SureStay by Best Western

Navigating the expansive and competitive hospitality sector presents a significant challenge for prospective franchise investors, demanding a strategic entry point that balances market demand with robust operational backing. The primary concern for many is identifying a brand that offers consistent quality and a proven growth trajectory within a value-driven segment, thereby mitigating the substantial capital risks inherent in hotel development. SureStay by Best Western, launched in August 2016 as an Arizona corporation (SureStay, Inc.), addresses this need directly, positioning itself as a strategic entry point into the hospitality industry for value-conscious travelers. The brand was initially conceived as Best Western's inaugural foray into the economy segment, swiftly leveraging the established infrastructure, brand confidence, and expansive rewards program of its parent company, Best Western International, Inc., an Arizona corporation founded in 1946 by US-American hotelier Merrill K. Guertin alongside 66 other hoteliers. Best Western, which moved its headquarters to Phoenix in 1966 from its initial Long Beach, California, location, provides SureStay with a formidable foundation. Operating under various entity names including "SureStay Hotel by Best Western," "SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western," and "SureStay Collection by Best Western," the SureStay Hotel Group has demonstrated rapid growth since its inception. By November 2017, just one year after its launch, the brand had already eclipsed 33 properties worldwide and reported a pipeline of 44 additional hotels, operating in 20 states and three countries, including Thailand and Sweden. The specific brand, SureStay by Best Western, currently operates with 61 total franchised units and no company-owned locations, representing a focused and asset-light expansion strategy. This brand is a vital component of BWH Hotel Group, the global hospitality enterprise that also encompasses WorldHotels™ and Best Western® Hotels & Resorts, offering a comprehensive solution for investors seeking to capitalize on the sustained growth within the global hotels market, which was valued at USD 2,080.57 billion in 2025.

The global hotels market, the target arena for SureStay by Best Western, offers a robust and expanding landscape for franchise investment, with its size valued at USD 2,080.57 billion in 2025. Projections indicate substantial growth, with the market expected to reach USD 3,931.42 billion by 2034, demonstrating an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.54% during this period. Another comprehensive report further substantiates this growth, estimating the market at USD 1,376.40 billion in 2023 and predicting a surge to approximately USD 2,993.90 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of roughly 9.14% between 2024 and 2032. Europe currently dominates this global market, holding a significant 36.04% share in 2025. Key market drivers fueling this expansion include the proliferation of online booking travel platforms such as Airbnb, MMT, and Booking.com, which significantly enhance the visibility and accessibility of diverse hotel offerings, often complemented by discounts and special offers that attract value-seeking consumers. The robust growth of the global tourism sector, encompassing both business and leisure travel, acts as a primary propeller, stimulating increased investments in new accommodations and modern facilities. SureStay by Best Western is particularly well-positioned to benefit from several secular tailwinds, notably the increasing global travel activities and rising consumer spending, which are fostering overall market growth. Consumer trends indicate a growing demand for customized travel packages and, critically for SureStay, an increased demand for hotels that provide exceptional value for money, particularly within the economy and budget segments. The leisure segment, which commanded a dominant 65.74% market share in 2025, driven by growing personal wealth and disposable incomes, directly aligns with SureStay's target demographic. Furthermore, the professional segment is also experiencing robust expansion, projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.03% during the forecast period. The competitive landscape, while featuring major players like Marriott International, Inc., Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC., and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., is dynamic, with these companies leveraging technological advancements such as AI, data analytics, and machine learning to track consumer demand patterns and enhance loyalty programs. SureStay by Best Western capitalizes on this environment by offering a conversion-friendly model and leveraging the extensive infrastructure of BWH Hotel Group, thereby attracting franchise investment by mitigating some of the traditional barriers to entry in a growing and technologically evolving industry.

