Are Best Western franchisees responsible for travel and living expenses when their employees attend training programs?

According to Best Western's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are responsible for covering all travel, living expenses, wages, and worker's compensation insurance for their employees when they attend any training programs. This includes initial training, additional training, General Manager training, Professional Development Training, Voting Representative Brand Orientation, and regional training programs.

Best Western may require that a franchisee's General Manager, Voting Representative, or other employees complete ongoing or refresher training programs. The franchisee must pay Best Western $29.76 per month for the Tools For Success online training, $500 per course (or $100 to audit only) for Voting Representative Brand Orientation, $1,500 for new or replacement General Manager training, $2,400 per day for a regional services visit for required or requested training, and $399 for optional one-day regional training.

Franchisees should factor in these additional costs when budgeting for employee training and development. These expenses can accumulate quickly, especially if the property is located far from training centers or if multiple employees need to attend various programs. It is common in the franchise industry for franchisees to bear the costs of employee training, but the specific expenses covered can vary significantly between franchise systems.