RANKED · STRONG & STEADY ONLY · 5 BRANDS
Best hotels & hospitality franchises that can start under $500K
Only brands we rate Strong or Steady appear — from a current FDD (no more than two years old), with enough history to judge, and a loan record that doesn't cap the rating. Strong first. Verdicts are our opinion from the filed record, not investment advice.
Only the cheapest disclosed format is below this budget — the upper end of the range may be far above it. These are filing estimates, not a quote for your location.
- 1. KOASteady
$40K–$16.7M to open · Filed FDD
Net units: -1% · 2026 FDD
$349K–$14.0M to open · Filed FDD
Net units: +10% · 2026 FDD
$411K–$3.0M to open · Filed FDD
Net units: +4% · 2026 FDD
- 4. QUALITY INNSteady
$332K–$1.9M to open · Filed FDD
Net units: -3% · 2026 FDD
- 5. RODEWAY INNSteady
$109K–$702K to open · Filed FDD
Net units: -8% · 2026 FDD
| # | Units · latest run | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | KOA $40K–$16.7M to open ✓ FROM FILED FDDCampgrounds, cabins & glamping2026 FDD | Steady | -1% | |
| 02 | SUBURBAN EXTENDED STAY HOTEL $349K–$14.0M to open ✓ FROM FILED FDDExtended-stay hotels2026 FDD | Steady | +10% | |
| 03 | ASCEND COLLECTION HOTELS $411K–$3.0M to open ✓ FROM FILED FDDSoft-brand hotel collections2026 FDD | Steady | +4% | |
| 04 | QUALITY INN $332K–$1.9M to open ✓ FROM FILED FDDMidscale hotels2026 FDD | Steady | -3% | |
| 05 | RODEWAY INN $109K–$702K to open ✓ FROM FILED FDDEconomy hotels2026 FDD | Steady | -8% |
A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing the numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.