LivAway Suites

The decision to invest more than $11 million in any single business venture demands a level of analytical rigor that marketing brochures simply cannot provide. LivAway Suites franchise represents one of the most closely watched emerging concepts in the extended-stay hospitality sector — a brand launched in 2022, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that is attempting to do something genuinely difficult: disrupt an entrenched, capital-intensive industry by building a developer-first franchise system from scratch. Founded by Mike Nielson, who simultaneously serves as CEO of real estate development firm West77 Partners, LivAway Suites was engineered with a specific thesis — that the extended-stay hotel market was ripe for a modern, upper-economy entrant that prioritized franchisee economics above brand-level revenue extraction. Nielson brought on Kevin Dailey as Chief Operating Officer in June 2022, and Paul Duncan joined West77 Partners as Chief Development Officer in April 2024, assembling a leadership team that reflects a real estate development orientation rather than a traditional hospitality franchise background. The brand began franchising operations in 2023 and opened its first property in 2024, reaching 8 open hotels and 14 more under development by September 2025 — a total footprint of 22 locations open or under development as of December 2025. All LivAway Suites properties are new construction, not conversions, and every project is built to the same residential-inspired design standard featuring in-room kitchens, 50-inch smart TVs, tech-enabled laundry facilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi. For franchise investors evaluating whether this concept deserves serious capital allocation, the foundational question is whether an emerging brand with limited operational history, a high investment threshold, and a differentiated operating model can sustain the growth trajectory it is already demonstrating. This analysis is independent research, not promotional content, and every claim below is sourced from publicly available franchise disclosure data, industry reporting, and verified company announcements.

The extended-stay hotel market is the most attractive segment in all of hospitality right now, and that statement is backed by operator margins, occupancy data, and developer capital flows over the past five years. Extended-stay hotels have outperformed virtually every other hospitality subcategory across the post-pandemic period, driven by a convergence of structural demand factors: a growing contingent of business travelers requiring stays of 30 days or more, an aging workforce that relocates for project-based corporate assignments, a healthcare industry that places traveling nurses and medical staff in extended accommodations for months at a time, and a residential rental market so constrained in many U.S. metros that extended-stay hotels compete directly for long-term renters priced out of apartments. Consumer behavior has also shifted decisively toward apartment-like hotel amenities — full-size kitchens, separate living areas, and predictable weekly or monthly pricing — and the brands that deliver those features at an accessible price point are capturing disproportionate market share. The demand curve for economy and upper-economy extended-stay is described by industry analysts as only getting steeper, with net operating income margins in this segment consistently outperforming both limited-service and full-service hotel categories. LivAway Suites targets the upper-economy positioning, a strategic tier that sits above bare-bones economy extended-stay competitors while remaining well below the rate ceiling of upscale extended-stay brands, capturing travelers and relocating professionals who want modern, comfortable accommodations without the cost premium of luxury-adjacent products. The extended-stay segment has attracted significant developer attention precisely because the asset class generates strong cash flows relative to construction cost, and the brands that can deliver consistent product quality at scale become the preferred operating partners for real estate developers seeking predictable returns. LivAway Suites, which surpassed 100,000 room nights sold in its first year of operation — reaching that milestone by September 2025 — is generating early demand signals that validate its market positioning thesis, even as its portfolio remains in an early-growth phase.

