Franchise comparison
Head-to-head comparison of the IMPT carbon-neutral hotel franchise model against Best Western. All numbers below are sourced from Best Western's most recent franchise disclosure document and public franchise pages. Updated 2026-05-20.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts is a membership association of independent hoteliers (4,700+ hotels worldwide). Membership model differs from typical franchise — closer to a cooperative. Comparison based on BW Plus (their mid-market tier).
| IMPT | Best Western | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $0 | $45,000-65,000 membership/affiliation fee |
| Royalty on gross revenue | 0% royalty (commission only on IMPT-generated bookings) | ~5% of gross room revenue (varies by region/tier) |
| Marketing levy | $0 | ~3% marketing assessment |
| Capex / PIP requirements | $0 (no property-standard compliance) | Brand-standard refresh every 5 yrs; PIP at affiliation; typical $300K-1.2M |
| Term | 3 years initial, auto-renewing | 5-year initial term, renewable |
| Early-exit penalty | 12-month notice, no fees | Early termination fee = remaining-term fees + brand-removal costs |
| ESG credential | 1 tonne UN-verified CO₂ retired on-chain per booking, booking-ID-tied, non-double-countable | BW's 'Stay for the Planet' brand-tier; no per-stay on-chain retirement |
| Territory exclusivity | Full country (master) or region (regional) | Limited — BW members can be very close geographically |
| Property ownership required? | No — territory operator role | Yes — typically |
| Revenue share to operator | 50% of IMPT margin (~6.5% of GMV) plus 50% across 7 other streams | N/A — fee model |
The IMPT franchise is not a hotel BRAND — it is a distribution and CO₂-credential layer. A Best Western franchisee can simultaneously list their property on the IMPT network as a "Carbon-Neutral Stays" co-brand member, without violating Best Western's brand-standard agreement (provided the Best Western logo and brand-standards remain primary). This is how many of IMPT's existing co-brand members operate — they keep their existing major-brand franchise relationships and add IMPT as a complementary credential.
The IMPT FRANCHISE (territory ownership) is different from being an IMPT co-brand member (hotel listing). The franchise opportunity is for OPERATORS to own the IMPT relationship in a country — not for individual hotels.