BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $443K – $2.8M
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
BW Premier and Signature Collection are Best Western's upscale hotel franchise brands for distinctive, independent-style properties. Franchisees own and operate the hotels, managing guest services and revenue while adhering to brand standards.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection franchise requires a total initial investment of $443K – $2.8M, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored3 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $443K – $2.8M
- 21st pct Lodging
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 3rd pct Lodging
- Units
- 67
- 39th pct Lodging
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Lodging · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Lodging median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $443K – $2.8M including a $25K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +3 franchised outlets in the latest year (12 opened, 9 closed) (Item 20).
- LEGAL25 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Best Western International, Inc.
- CEO title
- President and Chief Executive Officer
- Lawrence M. Cuculic
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 6201 N. 24th Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85016
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $547.5M
- vs $520.9M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Lawrence M. Cuculic
- Headquarters
- AZ
- Founded
- 1957
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 28
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 82% below the typical lodging franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $4K | $4K | |
| Affiliation Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Impact Study Fee | $0 | $4K | |
| Renovation Work | $0 | $809K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $0 | $1.4M | |
| Inventory and Operating Equipment | $47K | $79K | |
| Signage | $315 | $525 | |
| Distribution Photography Package Fee | $2K | $10K | |
| Computer System | $0 | $13K | |
| Insurance | $6K | $10K | |
| Organizational Expense | $525 | $1K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $0 | $32K | |
| Miscellaneous Project Management Expenses | $0 | $26K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $357K | $387K | |
| Total initial investment | $443K | $2.8M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $443K – $2.8M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $357K – $545K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $130 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $72K – $90K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 5.0% — below the Lodging median of 8.5%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System expanding at 17.5% CAGR over 3 years across 67 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Lodging medians
How BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection Compares
Category median of published Lodging brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 67
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 9
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 29.9%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +17.5%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +17.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Projected new
- 11
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 14.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 14.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 29 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
68 current owners across 29 states.
- CA 12
- NJ 5
- OR 5
- AZ 4
- FL 4
- IL 3
- NY 3
- PA 3
- WI 3
- ME 2
- NC 2
- NV 2
- +17 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 1 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Franchisor as plaintiff in most cases collecting unpaid fees/dues from terminated members; several regulatory consent orders from CA, MD, WA, VA for franchise registration violations; counterclaims from former members alleging wrongful termination.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Consolidated revenues for fiscal year ended November 30, 2025: Fees, dues and assessments $304,904K; Program revenues $179,735K; Other revenues $62,905K. Figures in thousands.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive litigation involving breach of contract, unpaid fees, and wrongful termination suggests systemic franchisor-franchisee relationship problems
- 02MINORState regulatory actions related to franchise registration and disclosure laws indicate compliance violations and potential enforcement risk
- 03MEDSlow unit growth of 4.7% YoY combined with 67 units suggests mature/stagnating system with limited expansion momentum
- 04MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents validation of ROI claims and profitability benchmarks
- 05MINORZero territory protection exposes franchisees to direct brand competition and cannibalization risk from other locations
- 06MINOR5% royalty on gross rooms revenue (not net) creates fixed burden regardless of profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | AZ |
| Litigation count | 25 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Franchisor as plaintiff in most cases collecting unpaid fees/dues from terminated members; several regulatory consent orders from CA, MD, WA, VA for franchise registration violations; counterclaims from former members alleging wrongful termination.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- AutoClerk
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: AutoClerk
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
69 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection franchise?
The total investment to open a BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection franchise ranges from $443K – $2.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection franchise owners earn?
BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection?
BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection is franchised by Best Western International, Inc.. The FDD names no parent company. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection has 67 total units in the United States, including 67 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.