The Columbus-based Cardinal Industries, Inc., former manufacturer of prefabricated buildings such as apartments and motels, developed the chain.

[1] The chain utilized extensive landscaping and Tudor architecture, and all properties featured only one story.

At this point, many properties had begun re-branding to other companies, most notably Motel 6, Travelodge, and Days Inn; conversely, HMS began acquiring buildings from other chains and re-branding them to Knights Inn, thus abandoning the chain's architecture standards.

HMS successfully sued the owners of properties re-branded from Knights Inn and forced them to alter the appearances of their buildings.

On April 4, 2018, Wyndham Worldwide announced it was selling Knights Inn to Red Lion Hotels Corporation,[5] a transaction which closed on May 14, 2018.