Franchise opportunities compared
Ascend Collection vs Candlewood Suites
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Ascend Collection: 5, Candlewood Suites: 1). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | ACAscend Collection | CSCandlewood Suites |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | Not available No reviewed Item 7 total | $15,296,866 – $23,004,446 Total initial investment — $15,296,866–$23,004,446 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 51 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 5.5% Royalty — 5.5% of GSR 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 28 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 10% Choice Accelerate international marketing paid/meta advertising commission maximum — 10% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 34 | $10 Initial marketing contribution to loyalty program — $10/approved suite 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 28 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 184 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 88 | 407 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 90 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +7 Calculated: 177 at end of 2023 → 184 at end of 2025 | Not available Only one year reported |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 1995 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — ASCEND hotels in the United States meeting the 12 Month Performance Sample defi… 45.8 percent other Total Choice Proprietary Contribution · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 85 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — ASCEND hotels in the United States meeting the 24 Month Performance Sample defi… 56 hotels other Choice Privileges Contribution · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 86 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — ASCEND hotels in the United States within the 12 Month Performance Sample whose… 58.2 percent other Occupancy Rate · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 86 +2 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record 152 units other Mature Hotels above-average occupancy count · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 87 |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Ascend Collection vs Candlewood Suites: common questions
- Which has more locations, Ascend Collection or Candlewood Suites?
- Ascend Collection: 184 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 88); Candlewood Suites: 407 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 90). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Ascend Collection and Candlewood Suites disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Ascend Collection has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Candlewood Suites has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.