FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

ITEMS 5–7 · 2024 FDD · 1+ YEAR OLD

How much is a City Express by Marriott franchise?

Per City Express by Marriott's 2024 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $75,000 (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $2.8M–$4.9M (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 10.5% of gross sales (Item 6).

Franchise fee · Item 5

$75,000

one-time, to buy in

Royalty · Item 6

10.5%

of gross sales, ongoing

Total investment · Item 7

$2.8M–$4.9M

franchisor's own estimate

City Express by Marriott vs hotels & hospitality medians37 systems benchmarked
Cost lineCity Express by MarriottSector median
Initial franchise fee ITEM 5$75,000$57,500
Ongoing royalty ITEM 610.5%5.5%
Total initial investment ITEM 7$2.8M–$4.9M$8.8M–$17.7M

MEDIANS: LATEST FDD FILINGS (≤24 MONTHS OLD) OF 37 HOTELS & HOSPITALITY SYSTEMS · FULL HOTELS & HOSPITALITY BENCHMARK →

Breakeven framingwhat it costs · what it drags

The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 10.5% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD, and this brand publishes no Item 19 earnings data to anchor it.

To open (Item 7)

$2.8M–$4.9M

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$75,000

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

10.5%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$500K/yr

Starts at a placeholder of $500K — a round figure for the sector, not from City Express by Marriott’s filings. This brand's FDD makes no Item 19 earnings claim; set your own figure and check it with current and former owners.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$53K

10.5% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$525K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This estimate is computed by software from the brand's public filings and any inputs you enter. No CPA prepared it for you and no assurance is provided on it. Actual results will differ, and the differences may be material.

This is not profit. It covers what the FDD fixes: what you put in, and the royalty you owe on sales. Your take-home depends on labor, rent, supplies, and the months to breakeven, none of which the FDD fixes for your unit (some Item 19s include cost data — read it).

Build a real pro-forma for City Express by Marriott with a buyer-paid CPA

City Express by Marriott cost questions, answered from the filing

How much is a City Express by Marriott franchise?

Per City Express by Marriott's 2024 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $75,000 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $2.8M–$4.9M (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.

What royalty does City Express by Marriott charge?

City Express by Marriott charges an ongoing royalty of 10.5% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2024 FDD. The median across 37 hotels & hospitality systems tracked here is 5.5%.

Does City Express by Marriott tell you what franchisees earn?

No — City Express by Marriott's 2024 FDD makes no Item 19 earnings claim, so any revenue figure you hear comes from sales conversations, not disclosure documents. Validate with current and former franchisees.

The City Express by Marriott validation checklist

questions built from this brand's own filings · read them all on the profile

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Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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 City Express by Marriott’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

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