Brands and Franchising: Launches, Conversions, Fees and Owner Impact
Brand launches, conversions and reflags, franchise fees and rule changes — and what they mean for owners at Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Choice, Wyndham and the rest. This desk links our reporting and fee tables; we do not invent figures or quotes.
Last updated: October 30, 2026 · Built from published Hotelier Times posts and tools, plus linked brand news.
Fee count from our franchise fee comparison. All-in cost context from The 12 Percent Flag. Conversion share from The Flag Fight (IHG Q3 reporting).
29 Oct 2026
Hyatt: AI cuts conversion PIPs from weeks to about a day
Hyatt says AI now produces conversion property improvement plans in about a day, with an end-to-end conversion platform due by the end of Q1 2027; year-to-date signings are up 70%. Faster PIPs shorten the decision window for owners shopping a reflag.
29 Oct 2026
Wyndham Rewards adds nearly 800 vacation rentals
Homes & Havens lets Wyndham’s roughly 129 million members earn five points per dollar and redeem at managed vacation homes, a loyalty play that keeps members booking inside the system.
Sep–Oct 2026
Orlando, FL · Mountain Brook, AL
Xenia drops the Grand Bohemian name at two Autograph hotels
Grand Bohemian Orlando reopened as Hotel Beauden and Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook (99 keys) as Hotel Wildemont, both staying in Marriott’s Autograph Collection with Davidson Hospitality operating.
29 Oct 2026
New York, NY
Hyatt’s StandardX Times Square: about 1,800 rooms
Hyatt and Extell plan The StandardX North American debut at 255 West 45th Street, targeting the second half of 2028, with an observation deck and free-fall ride. Room rates and franchise economics were not disclosed in Hyatt’s announcement.
27 Oct 2026
The Flag Fight: IHG and Wyndham compete for each other’s hotels
IHG’s U.S. RevPAR rose 6.9% and Wyndham’s rose 6% in Q3. In the Americas, conversions were about 50% of IHG openings and 60% of signings year to date — mostly hotels leaving other flags. Wyndham’s U.S. system shrank 1% as it terminated substandard rooms.
27 Oct 2026
Sonesta and Kempinski: when the brand itself is for sale
Sonesta’s chief brand officer left as a $2 billion bid targets many of its best hotels under Service Properties Trust. Kempinski’s CEO and several senior executives resigned while owners sought a buyer. Checklist for franchisees and managed owners.
27 Oct 2026
Dazzler Select by Wyndham: 14 U.S. hotels in year one
Wyndham’s conversion brand for independent hotels added properties in Florida, Arizona, Utah, Washington and New Hampshire in its first year — logged on our Openings desk.
12 Oct 2026
The 12 Percent Flag: what owners really pay
Royalty plus marketing often runs 7.5% to 9% on the contract. All-in — with loyalty, reservations and system charges — owners commonly pay closer to 10% to 13% of rooms revenue. Side-by-side FDD figures for select-service brands.
Sep 2026
164 brands compared: Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, Choice, Wyndham and more
Initial fees, royalty and marketing (or program) fees from Franchise Disclosure Documents and cited sources. Median royalty 5%; median royalty + marketing 8.5% where both are simple percentages.
21 Aug 2026
The Great Hotel Squeeze: Choice, IHG and fair franchising
Vendor programs, loyalty assessments and AAHOA’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising — the owner-side fight over what the franchise agreement really costs.