The LivAway Suites franchise investment is substantial by any standard and demands clear-eyed financial analysis before any serious evaluation proceeds. The initial franchise fee is $35,000, which is relatively modest in the context of the overall capital commitment required. The total investment necessary to open a LivAway Suites property ranges from approximately $11,223,850 to $13,656,000, with a midpoint investment figure of roughly $12,439,925. To put that in direct competitive context, the Hotels and Resorts subsector averages a total investment range of $8.4 million to $9.3 million, meaning the LivAway Suites franchise investment sits meaningfully above the category average — a reflection of the all-new-construction requirement, the modern design specification, and the upper-economy positioning that commands higher per-unit development costs than economy conversions or budget-tier builds. The ongoing royalty rate is 5% of gross revenues, which is within the standard range for hospitality franchises. The brand fund contribution is structured as not applicable in available franchise disclosure data, which, if accurate and sustained, represents a meaningful reduction in total ongoing fee burden compared to systems that charge 1% to 3% of revenue for advertising funds in addition to royalties. LivAway Suites explicitly positions its fee structure as the "best in all of extended stay," and the brand has committed to a 100% pass-through procurement model — franchisees pay the same prices as the brand for goods and services, with no kickbacks or margin capture at the franchisor level. This transparency in vendor economics is a genuine differentiator from systems that generate significant ancillary revenue from franchisee supply purchases. Given the total investment threshold exceeding $11 million, this franchise opportunity is realistically accessible only to high-net-worth investors, institutional capital groups, or experienced real estate developers with the balance sheet to support construction financing at this scale, likely requiring $3 million to $4 million in available capital alongside conventional construction lending.

The operating model at LivAway Suites is deliberately engineered to minimize the labor intensity that has historically made hotel franchises expensive and management-heavy to operate. The brand's most striking operational claim is that a 126-room LivAway Suites property can be run with five to seven full-time employees or equivalents — a staffing reduction of as much as 80% compared to traditional extended-stay hotel operations of equivalent size. That figure is made possible by a technology-forward operating design that automates or eliminates functions that typically require front-desk and housekeeping staff in conventional hotel formats, including streamlined check-in processes, reduced daily housekeeping cycles appropriate to the extended-stay guest profile, and centralized management systems that reduce on-site administrative burden. All LivAway Suites properties are new construction, meaning franchisees do not have the option to acquire and convert an existing hotel asset — every unit is purpose-built to brand specification, which ensures product consistency across the portfolio but also means franchisees must navigate the full development cycle, including land acquisition, municipal approvals, construction, and FF&E procurement, before generating a single dollar of revenue. Training for new franchisees includes a two-week initial program conducted at corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the brand provides ongoing support structured around its developer-centric philosophy, with a support infrastructure described as comparable to or better than established competitors but delivered at lower cost. Territory selection follows a disciplined demographic framework: target markets should feature median household incomes above $75,000, strong corporate presence or proximity to medical centers, and demonstrated population and job growth — criteria designed to ensure new properties are placed in markets with durable, multi-year demand for extended-stay accommodations rather than transient leisure markets.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for LivAway Suites. This is common for franchise systems in their early operational years — the brand only opened its first property in 2024, and a meaningful statistical sample of unit-level financial performance data requires multiple years of multi-location operating history before any disclosure would be statistically credible. Prospective franchisees should be clear-eyed about what this absence means in practice: there is no FDD-verified average revenue per unit, no median gross sales figure, and no owner earnings benchmark derived from audited franchisee financials. Any revenue projections presented during the sales process reflect franchisor modeling and market analysis rather than demonstrated unit performance. What can be analyzed are the demand signals the brand has generated in its early operating period: 100,000 room nights sold within approximately the first 12 months of operation across 8 open locations by September 2025, which implies an average of roughly 12,500 room nights per property in the early portfolio. Extended-stay hotels in the upper-economy segment typically target occupancy rates of 75% to 85% for stabilized assets, and at a 126-room property running at 80% occupancy, that would imply approximately 36,792 room nights annually at stabilization — a trajectory that suggests the early properties have not yet reached stabilized performance levels given the 12,500 average figure, which is expected and normal for hotels still ramping to full occupancy in their first operating year. Investors should request full franchisor projections, model conservatively against comparable assets in their target markets, and conduct independent feasibility analysis using local market rate data before committing capital at this investment level.

