Franchise opportunities compared
Marriott Hotel vs Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta
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
- Marriott Hotel figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- Marriott Hotel and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta disclose 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 (Marriott Hotel: 5, Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Marriott Hotel | SHSonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $93,910,590 – $257,659,490 2025 FDD · Item 7 | $1,507,607 – $155,360,099 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | — 2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 42 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 5% Royalty percentage of gross rooms revenue 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 368 Outlets at end of 2024 2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 127 | 18 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −1 Calculated: 369 at end of 2022 → 368 at end of 2024 | −3 Calculated: 21 at end of 2023 → 18 at end of 2025 |
| 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 | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| 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 — Franchised Marriott hotels meeting the Conditions and open for 12 months as of… $128 other 2024 1-Year Comp Hotels average RevPAR · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 121 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2024 STR Included Hotels represented by the separately labeled “Marriott and JW… $191 other 2024 STR Included Hotels · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 121 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2024 JW Marriott STR Included Hotels in the United States and Canada; the JW gr… $293 other 2024 JW Hotels average ADR · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 121 +2 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — SHR Company - Owned Hotels one full years $176 other SHR Company - Owned Hotels one full years ADR · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — SHR Company - Owned Hotels three full years $172 other SHR Company - Owned Hotels three full years ADR · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — SHR Franchised Hotels three full years 69.2 index other SHR Franchised Hotels three full years · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 74 +5 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.
Marriott Hotel vs Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Marriott Hotel or Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta?
- Marriott Hotel: $93,910,590 – $257,659,490 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: $1,507,607 – $155,360,099 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Marriott Hotel or Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta?
- Marriott Hotel: 368 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 127); Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 18 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Marriott Hotel and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Marriott Hotel has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 location groups; Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 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.