Hilton Garden Inn Franchise Costs, Fees & Profit Insights for 2025

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Hilton Garden Inn is a globally trusted mid-priced hotel brand offering business and leisure travelers upscale accommodations and strong franchisee support.

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 980+

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $21,933,588 - $32,384,982

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): N/A

Brand overview

Hilton Garden Inn is a mid-priced, full-service hotel franchise under the Hilton Worldwide umbrella, designed to serve both business and leisure travelers with comfort, convenience and premium service. Hilton Garden Inn has become one of Hilton’s most prominent and fastest-growing brands, now with over 980 locations in 58 countries and territories. Positioned in high-demand areas such as airports, business districts and major tourist cities, Hilton Garden Inn franchises are supported by Hilton’s robust infrastructure, loyalty programs and global recognition.

Hilton Garden Inn was founded in 1990 as part of Hilton Worldwide to fill the growing demand for affordable yet upscale accommodations for everyday business and leisure travelers. It was developed with the goal of delivering consistent quality, convenience and hospitality backed by Hilton’s industry-leading service systems.

Mission: To provide a brighter, more enjoyable stay for guests through clean, comfortable accommodations and reliable, friendly service.

Vision: To be the leading global hotel brand in the upscale segment by delivering value, comfort and convenience to guests while offering franchisees a strong return on investment.

• Complimentary WiFi and remote printing services.

• Cooked-to-order breakfast and 24/7 snack access.

• Digital check-in and Hilton Honors mobile room key access.

• Convenient locations near major travel and business hubs.

• Modern business centers, meeting spaces, and on-site restaurants and bars.

• Access to Hilton’s global reservation and loyalty systems.

• Ongoing training, operational and marketing support.

• Brand recognition from one of the most trusted hospitality groups.

• Performance analytics and data tools to optimize revenue.

• Exclusive development and territory planning assistance.

Hilton Garden Inn continues to expand domestically and internationally, with opportunities available in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Initial costs and fees

Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Hilton Garden Inn franchise with 132 rooms is $21,933,588 to $32,384,982. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:

Initial Franchise Fee: The franchise application fee for a new development or conversion is $100,000 plus $400 for each additional guest room or suite over 150. The fee for a change of ownership is $200,000, and the fee for a re-licensing is $100,000. This fee is payable upon the submission of the application.

Ongoing Fees: According to the 2023 FDD, Hilton Garden Inn franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:

ROI Potential: Hilton Garden Inn’s 2025 FDD doesn’t include any earnings claims in its Item 19. Prospective franchisees are encouraged to consult with existing franchisees during the due diligence phase for performance expectations.

Hilton provides franchisees and their teams with a comprehensive training curriculum, including:

• Pre-opening and brand immersion training at Hilton University.

• On-site staff training programs.

• eLearning and certification courses for hospitality and service standards.

• Site selection assistance and construction support.

• Pre-opening planning and timeline management.

• Grand opening marketing and promotions.

• Regional operations managers and field support teams.

• Proprietary property management and reservation systems.

• Hilton Honors guest loyalty platform.

• Revenue management and dynamic pricing tools.

• Digital key access and mobile concierge services.

• Liquid Capital: $500,000 - $1 million

• Net Worth: $2 million

Experience in hospitality, real estate development or multi-unit operations preferred.

Franchisee requirements

Franchisees are expected to maintain Hilton standards of service and branding. Owner-operator models are welcome, but Hilton also supports multi-unit developers and semi-absentee ownership with experienced hotel managers in place.

Hilton does not offer direct financing but maintains relationships with third-party lenders and SBA-preferred partners. Lenders are often willing to finance Hilton properties due to the brand’s recognition and proven performance.

Market outlook

The global hotel industry continues its steady recovery and expansion post-COVID, with CBRE forecasting RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) growth of approximately 2% in the U.S. for 2025. This growth is fueled by increasing international travel, modest improvements in group and business travel, and stabilized domestic leisure demand

Hilton Garden Inn stands out in the competitive upscale hotel segment thanks to strong guest loyalty driven by the Hilton Honors program, industry-leading digital amenities and a robust global support infrastructure. These advantages help differentiate the brand from top competitors such as Courtyard by Marriott, Hyatt Place, Holiday Inn Express, Cambria Hotels and Radisson Blu.

1. Submit Application: Complete the Franchise Application (Exhibit F in the FDD) and pay the Franchise Application Fee.

2. Initial Review: Hilton reviews the application. Approval may be conditional on submitting additional information within a set timeframe.

3. Approval or Termination: If requirements aren’t met, Hilton may terminate the offer. The fee is non-refundable once approved.

4. Withdrawn or Denied Applications: If withdrawn before approval or denied, Hilton may refund the fee minus a $7,500 processing charge (subject to discretion).

5. Change of Ownership: If the deal falls through, the fee may be refunded minus the processing charge.

6. Fee Credits: Hilton may credit or refund a fee if a new application is approved within six months, but this is not guaranteed.

7. Added Rooms/Suites: Any increase in room count before opening requires Hilton approval and payment of additional fees.

The full application to the opening process typically takes 12-24 months.

Disclaimer: This content is for information only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.

All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.