How Much Does a Cobblestone Inn & Suites Franchise Cost?

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Current cost range

How much does a Cobblestone Inn & Suites franchise cost?

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document gives two materially different U.S. investment ranges: $101,999 to $2,382,999 to convert an existing hotel, and $5,985,874 to $15,522,699 for a newly constructed Cobblestone Lodging Facility. The FDD groups Cobblestone Inn & Suites, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, and Cobblestone Suites under that shared term, so the disclosed ranges are format-based rather than a standalone Cobblestone Inn & Suites schedule.

Two cost ranges

Conversion: $101,999–$2,382,999. New construction: $5,985,874–$15,522,699. These June 1, 2026 FDD ranges are not interchangeable: the conversion total assumes an existing hotel, while the new-build total excludes the cost of acquiring or leasing real estate and preparing the site.

Data basis: legal franchisor Cobblestone Hotels, LLC; U.S. FDD issued June 1, 2026; conversion and new-construction formats; Items 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 17; checked July 21, 2026. The official site describes Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and Cobblestone Inn & Suites as upper-midscale formats and shows current floor-plan options on its upper-midscale franchise page.

A matching 2026 FDD was not found on an official franchise-controlled public webpage, so FDD references in this article are cited by year, Item, and page without a document link. Official franchise contact information is available on the Cobblestone franchise contact page.

Initial Fee $45,000 Same disclosed fee for either format.
Application Fee $2,500 Credited toward the Initial Fee if approved.
Conversion: paid to franchisor $67,999–$92,999 Franchisor or affiliate payments disclosed on the FDD cover.
New build: paid to franchisor $67,999–$112,449 Franchisor or affiliate payments disclosed on the FDD cover.
Monthly Fee $3.75 Per guest room per day, based on a 30-day month.
Marketing Fund Fee $0.75 Per guest room per day, based on a 30-day month.

Sources: 2026 Cobblestone Hotels, LLC FDD cover; Item 5, pp. 12–14; Item 6, pp. 14–22; Item 7, pp. 22–28.

Format difference

Why are the conversion and new-build ranges so far apart?

The conversion schedule can start near $102,000 only when an existing property already satisfies much of the Cobblestone Lodging Facility standard. The new-construction schedule includes a large Building Improvements range, but still leaves Real Estate and Site Preparation outside the disclosed total. Cobblestone’s official franchisee support page separately confirms that the system works with both new construction and renovation projects.

Official format Estimated Initial Investment Major assumption or exclusion FDD reference
Conversion $101,999–$2,382,999 Assumes the franchisee already owns or leases an existing hotel; Real Estate cost is not included. Item 7, pp. 22–24, 28
New construction $5,985,874–$15,522,699 Real Estate and Site Preparation are “Not Determined” and excluded from the total. Item 7, pp. 24–28
Cost implication

That low end is not a low-cost new hotel model. The conversion table allows $0 for Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment and $0 for Hardware, Software, and Installation only when the existing property already meets brand requirements. A Property Improvement Plan can materially affect where a conversion falls within the range.

Opening capital

What does the initial investment include?

The investment tables include the Initial Fee, training, property work, Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment, Opening Inventory, signage, required technology setup, insurance, and Additional Funds. The exact mix changes by format, and several review fees apply only when the project departs from Cobblestone standards or creates extra review work.

Property, construction, and physical opening costs

The largest new-build cost category is Building Improvements, while the largest conversion variable is Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment. Both formats also carry inventory, signage, technology hardware, internet, and insurance obligations.

Opening-cost category Conversion New construction Timing or interpretation
Real Estate and Site Preparation Assumed owned or leased Not Determined Excluded from the official totals.
Building Improvements Not separately listed $4,956,875–$12,746,250 Paid to contractors, suppliers, architects, and engineers as incurred.
Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment $0–$1,800,000 $700,000–$1,800,000 Supplier payments as incurred; excludes the Property Management System.
Opening Inventory $20,000–$60,000 $20,000–$60,000 Includes linens, guest amenities, paper goods, and maintenance supplies.
Exterior Signage $12,000–$50,000 $12,000–$50,000 Paid to suppliers as incurred.
Hardware, Software, and Installation $0–$20,000 $12,000–$23,000 Conversion may be $0 only if existing systems meet requirements.
High-Speed Internet hardware, software, and installation $0–$35,000 $6,000–$35,000 Paid to suppliers as incurred.
Insurance $2,000–$150,000 $2,000–$150,000 Due before opening to approved insurance carriers.

