Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    City Express by Marriott vs Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    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.

    City Express by Marriott2026 FDDRed Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    City Express by Marriott

    $2,760,810

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 54

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    $7,253,500 – $8,923,100

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    $27,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

    Royalty · Item 6

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    City Express by Marriott

    $2,760,810
    Total estimated initial investment — $2,760,810–$4,901,610
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 54

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    $7,253,500 – $8,923,100
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    $27,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15
    Royalty (Item 6)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    5%
    Royalty fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    City Express by Marriott

    10.5%
    General bundled fee — 10.5% of gross room sales incl. 1.5% Marketing Fund — 10.5%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 36

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    4%
    Marketing and Reservation Fee — 4%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    623
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    +17
    Calculated: 606 at end of 2023 → 623 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    City Express by Marriott

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    City Express by Marriott

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Red Roof Inn and Red Roof PLUS+ Inns
    68.65 percent
    other Daily Room Rate
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate-owned and franchised Red Roof Inn and Red Roof PLUS+ Inns, as separat…
    36.9 percent
    other Brand Contribution
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate-owned Red Roof PLUS+ Inns
    $51 per room
    other RevPAR
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67
    +15 more groups in the full report

    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.

    City Express by Marriott vs Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: common questions

    Which costs less to open, City Express by Marriott or Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus?
    City Express by Marriott: $2,760,810 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 54); Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: $7,253,500 – $8,923,100 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for City Express by Marriott. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Do City Express by Marriott and Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    City Express by Marriott makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus has reviewed Item 19 figures for 18 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full City Express by Marriott report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare City Express by Marriott with

    Compare Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item