Franchise opportunities compared
Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus vs Sonesta ES Suites
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.
- Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus and Sonesta ES Suites 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 (Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: 18, Sonesta ES Suites: 12). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | RRRed Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus |  Sonesta ES Suites |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $7,253,500 – $8,923,100 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $981,907 – $26,400,813 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $27,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 | 5% Royalty 5% — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 4% Marketing and Reservation Fee — 4% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 623 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71 | 73 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 76 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +17 Calculated: 606 at end of 2023 → 623 at end of 2025 | −14 Calculated: 87 at end of 2023 → 73 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 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Owned Hotels open at least three full years 49.1 percent other Company-Owned Hotels three full years Occupancy · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company-Owned Hotels open at least one full years $122 other Company-Owned Hotels one full years ADR · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Hotels open at least one full years $95 other Franchised Hotels one full years ADR · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 +9 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.
Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus vs Sonesta ES Suites: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus or Sonesta ES Suites?
- Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: $7,253,500 – $8,923,100 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Sonesta ES Suites: $981,907 – $26,400,813 (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 ES Suites. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus and Sonesta ES Suites royalties compare?
- Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17); Sonesta ES Suites: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus or Sonesta ES Suites?
- Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus: 623 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71); Sonesta ES Suites: 73 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 76). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus and Sonesta ES Suites disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Red Roof Inn / Red Roof Plus has reviewed Item 19 figures for 18 location groups; Sonesta ES Suites has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 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.