, allowing operators to  ask questions about brand topics and discuss and share their experiences with their fellow general  managers.  

Though this return to basics is expected to remain a focus in 2025-2026, this does not override the  brand’s dedication to growing with the times and exploring new partnerships and technologies to better  serve their hotels and their communities. There are multiple programs that were teased at the 2024 Brand  Conference that are actively in development today, including a contactless kiosk for the hotel’s onsite  convenience stores, contactless check in & check out kiosks, and an internal rate strategy program that  will make rate management more convenient for hotel operators.  

As Cobblestone Hotels Brand President Josie Kilgore noted, the brand understands that they need to be  “intentional” when launching new programs and new technological offerings. Each new technology is  subjected to a rigorous piloting process with a collection of diverse locations to determine weak points  and the overall viability of the program for the operations at hotels in all markets. The brand remains  dedicated to figuring out ways to serve all locations and maintains that they will continue to pursue  technological opportunities with the care and concern for impact and cost to all locations.  

2024 BRAND AWARDS 

The brand awards ceremony was held during a formal luncheon, where standout individuals throughout  various levels of leadership at the property level were recognized for their dedication to their hotels and to  their communities. This year, the coveted title of 2024 Property of the Year came with a bonus, courtesy  of the owners of Cobblestone Hotels, LLC. An additional prize of $5,000 was extended to the winner of  this award, to be donated to that property’s charity of choice. This is a nod to Cobblestone’s dedication to  community and their belief that we grow together, not alone. 

Winners of the 2024 Cobblestone Brand Awards:  

Investor of the Year: Richard Carey, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites – Two Rivers, WI General Manager of the Year: Carrie Cote-Grindeland, Cobblestone Inn & Suites – Bottineau, ND Employee of the Year: Kelsey Runions, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites – Knoxville, IA Property of the Year: Cobblestone Inn & Suites – Denison, IA | Oak Ridge 

These recipients will be recognized for their achievement with plaques to be displayed onsite at their properties as well as personalized name tags identifying them as 2024 awards winners.  

About Cobblestone Hotels 

Based in Neenah, WI Cobblestone Hotels, LLC is a leading upper-midscale hotel brand with over  158 hotels open, under construction, or in development in 26 states. The company continues to pride  itself in filling the lodging needs of communities through its upper mid-scale new build brand. Signature  amenities include high-speed Internet access, complimentary breakfast, onsite convenience stores,  fitness centers, business centers, and more. 

Cobblestone Hotels includes Cobblestone Hotels & Suites, Cobblestone Inn & Suites, Riverstone Suites,  Boarders Inn & Suites, Centerstone Hotels, and KeyWest Hotels. For development information please  visit www.CobblestoneFranchising.com.  

Cobblestone Hotels offers the Cobblestone Rewards frequent stayer program where guests receive ten  points for every dollar spent, and can be redeemed as award nights, or with other redemption partners.  For more information visit www.CobblestoneRewards.com. Author: Elizabeth Braun | ebraun@cobblestonehotels.com