Hotel franchise fees › City Express by Marriott
City Express by Marriott Franchise Fees 2026: Royalty, Marketing and Initial Fee
City Express by Marriott is a midscale brand from Marriott. 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.
City Express by Marriott fees at a glance
| Initial fee | New-to-system: $75,000 (flat); existing/managed conversion: $100,000 |
|---|---|
| Royalty | Not found |
| Marketing or program fee | Not found |
| Royalty plus marketing | Not shown as a single figure (see note) |
| Franchisor | Marriott |
| Segment | Midscale |
| Disclosure year | 2026 |
Note: Royalty and marketing rates not confirmed.
Source: Read in City Express by Marriott’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Source 1
How City Express by Marriott compares
We don’t show a single headline percentage for City Express by Marriott, because its fees aren’t two simple percentages of rooms revenue; see the note above. Compare the royalty and marketing lines directly with the midscale brands below.
| Midscale brand | Franchisor | Royalty | Marketing | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| avid hotels | IHG | 5% | 3% (Services Contribution) | 8% |
| Red Lion Hotels / Red Lion Inn & Suites | Sonesta | 5% of GRR | 3% of GRR | 8% |
| AmericInn by Wyndham | Wyndham | 5% of gross revenues | 3.25% (2% marketing plus 1.25% reservation fee) | 8.25% |
| Garner | IHG | 5.5% | 3% (Services Contribution) | 8.5% |
| Ramada by Wyndham | Wyndham | 5% | 3.5% (2% marketing plus 1.5% reservation fee) | 8.5% |
| Baymont by Wyndham | Wyndham | 5% | 3.5% (System Assessment Fee) | 8.5% |
| Sonesta Essential | Sonesta | 5% | 3.5% (Brand Promotion Fee; can rise to 4.5%) | 8.5% |
| Quality Inn | Choice Hotels | 5.25% | 3.5% (Marketing and Reservation Fee) | 8.75% |
| Clarion | Choice Hotels | 5.5% | 3.25% (Marketing and Reservation Fee) | 8.75% |
| Clarion Pointe | Choice Hotels | 5.5% | 3.25% (Marketing and Reservation Fee) | 8.75% |
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 Marriott 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.
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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.