Investing in a SureStay by Best Western franchise represents a substantial commitment within the hospitality sector, designed for sophisticated investors with significant capital. The initial investment range for a SureStay by Best Western location is between $5.36 million and $8.27 million, reflecting the comprehensive nature of hotel property acquisition or lease, construction or renovation, and extensive fit-out requirements. This significant investment typically covers critical components such as property development, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and essential working capital, positioning it as a premium franchise investment within the hotel segment. While specific franchise fees, royalty rates, and advertising fees for the SureStay by Best Western brand are not disclosed in the provided franchise data, the broader SureStay Hotel Group offers insights into its financial model. For instance, a SureStay Hotel by Best Western franchise (a sub-brand within the group) involves a franchise fee of $35,000, with other sources indicating upfront franchise fees ranging from $43,745 to $56,765 as one-time payments. This sub-brand's total investment range is $4,675,000 to $7,300,000, with a midpoint of $5,987,500, and requires a minimum cash of $4,675,000, suggesting a need for $2-3 million in liquid capital and substantial real estate experience. In contrast, a SureStay Collection by Best Western franchise (another distinct tier within the group) features a significantly lower franchise fee of $4,000 and a total investment range of $901,750 to $2,951,015, with a midpoint of $1,926,383, making it approximately 85% more accessible than the typical hotel resort sub-sector average of $6.2 million to $7.7 million. This tier requires a minimum cash of $901,750. Ongoing fees for the SureStay Hotel by Best Western sub-brand include royalty fees of 4% of gross room revenue, while SureStay Collection by Best Western has a royalty fee of 5%. Franchisees within the SureStay Hotel Group also contribute to national advertising funds, typically 1-3% of sales, and incur loyalty program fees on qualifying revenues, with the overall total franchise fees for hotels often ranging from 8-12% of the hotel's gross revenue. Owners must also allocate funds for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) reserves, frequently set at 4-5% of revenue, and budget for periodic brand-mandated renovations, underscoring the comprehensive financial commitment required for a SureStay by Best Western franchise. The brand benefits from the robust backing of BWH Hotel Group, providing access to a global hospitality enterprise and established financial frameworks.

The operating model for a SureStay by Best Western franchisee is characterized by extensive corporate support and a focus on streamlined efficiency, designed to maximize guest satisfaction while optimizing costs. Franchisees receive comprehensive training and ongoing assistance across all facets of hotel management, from day-to-day operational protocols to sophisticated marketing strategies and revenue optimization techniques. The daily operations emphasize delivering essential amenities, including comfortable rooms, reliable WiFi, complimentary breakfast, and friendly service, which are foundational to the brand's value proposition. Staffing models, as suggested by some employee feedback, often involve a lean "skeleton crew" where employees may need to perform "all positions during each shift," indicating a focus on operational efficiency that can translate to improved bottom lines but also potential challenges in labor management. The SureStay Hotel Group encompasses four distinct sub-brands: SureStay, SureStay Plus, SureStay Studio, and SureStay Collection, offering format options that cater to different market segments; for instance, SureStay StudioSM, launched in 2019, provides a premium-economy extended-stay option. Training programs are extensive, covering all aspects of hotel management, ensuring franchisees are well-equipped to uphold brand standards. Ongoing corporate support is a significant advantage, leveraging Best Western's powerful reservation system, an award-winning loyalty program (Best Western Rewards® with nearly 50 million global members), and comprehensive operational guidance. Franchisees also benefit from the brand's marketing resources, advanced technology infrastructure, award-winning websites, global partnerships, sales teams, and a state-of-the-art revenue management system, all designed to drive bookings and maintain competitive advantages. The conversion-friendly business model of SureStay helps reduce initial development costs, as properties are not subject to Property Improvement Plans (PIPs) and franchisees are free to use preferred vendors, offering flexibility. A unique operational benchmark for SureStay hotels is the requirement to maintain a minimum TripAdvisor score of 3.5 or above, with properties falling below this threshold subject to re-evaluation for continued affiliation, alongside unannounced inspections and minimum Guest Satisfaction Survey scores. In terms of territory, SureStay Hotel by Best Western maintains a strategic presence across multiple states, with concentrated development in the Eastern United States, particularly in Mid-Atlantic states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey, reflecting a focused expansion strategy targeting underserved markets in mid-sized cities and along major interstate corridors.

For the SureStay by Best Western franchise, Item 19 financial performance data is NOT disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document, meaning specific revenue figures, median earnings, or profit margins are not publicly available from the franchisor. However, an analysis of publicly available data for the broader SureStay Hotel Group provides valuable insights into the brand's performance trajectory and market positioning. The SureStay Hotel Group has achieved an average Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of $48.72 and an average Average Daily Rate (ADR) of $91.44, metrics that reflect its performance within the economy-to-midscale segment. While specific revenue data for SureStay Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection by Best Western is not publicly available for direct comparison, the overall growth of the SureStay Hotel Group signals strong underlying unit-level performance. The global hotels market, in which SureStay operates, is projected to grow from USD 2,197.80 billion in 2026 to USD 3,931.42 billion by 2034, exhibiting a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.54%, indicating a favorable market environment for hotel operators. The brand's strategic focus on the economy-to-midscale segment aligns with consumer trends showing increasing demand for value-for-money accommodations, a segment further bolstered by the leisure market's 65.74% share in 2025. SureStay's operational model emphasizes efficiency and guest satisfaction, reflected in its consistently positive guest feedback across numerous reviews and Google and TripAdvisor ratings close to 4.0. The rapid expansion of the SureStay Hotel Group further underscores its market success: from its launch in 2016, it reached 33 properties worldwide by November 2017 and surpassed 400 properties around the world by December 1, 2022, with 250 hotels open in North America. This rapid scaling for a relatively young system, coupled with the SureStay Hotel by Best Western having 238 open franchises in the US and SureStay Collection by Best Western growing to 325 units over eight years, suggests a strong and appealing unit economic model, even in the absence of explicit Item 19 disclosures. The assertion that "impressive profit margins are extremely beneficial to owners" further implies a positive financial outlook for franchisees within the SureStay Hotel Group, driven by operational efficiencies and market demand.

