What is the minimum phone requirement per guest room for a Sonesta Simply Suites hotel?
Sonesta_Simply_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ongoing support for the lock system software from one of our approved vendors.
You must also purchase a phone system ("PBX") for your Hotel. We require a minimum of one phone per Guest Room. If you are converting an existing hotel to a Brand Hotel, you may use Cat3 cabling. If you are constructing a new Brand Hotel, you must use an IP based phone system. We estimate that the cost to implement a new PBX will range from $30,000 to $60,000 depending on the number of Guest Rooms and features provided with the PBX system. You must also purchase a telephone service in the form of analog phone lines, primary rate interface (PRI), or SIP to provide connectivity for the phone lines. We
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 48–60)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Sonesta Simply Suites FDD, a franchisee must purchase a phone system (PBX) for their hotel. The minimum requirement is one phone per guest room. This means that if a Sonesta Simply Suites hotel has 100 guest rooms, the franchisee must ensure that there are at least 100 phones available for guests.
For franchisees converting an existing hotel to a Sonesta Simply Suites brand hotel, Cat3 cabling may be used for the phone system. However, if the franchisee is constructing a new Sonesta Simply Suites hotel, an IP-based phone system is required. The estimated cost to implement a new PBX ranges from $30,000 to $60,000, depending on the number of guest rooms and features provided with the PBX system.
In addition to purchasing the phone system, franchisees must also purchase a telephone service, which can be in the form of analog phone lines, primary rate interface (PRI), or SIP, to provide connectivity for the phone lines. The estimated costs for these services range from $50 to $300 per month. This ongoing cost should be factored into the overall operational expenses of the franchise.