Howard Johnson vs Staybridge Suites

Staybridge Suites is the stronger opportunity, and it’s not close. The numbers give us a clean win on timing and TAM. A 3.8% unit growth clip versus a 4.3% contraction at Howard Johnson means Staybridge is opening doors we can walk through with a new-location sales motion, while Howard Johnson is in managed decline. A 297-unit installed base more than doubles the immediate addressable market, and because both are 100% franchised, every one of those doors is a decision-maker who can buy without corporate blocking. More units today plus net-new units tomorrow equals a compounding pipeline that Howard Johnson simply can’t offer.

The tradeoff is terrain, and it’s meaningful. Staybridge Suites operates in a different financial stratosphere, with an investment range floor of $21M versus Howard Johnson’s ~$9M. That signals larger, more complex properties and likely a more demanding procurement process. For a software vendor, that cuts two ways: deal sizes can be larger and churn lower, but sales cycles will stretch and you’ll need to prove ROI against a higher bar. Howard Johnson’s lower investment threshold could mean quicker decisions, but you’d be selling into a shrinking, cost-sensitive base where every dollar of software spend is under a microscope. The budget dimension tilts to Staybridge not because it’s easier, but because the operator profile supports a stickier, higher-ACV deal when you get it right.

Verdict: Staybridge Suites wins on growth, TAM, and operator quality, making the longer sales cycle a tradeoff worth taking.