Does Sonesta Simply Suites require franchisees to participate in the Revenue Management for Hire program?
Sonesta_Simply_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ther location we designate, at our election.
Revenue Manager Certification Training
You will be required to participate in our Revenue Management For Hire (RMFH) program for one year following the Opening Date of your Hotel. After the first year, if you elect to not participate in the brand's RMFH program, you will be required to hire a dedicated revenue management professional locally for your property. This person must carry the title of Director or Manager of Revenue Management, Revenue Optimization, or Revenue Strategy, and whose role exclusively focuses on those functions. This person must have demonstrated proficiency in
revenue management with at least four years' experience in a verifiable, revenue management specific, manager or director role, in similar hotels, and who otherwise meets our requirements (such as formal training and certification in the revenue management system) (the "Hotel Revenue Manager"). We may require that your Hotel Revenue Manager be trained on our RMS at your cost. The training classes are provided by a third-party service provider, and may be provided onsite at your Hotel or conducted virtually, at your discretion. Based on which designated RMS is selected, currently the cost is between $500 and $8,950 per user (depending on the system selected and whether training is done on-site or virtually). If during the term of the Franchise Agreement you hire a new Hotel Revenue Manager, such person will also need to complete training for the RMS (currently, the cost is $500 to $4,700 to train new Hotel Revenue Managers for Hotels already using the RMS).
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 48–60)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Sonesta Simply Suites' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to participate in the Revenue Management For Hire (RMFH) program for the first year after their hotel's opening date. After this initial year, franchisees have the option to either continue with the RMFH program or hire their own dedicated revenue management professional for the property.
If a franchisee chooses to hire a revenue management professional, that person must hold a title such as Director or Manager of Revenue Management, Revenue Optimization, or Revenue Strategy, and their role must exclusively focus on these functions. The hired professional must have at least four years of experience in a verifiable revenue management role within similar hotels and meet Sonesta Simply Suites' other requirements, including formal training and certification in the revenue management system (RMS).
Sonesta Simply Suites may also require that the franchisee's Hotel Revenue Manager be trained on their RMS, with the cost of training, provided by a third-party, ranging from $500 to $8,950 per user, depending on the system selected and whether the training is conducted on-site or virtually. If a new Hotel Revenue Manager is hired during the term of the Franchise Agreement, that person will also need to complete RMS training, which currently costs between $500 and $4,700.