Franopolis
    MvsSH

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Motel 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.

    MMotel2025 FDDSHSonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Motel

    $195,259 – $8,239,350

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    $1,507,607 – $155,360,099

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Motel

    $25,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Motel

    5%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24

    Before you compare

    • Motel figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Motel 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 (Motel: 3, Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Motel

    $195,259 – $8,239,350
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    $1,507,607 – $155,360,099
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Motel

    $25,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Motel

    5%
    General Royalty Fee
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    5%
    Royalty percentage of gross rooms revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Motel

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Motel

    1,195
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 56

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    18
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Motel

    −16
    Calculated: 1,211 at end of 2022 → 1,195 at end of 2024

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    −3
    Calculated: 21 at end of 2023 → 18 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Motel

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

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

    Motel

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

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

    Motel

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    MMotel
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1,107 franchised U.S. Motels active for at least two full years as of December…
    $65
    other Chart 1 median average daily rate
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 55
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1,107 franchised U.S. Motels active and operating as franchised properties for…
    $193
    other Chart 1 high average daily rate
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 55
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 527 franchised U.S. Motels in Chart 1 that achieved the internal A or B Ranking…
    66.62 percent
    other Chart 2 median occupancy rate
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 55
    SHSonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta
    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.

    Motel vs Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Motel or Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta?
    Motel: $195,259 – $8,239,350 (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 Motel. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Motel and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta royalties compare?
    Motel: 5% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17); Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Motel or Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta?
    Motel: 1,195 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 56); 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 Motel and Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Motel has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 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.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    M

    Full Motel report

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

    SH

    Full Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta report

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

    Compare Motel with

    Compare Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta 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