Name That Company

I trace my roots back to a brewery William Bass opened in England in 1777; in 1876, its red triangle was the U.K.’s first registered trademark. Bass’ company expanded into hotels with the 1988 purchase of Holiday Inn International (which excluded most U.S. hotels). A decade later, I bought a hotel company founded by Pan Am airline’s founder, and later took its name. I jettisoned my brewery business in 2000, and today I’m a hospitality giant, with names such as Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Who am I?

Think you know the answer? We’ll announce it in next week’s edition.