Dekle, 46, joined the company in 2005 and has since served as corporate counsel, assistant general counsel, general counsel and vice president, and most recently as deputy general counsel, vice president and assistant secretary. From 2003 to 2005 he was general counsel for Employers Life Insurance Corporation.

Dekle succeeds John R. Dent, who will return to private practice in the Washington D.C. area, where he will remain available to the company on an ongoing basis.

Jonathan Halkyard, president and CEO of ESA said: "Few if any persons have the depth of institutional knowledge about Extended Stay America that Christopher Dekle has amassed over the past thirteen years, and no one is more qualified to take the helm as the Company's chief legal officer.  With Christopher's appointment, we continue to fill our executive ranks with exceptionally talented individuals with deep understanding of our core business, serving the extended stay guest."

Dekle said: "I'd like to thank Jonathan and the boards of directors for appointing me as general counsel and corporate secretary. I'm excited and honoured to take the reins as our ESA 2.0 initiatives gain steam with asset sales, franchising, and new development.  It is a transformative time for the company as we continue seeking ways to maximise value for our shareholders."