Does Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential deliver or install the required equipment and supplies?
Sonesta_Select_Sonesta_Essential Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- Provide you with a list of and specifications for equipment, supplies, advertising materials, inventory and other products and services we require you to use to operate your Hotel and a list of approved or recommended suppliers of these items. We do not deliver or install these items, except as provided below under the heading Computer Systems. (Franchise Agreement, Section 8.E)
If you require our assistance to implement these systems into your Hotel, you will be required to pay us an IT Implementation Services Fee of up to $20,000 (including travel and other expenses for our personnel) (see Item 7).
We estimate that the installation of the Property Management System will cost $20,000 to $35,000 for a 125-room Sonesta Select-branded hotel and $8,500 to $15,000 for an 80-room Sonesta Essential-branded hotel. We estimate that the cost to install the RMS will be $1,500 to $10,000, and the cost to complete training for the RMS (if training is required) will be $500 to $8,950 (depending on which RMS you choose), plus $6.44 per Guest Room per month (regardless of which RMS you choose) paid to us for your participation in it.
You must purchase an RFID Key System from one of our approved vendors. The cost of purchasing this software ranges from $500 to $700 per Guest Room.
We estimate that the cost to implement a new PBX will range from $35,000 to $65,000 for Sonesta Select-branded hotels and from $25,000 to $55,000 for Sonesta Essential-branded hotels, depending on the number of Guest Rooms and features provided with the PBX system.
Source: Item 11 — **FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 52–64)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 FDD, Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential generally does not deliver or install the required equipment and supplies for its franchisees, except in the case of computer systems. The franchisee is responsible for obtaining the necessary equipment, supplies, advertising materials, inventory, and other products and services from approved or recommended suppliers to operate the hotel.
For computer systems, Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential may offer assistance with implementation, but this comes at an additional cost. If a franchisee requires assistance to implement the required systems into their hotel, they will be required to pay an IT Implementation Services Fee of up to $20,000, which includes travel and other expenses for Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential personnel. The franchisee is generally responsible for the costs associated with purchasing and installing various systems, such as the Property Management System (PMS), Revenue Management Systems (RMS), RFID Key System, and phone system (PBX).
Specifically, the installation of the Property Management System is estimated to cost between $20,000 and $35,000 for a 125-room Sonesta Select-branded hotel and between $8,500 and $15,000 for an 80-room Sonesta Essential-branded hotel. The cost to install the RMS is estimated to be $1,500 to $10,000. The cost to implement a new PBX ranges from $35,000 to $65,000 for Sonesta Select-branded hotels and from $25,000 to $55,000 for Sonesta Essential-branded hotels. The cost of purchasing the RFID Key System software ranges from $500 to $700 per Guest Room.
Prospective franchisees should carefully consider these costs and the responsibility for procuring and installing the necessary equipment and supplies when evaluating the Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential franchise opportunity. It is important to factor in the potential IT implementation fees if assistance is needed from Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential, as well as the ongoing costs associated with the various required systems.