Franchise opportunities compared
Candlewood Suites vs InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
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.
- InterContinental Hotels & Resorts discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Candlewood Suites: 1, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | CSCandlewood Suites | IHInterContinental Hotels & Resorts |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $396,707 – $119,011,999 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| 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. 32 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $10 Initial marketing contribution to loyalty program — $10/approved suite 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 28 | $2.25 IHG Ignite digital marketing commission 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 33 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 407 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 90 | 22 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 109 |
| 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 | 1946 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 — 2025 Hotel Indigo Mature Hotels in the United States 84.8 percent other Enterprise contribution median · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 102 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2025 Hotel Indigo Mature Hotels in the United States; the FDD separately states… 92.1 percent other Occupancy high · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 102 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All U.S. Brand System Hotels, as of Dec. 31, 2025; separate from the 15 Hotel I… 24 hotels other Total U.S. Brand System hotels · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 102 |
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.