Franchise opportunities compared
Candlewood Suites vs Holiday Inn Express
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 (Candlewood Suites: 1, Holiday Inn Express: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | CSCandlewood Suites | HIHoliday Inn Express |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $15,296,866 – $23,004,446 Total initial investment — $15,296,866–$23,004,446 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 51 | Not available No reviewed Item 7 total |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | $5.50 Royalty — 5.5% of GSR 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 28 | $6.00 Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $10 Initial marketing contribution to loyalty program — $10/approved suite 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 28 | $10 Initial marketing contribution to loyalty program 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 32 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 407 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 90 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | Not available Only one year reported | 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) | 1995 From a verified franchisor listing | 1991 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 73.8 % other Mature Hotels average occupancy · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 87 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Holiday Inn Express Mature Hotels 70.1 percent other Occupancy Rate · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 98 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Holiday Inn Express Mature Hotels 100.1 percent other IHG One Rewards Room Nights Contribution range high · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 99 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Holiday Inn Express Mature Hotels 2,340 units other US Holiday Inn Express hotels open as of Dec 31, 2025 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 98 |
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.