Franchisor fees, training, and system setup

The $45,000 Initial Fee is only one component. The FDD also requires setup payments for the Property Management System, Central Reservation System, Call Center System, and Cobblestone Rewards Program, plus training and possible design or construction review fees.

Opening payment Conversion New construction When due
Initial Fee $45,000 $45,000 Application Fee first; balance with signed Franchise Agreement.
Initial Training Fee $1,999–$10,999 $1,999–$10,999 As incurred.
Training travel and living expenses $1,000–$5,000 $1,000–$5,000 Within 30 days after invoice.
Property Management System setup $15,000 $15,000 Before receiving the services.
Central Reservation System setup $2,000 $2,000 Before receiving the services.
Call Center System setup $1,000 $1,000 Before receiving the services.
Cobblestone Rewards Initial Fee $2,000 $2,000 Before opening.
Interior Design Review Fee $0–$5,000 $0–$5,000 Before services when a nonstandard package is reviewed.
Signage Review Fee $0–$5,000 $0–$5,000 When nonstandard signage requires review.
Construction Review Fee $0 $0–$20,000 plus expenses Conversions are not charged; new-build review is due before services.

Opening cushion and project reserves

Additional Funds are $0–$175,000 for a conversion and $100,000–$175,000 for new construction. The new-build estimate covers pre-opening expenses and the first three months after opening, including payroll, lease payments, utilities, pest control, security, and maintenance. It excludes debt service.

New-build-only ranges

Closing Costs are $59,000–$171,000, and Contingencies are $50,000–$200,000. These are part of the disclosed new-construction total, not add-ons to it.

Optional digital platforms

The format tables include $0–$1,000 for conversion Contactless Check-In and Digital Authorizations and $0–$450 for new construction. Grab and Go POS is $0–$1,000 for either format.

Training definition needs confirmation

The investment tables budget $1,999–$10,999 for Initial Training Fee. Item 5 separately states $499 per person for headquarters training and $500 per day for up to nine days of on-site training. The buyer should reconcile the exact attendee count, on-site schedule, staff lodging, and travel invoice.

Excluded from total

The new-build total does not resolve land acquisition, lease economics, or site work. The Additional Funds estimate also excludes debt service. Those exclusions can be material enough that the official high end is not a complete all-in capital commitment for a financed project.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 5, pp. 12–14; Item 7, pp. 22–28.

Payment timing

When is the money paid?

The initial cash outlay begins before the Franchise Agreement is signed, then shifts to staged supplier, technology, training, construction, and pre-opening payments. The FDD’s timing rules are more useful than treating the total investment as one closing-day payment.

1

Submit the Application

Pay the $2,500 Application Fee. It is nonrefundable, but it is credited against the $45,000 Initial Fee if the franchisor approves the Application.

2

Sign after approval

Within 30 days after the approval letter, return the signed Franchise Agreement and pay the remaining $42,500 Initial Fee balance. Missing that window can withdraw the approval and forfeit the Application Fee.

3

Fund design, systems, and training

Review fees are generally due before the related services. PMS, CRS, and call-center setup payments are due before installation or service; training charges are invoiced or incurred before opening.

4

Pay project vendors as work progresses

Construction, FF&E, signage, inventory, hardware, internet, closing costs, and contingencies are paid to contractors and suppliers as incurred or under negotiated contracts.

5

Complete pre-opening funding

Insurance and the Cobblestone Rewards Initial Fee are due before opening. Additional Funds must be available for pre-opening expenses and, for a new build, the first three operating months.

6

Begin recurring payments

The two room-count charges are payable by the 15th of each month for the prior closed month. Technology, rewards, call-center, marketing-platform, and vendor charges follow their separate invoices or payment schedules.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 5, pp. 12–14; Item 6, pp. 14–22; Item 7, pp. 22–28.

