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Ascend Hotel Collection Franchise Fees 2026: Royalty, Marketing and Initial Fee
Ascend Hotel Collection is a soft-brand brand from Choice Hotels. Here is what it charges to join and to stay in the system, where the numbers come from, and how they compare with similar brands.
Ascend Hotel Collection fees at a glance
| Initial fee | $525 per room, minimum $45,000 |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5% (membership fee) |
| Marketing or program fee | 3% (Marketing and Reservation Fee) |
| Royalty plus marketing | 8% of rooms revenue |
| Franchisor | Choice Hotels |
| Segment | Soft brand |
| Disclosure year | 2026 |
Note: Soft brand with a membership agreement. 2026 FDD (issued April 1, 2026, amended May 20, 2026) on file with the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Plus a Choice Privileges loyalty fee on member stays.
Source: Read in Ascend Hotel Collection’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Source 1
How Ascend Hotel Collection compares
Ascend Hotel Collection’s royalty and marketing fees add up to 8% of rooms revenue. That is below the 8.3% average for the 11 soft-brand brands in our table with a comparable headline figure, the 5th-lowest of the 11.
| Soft brand brand | Franchisor | Royalty | Marketing | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark Collection by Wyndham | Wyndham | 5.5% (membership fee) | 2% (marketing fee) | 7.5% |
| Classico Collection by Sonesta | Sonesta | 5% | 2.5% (Brand Promotion Fee; can rise to 3.5%) | 7.5% |
| MOD Collection by Sonesta | Sonesta | 5% of GRR | 2.5% of GRR | 7.5% |
| The Red Collection | Red Roof | 4.5% of GRR | 3% of GRR | 7.5% |
| Vignette Collection | IHG | 5% | 3.5% (Sales and Marketing Services Contribution) | 8.5% |
| Noted Collection | IHG | 5% | 3.5% | 8.5% |
| Curio Collection by Hilton | Hilton | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Tapestry Collection by Hilton | Hilton | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Outset Collection by Hilton | Hilton | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Radisson Individuals | Choice Hotels | 6% | 3% (Marketing and Reservation Fee) | 9% |
What the headline number leaves out
Royalty and marketing are only the start. Most brands also charge for reservations and distribution, loyalty-program assessments on member stays, required technology and property-management systems, training and quality assurance. Brands also negotiate: ramp-up royalty discounts, key money and conversion incentives are common. Ask Choice Hotels for its estimate of total fees as a share of rooms revenue, and read Items 5 and 6 of the current FDD before you sign. Our analysis of what owners really pay a brand puts the typical all-in bill at 10% to 13% of rooms revenue.
Other Choice Hotels brands
Comfort Inn · Comfort Suites · Quality Inn · Sleep Inn · Clarion · Clarion Pointe · Cambria Hotels · Econo Lodge · Rodeway Inn · MainStay Suites · Suburban Studios · WoodSpring Suites · Everhome Suites · Country Inn & Suites by Radisson · Radisson · Radisson Blu · Radisson Individuals · Park Inn by Radisson
Keep going
- Compare franchise fees for all 164 brands
- Price per key, cap rate and OTA cost calculators
- Hotels for sale across the U.S.
- 2026 hotel sales tracker
The Hotelier Times is a publisher, not a franchise adviser. Fees change; confirm every figure in the brand’s current Franchise Disclosure Document. Spot an error? Email nathan@hoteliertimes.com.