Postcard Cabins Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Postcard Cabins is a hospitality franchise operating small cabin getaways in nature near cities. Franchisees own and operate the cabin sites, managing bookings, guest services, and maintenance.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Postcard Cabins franchise requires a total initial investment of $8.5M – $11.6M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $8.5M – $11.6M
- 40th pct Lodging
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 0 outlets
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 3rd pct Lodging
- Units
- 0
- 0th pct Lodging
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Lodging · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Lodging avg · 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 $8.5M – $11.6M including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAudited financial statements are for MIF, L.L.C. (the franchisor, a subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc.), for fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, audited by Ernst & Young LLP. Statements are presented in thousands; all figures converted to whole US dollars. Total revenue FY2023 $94,417,000 comprises net fee revenues $71,931,000 plus cost reimbursement revenue $22,486,000 (the "other revenue" figure). Balance sheet reconciles: total assets $409,712,000 = total liabilities $6,791,000 + member's equity $402,921,000. Note assets are dominated by a $376,990,000 due-from-related-parties (intercompany) receivable.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 39/100 (higher is better).
- LEGAL14 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
- MIF, L.L.C.
- Parent company
- Marriott International, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Getaway House, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7750 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $94.4M
- vs $87.9M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Anthony Capuano
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 0
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about average for a lodging franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $50K | $55K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $8.4M | $11.5M |
| Total initial investment | $8.5M | $11.6M |
Source: Postcard Cabins 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $8.5M – $11.6M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $55K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $20K |
| Transfer fee | $100K |
| Inventory (initial) | $156K – $217K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Postcard Cabins did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Postcard Cabins unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
1%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Audited financial statements are for MIF, L.L.C. (the franchisor, a subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc.), for fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, audited by Ernst & Young LLP. Statements are presented in thousands; all figures converted to whole US dollars. Total revenue FY2023 $94,417,000 comprises net fee revenues $71,931,000 plus cost reimbursement revenue $22,486,000 (the "other revenue" figure). Balance sheet reconciles: total assets $409,712,000 = total liabilities $6,791,000 + member's equity $402,921,000. Note assets are dominated by a $376,990,000 due-from-related-parties (intercompany) receivable.
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 6.5% — below the Lodging average of 10.4%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
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 averages
How Postcard Cabins Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 0
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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.
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
Postcard Cabins presents extreme risk: zero operating units, going concern status, ongoing major litigation, undisclosed financials, and massive capital requirements create a combination suggesting a failed or failing franchise system with significant legal liabilities.
Litigation (Item 3)
Item 3 discloses multiple litigation matters: (A) Data Security Incident — MDL class actions (1), City of Chicago action (2), administrative investigations (3), Canadian class actions (4); (B) Resort/destination fees — DC v. Marriott (1), Todd Hall v. Marriott (2); (C) Franchisor initiated — Arkansas Knoxville Hotel arbitration (1); (D) Other pending — Fifth and Fifty-Fifth Residence Club (1), Tempe Hospitality Ventures (2), Portillo v. CoSTAR (3), Segal v. Amadeus (4); (E) Concluded — Rahman v. MII (1), HPT CY TRS arbitration (2), Rivera v. MII (3), Puleo v. MII (4), Cityfront Hotel v. Starwood (5)
Largest disclosed settlement: $23,300,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 39 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing concern status indicates franchisor financial distress and potential inability to support franchisees
- 02MINORZero operating units with unknown growth trajectory suggests failed or non-existent franchise system
- 03HIGHMajor data security litigation (Starwood breach) and government investigations create ongoing liability exposure for franchisees
- 04MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure prevents ROI validation on $8.5M-$11.6M investment
- 05MINORUnprotected territory combined with no unit growth indicates competitive vulnerability and market saturation risk
- 06MEDHigh initial investment ($8.5M+) with 5% royalty on undisclosed revenues creates cash flow uncertainty
- 07MINORMultiple putative class actions and antitrust disputes involving affiliates suggest systemic operational/legal problems
- 08MINOR20-year term locks franchisees into relationship with financially unstable franchisor
- 09MINORResort/destination fee display investigations indicate pricing transparency issues affecting customer trust and revenue
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| Litigation count | 14 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 discloses multiple litigation matters: (A) Data Security Incident — MDL class actions (1), City of Chicago action (2), administrative investigations (3), Canadian class actions (4); (B) Resort/destination fees — DC v. Marriott (1), Todd Hall v. Marriott (2); (C) Franchisor initiated — Arkansas Knoxville Hotel arbitration (1); (D) Other pending — Fifth and Fifty-Fifth Residence Club (1), Tempe Hospitality Ventures (2), Portillo v. CoSTAR (3), Segal v. Amadeus (4); (E) Concluded — Rahman v. MII (1), HPT CY TRS arbitration (2), Rivera v. MII (3), Puleo v. MII (4), Cityfront Hotel v. Starwood (5)
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Web-based / varies / on-site
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Marriott designated property management system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Marriott designated property management system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
37 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Postcard Cabins · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Postcard Cabins franchise?
The total investment to open a Postcard Cabins franchise ranges from $8.5M – $11.6M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Postcard Cabins franchise owners earn?
Postcard Cabins does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Postcard Cabins 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 Postcard Cabins FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Postcard Cabins's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Postcard Cabins (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.
Is Postcard Cabins a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Postcard Cabins as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 39 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.