Ongoing fees

Which fees continue after the hotel opens?

The core brand charges are room-count-based rather than a conventional percentage royalty: the Monthly Fee is $3.75 per guest room per day, and the Marketing Fund Fee is $0.75 per guest room per day, both calculated using a 30-day month. Separate technology and channel fees continue in addition to those two charges.

Ongoing fee entity Disclosed amount or basis Timing Key condition
Monthly Fee $3.75 per day × guest rooms × 30 days By the15th for the prior month Required to operate under the Cobblestone marks.
Marketing Fund Fee $0.75 per day × guest rooms × 30 days By the 15th for the prior month Contributed to the system Marketing Fund.
Central Reservation System $820 per month Upon invoice Required SynXis connectivity and booking-system integration.
Property Management System $4.85 per room per month + $195 per month Upon invoice Additional required interfaces may cost $55–$85 per month each.
Cobblestone Rewards Program Greater of $300/month or 15% of usage, plus $0.045/manual point Upon invoice Participation is mandatory.
Reservation Call Center 16% of revenue from each transferred booked reservation Upon invoice Required provider.
Sojern Marketing Platform 15% of revenue derived through the platform Monthly upon invoice Participation is mandatory.
Email Platform & Microsoft Office Subscription $15–$45 per license per month Upon invoice Varies with selected services and license count.
Optional digital guest tools Contactless: $0–$5 per room/month; Grab and Go POS: $4 per room/month Monthly Currently optional; Item 6 separately lists $1.50 per room per month for mobile check-in and $2.50 per room per month for the kiosk platform, and the franchisor may later make the tools mandatory.
Payment processing and travel-agent commissions Variable Provider schedule Negotiated with designated third-party providers.

Why the required technology stack matters to the cost model

Item 8 does not allow alternative suppliers for several central systems. That means setup fees are only the first layer; the buyer also inherits room-based, flat monthly, transaction-based, usage-based, and vendor-negotiated obligations.

Central Reservation System

The FDD identifies SynXis as the required CRS. The official SynXis CRS portal describes the reservation platform; the Cobblestone FDD, not the provider page, controls the disclosed franchise fee terms.

Property Management System

The FDD identifies Stayntouch as the required PMS. The provider describes its hotel property-management platform on the official Stayntouch site.

Rewards Program

Participation in the Cobblestone Rewards Program is mandatory. The consumer-facing program is described on the official Cobblestone Rewards page; the franchisee fee basis remains the FDD disclosure.

Payment gateway

The FDD identifies Shift4 as the required credit-card processing provider, with pricing negotiated separately. The provider’s official payment platform documentation explains the system, but does not replace the buyer’s negotiated merchant quote.

Payment timing

These two core brand charges scale with guest-room count, not disclosed sales. A larger hotel therefore owes a larger base brand charge even before transaction-based Rewards Program, call-center, and Sojern fees are considered.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 14–22; Item 8, pp. 28–31; Item 11, pp. 39–43.

Event-triggered costs

Which fees arise only after a specific event?

The ongoing-fee table includes costs that may not appear in a normal month but can be material during a transfer, failed inspection, payment default, guest complaint, system suspension, dispute, or early termination.

Transfer Fee — $5,000: due before approval when the Franchise Agreement, hotel assets, or a controlling ownership interest is transferred.

Quality Assurance Inspection — $500–$1,000: reimbursement for inspector lodging per inspection.

Re-evaluation Fee — $1,750 plus travel: triggered by refused access or a failed quality-assurance evaluation.

Guest Complaint Resolution Fee: the guest compensation cost plus a $250 processing fee for each complaint received by the franchisor.

Re-Instatement Fee — $2,000: required before reconnecting suspended intranet, reservation, PMS, or other network access after a breach.

Returned Payment/Non-sufficient Funds Fee — $100: charged per occurrence.

Interest — 18% annual percentage rate: applies to delinquent sums.

Conference attendance — $899 per person plus travel: the General Manager must attend, and the FDD states the prescribed fee is payable even if the manager does not attend.