LivAway Suites has followed an aggressive but geographically deliberate expansion path since franchising launched in 2023. The brand opened its first property in 2024 and reached 8 open locations and 14 under development — 22 total — by December 2025. November 2024 saw simultaneous openings in Missoula, Montana; Richland, Washington; and Smyrna, Tennessee, with the Smyrna location representing the brand's first property east of the Mississippi River — a symbolically important geographic milestone signaling that LivAway Suites is no longer a regional Western U.S. concept. A groundbreaking in San Marcos, Texas in January 2025 led to that property opening in February 2026, marking the brand's entry into one of the fastest-growing states for extended-stay demand. December 2025 saw a groundbreaking in Mesa, Arizona — the fifth LivAway Suites location in that state alone — and earlier 2024 groundbreakings in Scarborough, Maine and Draper, Utah reflect the brand's stated coast-to-coast ambitions, further validated by openings in Renton, Washington and Portland, Maine. Active development is underway in Arizona, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Florida, and the brand targets 50 locations open or under construction by late 2026, with 10 additional hotels planned to open in 2026 alone. The competitive moat LivAway Suites is building rests on three pillars: a technology-enabled low-labor operating model that produces structurally lower operating costs than conventional extended-stay competitors, a transparent fee and procurement structure that positions the brand as an economic ally to franchisees rather than a margin extractor, and the first-mover advantage of planting flags in emerging growth markets like San Marcos, Texas — a market anchored by an Amazon Fulfillment Center, an H-E-B Distribution Center, CFAN aerospace manufacturing, Texas State University, and multiple medical centers — before established competitors reach scale in those geographies.

The ideal LivAway Suites franchisee is not a first-time small business owner or a career-change entrepreneur seeking a single-unit lifestyle investment. Given the total investment threshold of $11.2 million to $13.7 million per property, the all-new-construction requirement, and the complexity of hotel development and operations, this franchise opportunity is designed for experienced real estate developers, investment groups, and high-net-worth operators who understand construction timelines, municipal entitlement processes, and hospitality asset management. The brand's developer-centric positioning is not rhetorical — it was literally created by developers at West77 Partners to serve the needs of developers who wanted a hospitality brand they could build with confidence. Multi-unit development is not merely encouraged but structurally expected at this investment level, as the economics of building a dedicated development infrastructure only pencil out when spread across multiple properties. Available territories span the United States exclusively, with current concentration in Western states and active expansion into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Ideal markets combine the demographic criteria outlined by the brand — household incomes above $75,000, corporate demand generators, healthcare employment anchors, and population growth — with available land at a price point that supports the pro forma at $11 million to $13.7 million total development cost. Because every location is a new ground-up build, franchisees should model 18 to 36 months from site selection to opening day depending on local permitting complexity, making capital reserves and development timeline management critical competencies. The brand's patent-pending CleanAway program and SavAway club membership loyalty perks are designed to drive repeat guest engagement and reduce customer acquisition costs over the life of each asset.

LivAway Suites franchise represents a genuinely compelling investment thesis for the right investor profile — but compelling does not mean without risk, and serious capital allocation demands serious due diligence. The brand sits at the intersection of the hottest segment in hospitality, a growing national footprint, a differentiated low-labor operating model, and a fee structure that is transparently franchisee-favorable — all of which are meaningful structural advantages. At the same time, the absence of Item 19 financial performance disclosure, the all-new-construction requirement, the above-average investment range relative to subsector benchmarks, and the early-stage brand status with limited operational history represent material considerations that any sophisticated investor must weigh with care. The growth trajectory from zero to 22 locations open or under development in approximately two years, the 100,000 room nights sold milestone reached by September 2025, and the brand's stated path to 50 locations by late 2026 are signals of genuine operational momentum — but signals are not the same as a proven multi-year performance record. For investors who understand hotel development economics, have access to the capital required, and are seeking an early positioning opportunity in a high-demand extended-stay concept before the brand reaches maturity and franchise availability tightens, LivAway Suites deserves a position on the serious consideration list. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools to help investors benchmark LivAway Suites against every competing extended-stay and hospitality franchise concept in the market. Explore the complete LivAway Suites franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.