How to Start a WoodSpring Suites Franchise in 7 Steps: Checklist

The 2026 FDD does not publish a universal minimum net worth, liquid-capital threshold, credit score, education requirement, or mandatory personal hotel-ownership history for the ordinary WoodSpring Suites applicant. Choice retains application approval authority and considers the proposed location, market and revenue potential; separate financing or incentive programs can add creditworthiness and eligibility reviews. Meeting any stated criterion does not guarantee approval. The FDD discloses a $5,000 nonrefundable application fee credited toward the affiliation fee; confirm when Choice requests payment because federal disclosure timing applies before a covered payment.

Item 11 states that if no site can be agreed and Choice rejects the application, no Franchise Agreement is signed and the affiliation fee is refunded less $5,000 and any pre-application property improvement plan fees.

Item 15 says the owner need not personally run the hotel, but Franchise Agreement §6(v) requires a professional hotel management company before Construction Start and during the term, subject to Choice’s prior written consent. The hotel must also have a full-time General Manager dedicated to the property before opening.

No. Item 12 states that WoodSpring Suites franchises are granted for specific sites and that the ordinary Franchise Agreement does not provide an exclusive territory. Choice may grant a preferred region or limited same-brand protection in its discretion, while a Master Development Agreement can create defined Exclusive Territories tied to a Development Schedule. Those rights can be lost through default or failure to meet development obligations.

Choice describes support from pre-opening through grand opening on its development website and site-selection-to-opening support in a development release. The FDD and signed agreements control contractual obligations.

For new construction, the owner must attend ES LAUNCH within 180 days after construction starts; for a conversion, within 90 days after Franchise Agreement execution; and a re-licensed hotel’s new owner must attend New Franchisee Immersion within 90 days of re-licensing. The acting General Manager must complete HOST with ESsentials Operations Certification, and hotel staff receive required Choice University training tracks.

The FDD uses overlapping manager-certification timing: Item 5 ties the General Manager program to hire date, while Item 11 also ties HOST certification for at least one managerial staff member to opening or re-licensing. Obtain a written onboarding schedule from Choice identifying each required trainee, course and trigger.

Readiness also includes choiceADVANTAGE®, business-grade internet, approved Dell hardware through Insight or Choice, EMV software through Shift4, Qualified Vendors, hotel supplies, compliant local advertising and required pre-opening information. Choice does not hire the franchisee’s employees.

Under the Master Development Agreement, the Rights Deposit is fully earned and non-refundable when the MDA is signed, and $50,000 is credited toward the Affiliation Fee for each approved Application and executed Franchise Agreement. A development schedule is not a blanket approval for future hotels: Choice processes each property application under then-current standards, and future locations remain subject to approval.

First, keep the transaction stages separate. The FTC’s rule requires delivery of the FDD at least 14 calendar days before the prospect signs a binding agreement with, or makes a covered payment to, the franchisor or its affiliate. The FTC also explains that a prospect can request the FDD once the franchisor has received the application and agreed to consider it. See the FTC Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise and the FTC FDD due-diligence guidance.

Second, verify the signed opening conditions: site control, plan approval, construction and opening deadlines, any property improvement plan, management-company consent, training, suppliers, insurance, ADA certification and written authorization. The Franchise Agreement requires ADA certification before the hotel may open under the Brand Mark or System; see ADA.gov Title III guidance.

Third, use Item 20 and Exhibits M and N to ask current and former WoodSpring Suites franchisees how long site control, entitlements, design review, construction, onboarding and inspection took in comparable markets. The official WoodSpring Suites press kit directs prospects to Choice Hotels International for a current FDD.