General Manager Training — $499 per person: the franchisee also pays $1,000–$5,000 in disclosed travel, wages, lodging, and related expenses; the franchisor invoice is due within 30 days.

Onsite Training — $500 per person: trainer travel, wages, lodging, and related expenses are estimated at an additional $1,000–$5,000 and are paid under third-party arrangements.

Requested advisory services — variable: reasonable administrative, out-of-pocket, training, and other service expenses are due when invoiced.

Promotional programs — variable: the hotel must honor applicable discounts and rate codes; the FDD does not quantify the resulting cost.

Guest internet maintenance and support — variable: hardware, software, maintenance, support, and training charges follow the designated provider’s agreement.

Interior Design Review — up to $5,000: may apply during the term for a requested review or a compliance assessment.

Liquidated Damages — up to 36 months of Monthly Fees: may apply after specified terminations, subject to applicable state law.

The FDD also requires actual attorneys’ fees and costs when the franchisor prevails in a judicial proceeding, and actual insurance costs if the franchisor must obtain required coverage because the franchisee failed to do so. Item 17 states that a transfer also requires all monetary obligations to be current, the transferee to qualify and complete training, and execution of the then-current Franchise Agreement. No separate Renewal Fee is listed in the ongoing-fee table; however, continuation after the 20-year term can involve a new agreement with materially different terms.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 15–22; Item 17, pp. 49–55.

Capital qualifications

Does Cobblestone disclose a liquid-capital or net-worth minimum?

No specific Liquid Capital, Net Worth, or Non-Borrowed Funds threshold is stated in the 2026 FDD. That absence does not reduce the disclosed investment or establish that a buyer will qualify. The franchisor may evaluate creditworthiness, and the FDD requires owners or a spouse to provide a Personal Guarantee of franchise obligations.

Item 10 also states that the franchisor does not offer direct or indirect Financing and does not guarantee a note, lease, or other obligation. A bank approval or third-party loan structure therefore remains separate from franchise approval. The FTC consumer guide to buying a franchise explains why buyers should compare disclosed costs with their own financing, legal, accounting, and operating estimates. The FTC Franchise Rule page summarizes the federal disclosure framework.

Buyer verification

The most important missing capital figure is the buyer-specific equity requirement. Obtain written confirmation of the franchisor’s current financial qualifications and the lender’s required cash equity, reserves, guarantees, and debt-service coverage before treating the disclosed range as financeable.

Separate land and site preparation: these are outside the new-build total and are not estimated by the FDD.

Fix the approved room count: the Monthly Fee, Marketing Fund Fee, PMS charge, and optional digital charges scale with rooms.

Obtain the conversion Property Improvement Plan: it determines whether FF&E, hardware, signage, and internet costs stay near $0 or approach the disclosed maximums.

Collect current technology quotes: confirm setup, flat monthly, per-room, integration, transaction, usage, and merchant-processing charges.

Reconcile training logistics: confirm attendees, headquarters days, on-site days, employee wages, travel, and complimentary rooms for trainers.

Model more than three months of liquidity: The disclosed Additional Funds cover only the disclosed pre-opening period and first three operating months and exclude debt service.

Sources: 2026 FDD, Item 5, p. 13; Item 7, p. 28; Item 10, p. 35; Item 15, p. 48.

Decision summary

What capital figure should a prospective franchisee carry forward?

Carry forward the format-specific 2026 Item 7 range, not one blended “Cobblestone franchise cost.” A conversion requires $101,999 to $2,382,999 before any unresolved property-acquisition cost, while a new build requires $5,985,874 to $15,522,699 plus undetermined Real Estate and Site Preparation. The Initial Fee is $45,000, but opening capital also includes property work, systems, training, insurance, inventory, and Additional Funds.

After opening, budget separately for the two room-count charges, the required technology stack, Rewards Program charges, channel-based fees, and event-triggered obligations. Because the FDD does not disclose a Liquid Capital or Net Worth minimum and does not offer Financing, the unresolved decision is how much cash equity and reserve capacity the franchisor and the buyer’s lender will require for the specific site, room count, and conversion condition.

Official documents and tools Official Cobblestone franchising information Official franchise contact FTC franchise buyer guide






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