What this listing means
Americas Best Value Inn appears in the U.S. Small Business Administration's Franchise Directory, the list lenders and Certified Development Companies use when they evaluate loan applications from businesses that operate under a brand agreement. SBA has determined that this brand's agreement meets the Federal Trade Commission's definition of a franchise, and it carries SBA franchise identifier code S0112.
Being listed is an administrative status, not a seal of quality. SBA itself stresses that placement in the directory is not an endorsement of the brand and says nothing about whether a specific location will succeed. What it does mean, practically, is that SBA lenders have a cleared path to process a loan for this brand, subject to the brand-specific conditions summarized below.
We group this listing under travel and lodging for navigation. That grouping is our editorial estimate from the brand name, not an SBA classification. SBA's records show the listing's identifier start date in 2017, with a recertification recorded on 07/22/2026.
Listing record
- SBA franchise identifier code
- S0112
- Meets FTC definition of a franchise
- Yes
- Franchisor certification on file
- Yes
- Identifier start date
- 10/01/2017
- Recertified
- 07/22/2026
- Industry group (our editorial estimate)
- Travel and lodging
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Franchise Directory, effective July 24, 2026, retrieved August 4, 2026.
SBA conditions, in plain English
Affiliation review
SBA flags this agreement for an affiliation consideration. Lenders check whether the franchisor's level of control could make the businesses affiliated, which affects size-standard eligibility. Ask your lender how this applies to your application.
Eligibility limitation
SBA's note describes a situation where this brand or a related party is not eligible for SBA-guaranteed financing. Read the exact wording below and confirm the details with your lender before spending money on an application.
Read the exact SBA note (public record)
If Applicant also operates under a management agreement with a third party, Lender/CDC must review the management agreement in accordance with SOP 50 10 to determine if there is affiliation between the Applicant and the management company. The Applicant is not eligible if the management company is, or is affiliated with, the franchisor.
Quoted verbatim from the SBA Franchise Directory, a U.S. government work in the public domain.
Industry benchmarks: travel and lodging
Hotel and travel brands are asset businesses: the franchise fee buys distribution (reservation systems, loyalty programs) for a property you finance separately. Judge the flag by revenue contribution per available room against its total fee load.
Typical cost drivers
- Property acquisition or development (dominant cost)
- Property improvement plans required by the brand
- Franchise, reservation, and loyalty fee stack
- Staffing and management contracts
Compare in the FDD
- Total fee percentage of room revenue across flags
- Property improvement plan scope and timeline
- Reservation system contribution versus independent booking mix
- Termination and de-flagging costs
Baselines from public data
About half of new establishments survive five years or more
Across all industries, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows roughly two-thirds of new establishments survive their first two years and about half reach the five-year mark. Franchised or not, plan capital for the ramp years.
Source: BLS, Business Employment Dynamics: establishment age and survival
Franchisors must hand you an FDD at least 14 days before you sign or pay
The FTC Franchise Rule requires a Franchise Disclosure Document with 23 standardized items. Item 7 discloses the estimated initial investment range; Item 19, if provided, covers financial performance representations. Compare these across brands before committing.
SBA 7(a) loans top out at $5 million; 504 loans fund major fixed assets
SBA-guaranteed lending is the most common financing path for directory-listed brands. 7(a) covers general business purposes up to $5 million. CDC/504 finances real estate and major equipment through Certified Development Companies.
Source: SBA loan programs overview
Directory placement is not an SBA endorsement
SBA states that inclusion in the Franchise Directory is not an endorsement or approval of the brand and does not ensure business success. It is an eligibility and paperwork determination for lenders.
Source: SBA Franchise Directory
Public sentiment, worldwide
We do not publish sentiment scores or letter grades for brands. Public opinion about a franchise shifts with news cycles, varies by country and by location, and a single number would overstate what anyone can honestly measure.
Instead, we link the same public sources our researchers use, prefilled for this brand, so you can read the raw evidence yourself: complaint records, customer reviews, employee reviews, press coverage, and regulatory records.
Weigh patterns, not incidents. Every large brand has unhappy reviews somewhere on earth. What matters is whether the same complaint theme repeats across sources, across regions, and across years.
Firsthand experience beats all of it. The comments below are open to signed-up readers, and franchisees, employees, and customers are all welcome to share their view, positive or negative, within our community guidelines.
- Better Business Bureau ↗
Complaint history and accreditation status for the franchisor and individual locations in the U.S. and Canada.
- Trustpilot ↗
Customer reviews collected globally, useful for spotting recurring service themes across countries.
- Reddit discussions ↗
Unfiltered owner and customer conversations, including r/franchise threads from prospective and current franchisees.
- Google News ↗
Recent press coverage worldwide: expansions, closures, litigation, and franchisee association activity.
- Glassdoor / Indeed ↗
Employee reviews signal unit-level management culture, which franchisees inherit and staff experience daily.
- FTC and court records ↗
Search FTC actions and federal court filings (PACER) for regulatory or franchisee litigation history.
Community comments
Firsthand experience with Americas Best Value Inn from franchisees, employees, and customers.
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