SureStay by Best Western has demonstrated a compelling growth trajectory and solidified its competitive advantages within the hospitality industry since its launch in 2016. Initially, the SureStay Hotel Group expanded rapidly, reaching 33 properties worldwide by November 2017 and reporting a pipeline of 44 additional hotels. This rapid scaling continued, with the group surpassing 400 properties around the world by December 1, 2022, including 250 hotels open in North America, marking a significant expansion for a relatively young system. The specific brand, SureStay by Best Western, has 238 open franchises in the US, while SureStay Collection by Best Western has grown to 325 units over eight years since its establishment. More recently, BWH Hotels, the overarching global hospitality enterprise, announced continued expansive growth, welcoming nearly 100 new hotels in the first half of 2025 across high-demand destinations such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with a specific goal of reaching 70 properties in the Middle East by 2027. Key corporate developments have significantly bolstered SureStay's competitive moat: in 2019, Best Western acquired WorldHotels®, leading to the formation of BWH Hotel Group, which expanded its portfolio to include upper upscale and luxury segments and integrated SureStay Hotel Group into its global brand architecture. Also in 2019, Best Western expanded its SureStay offerings by launching SureStay StudioSM, a premium-economy extended-stay option. Leadership changes also marked this period, with Larry Cuculic, the former General Counsel, becoming President and CEO of BWH Hotel Group in 2021. The brand's competitive advantages are deeply rooted in its parent company's infrastructure: SureStay by Best Western leverages Best Western's brand confidence, its powerful reservation system, the award-winning Best Western Rewards® loyalty program with nearly 50 million members, and comprehensive operational support. The conversion-friendly business model helps reduce development costs for franchisees, and its competitive fee structure is designed to maximize return on investment. Furthermore, the brand is adapting to current market conditions by driving innovation in emerging categories, exemplified by the growth of @HOME by Best Western℠, a new-build, upper-midscale extended-stay brand with over 30 hotels in development, and the introduction of glamping resorts, showcasing a forward-thinking approach to hospitality.

The ideal franchisee for a SureStay by Best Western opportunity is an investor with significant financial capacity and, ideally, substantial real estate experience, especially given the considerable initial investment range of $5.36 million to $8.27 million for the core brand. For this specific tier, the implied capital requirements suggest a need for high liquid assets and net worth. For the SureStay Collection by Best Western sub-brand, the minimum cash required is $901,750, making it a more accessible entry point for qualified investors. While direct hotel management experience is beneficial, the extensive training and ongoing support provided by BWH Hotel Group in all aspects of hotel management, from day-to-day operations to marketing and revenue optimization, can empower capable business owners. There are no explicit multi-unit requirements, but the scale of the investment and the parent company's expansive growth strategy across its 19 distinctive brands suggest that multi-unit development could be a viable path for well-capitalized and experienced operators. Available territories for SureStay Hotel by Best Western maintain a strategic presence across multiple states, with a concentrated development focus in the Eastern United States, particularly within Mid-Atlantic states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Ideal markets for new franchisees should prioritize locations with stable business travel, growing healthcare sectors, and limited upper-midscale hotel competition, allowing for optimal market penetration. Significant opportunities for expansion also exist across many additional states, especially in the Midwest and Southwest regions, aligning with the brand's focused expansion strategy targeting underserved markets in mid-sized cities and along major interstate corridors. The brand's global growth, including welcoming nearly 100 new hotels in the first half of 2025 across Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, further highlights diverse geographic opportunities.

SureStay by Best Western presents a compelling franchise opportunity for astute investors seeking to capitalize on the robust and growing global hotels market, which is projected to reach USD 3,