Franchise opportunities compared
Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta vs Westin 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.
- Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta 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 (Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 8, Westin Hotels & Resorts: 6). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | SHSonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta |  Westin Hotels & Resorts |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $1,507,607 – $155,360,099 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $92,516,490 – $150,460,890 Total Range — $92516490 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 64 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | — 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 38 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% Royalty percentage of gross rooms revenue 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24 | Not available No reviewed royalty record |
| 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) | 18 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77 | 192 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 123 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −3 Calculated: 21 at end of 2023 → 18 at end of 2025 | +8 Calculated: 184 at end of 2023 → 192 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 — 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 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — STR Included (at least two years) 33 hotels other STR Included · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 118 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — System count 88 hotels other System count · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 118 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1-Year Comp 89 hotels other 1-Year Comp · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 118 +3 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.
Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta vs Westin Hotels & Resorts: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta or Westin Hotels & Resorts?
- Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: $1,507,607 – $155,360,099 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Westin Hotels & Resorts: $92,516,490 – $150,460,890 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 64). 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, Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta or Westin Hotels & Resorts?
- Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta: 18 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 77); Westin Hotels & Resorts: 192 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 123). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta and Westin Hotels & Resorts disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Sonesta Hotels and Resorts Royal Sonesta has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Westin Hotels & Resorts has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 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.