<PAGE>


                                                                    Exhibit 31.1
                                                                    ------------

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, George D. Johnson, Jr., certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Extended Stay America,
Inc. (the "Company");

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The Company's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing
and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and have:

         a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
         Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
         by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

         b) evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and
         procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

         c) disclosed in this report any change in the Company's internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company's
         most recent fiscal quarter (the Company's fourth fiscal quarter in the
         case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
         reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control
         over financial reporting; and

5. The Company's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
Company's auditors and the audit committee of the Company's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent function):

         a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
         or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company's ability to record,
         process, summarize and report financial information; and

         b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
         other employees who have a significant role in the Company's internal
         control over financial reporting.

August 11, 2003

/s/  GEORGE D. JOHNSON, JR.
---------------------------
George D. Johnson, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer