The Travelodge operating in Canada is a separate brand relationship from the UK's Travelodge — Canadian development rights sit under a Master Licence held by Calgary-based Superior Lodging Corp and partners since 2015, one of several Wyndham-affiliated banners that company develops here. A resale still runs on familiar tracks — real estate closing, brand approval, a Property Improvement Plan review — but confirming which entity actually holds the licence you're buying into is worth doing before diligence goes deep.
Travelodge by Wyndham (Canada) resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer covers both the real estate and the Travelodge Master Licence together, conditioned on Superior Lodging Corp approving the transfer to the incoming owner.
2–4 weeks†The franchisor reviews the incoming operator and conducts a property inspection to determine what a Property Improvement Plan will require before the licence transfers.
4–8 weeks†Because real property is usually involved, mortgage financing, title, survey, and environmental review run alongside the brand approval.
4–8 weeks, in parallel†Getting to closing
Where the property has a licensed lounge or restaurant, an AGCO licence transfer or new application proceeds on its own timeline.
4–8 weeks, if applicable†The incoming owner signs a new, current-form Master Licence agreement, often incorporating the negotiated Property Improvement Plan as a closing condition.
negotiated alongside brand approval†Real property, business assets, and the licence agreement all close together, with a defined timeline for completing any required renovations after taking over.
1 day, plus a PIP completion tail†Travelodge Canada operates under a Master Licence administered separately from the UK Travelodge brand, held by Calgary-based Superior Lodging Corp (with partners) since 2015; the brand's Canadian development page confirms an active franchise model open to new owners.
A meaningful share of the brand's Canadian hotels are located in Ontario, including Toronto.
This is the first real decision in a Travelodge by Wyndham (Canada) resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The real property (if included), the hotel's operating assets, and the benefit of the Travelodge Master Licence, subject to Superior Lodging Corp's consent. | The shares of the corporation holding the property and the licence agreement — everything it owns and owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller, apart from anything specifically assumed in the agreement. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown, including any mortgage or lease obligations. |
| Master Licence consent & PIP | Required for the transfer, typically paired with a Property Improvement Plan the incoming owner must complete on an agreed timeline. | Required for the change of control, with the same PIP review still applying to the property itself. |
| Real property | Title, financing, survey, and environmental due diligence proceed as a standard commercial real estate closing. | The property stays titled in the corporation's name — diligence still confirms what the company actually holds. |
| Staff (ESA) | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how hotel staff carry over. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change. |
| Tax angle | Buyer generally gets a stepped-up cost base on the real property and business assets purchased; HST self-assessment applies to the real property transfer. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares; the property's cost base carries over. |
The real property (if included), the hotel's operating assets, and the benefit of the Travelodge Master Licence, subject to Superior Lodging Corp's consent.
The shares of the corporation holding the property and the licence agreement — everything it owns and owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller, apart from anything specifically assumed in the agreement.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown, including any mortgage or lease obligations.
Required for the transfer, typically paired with a Property Improvement Plan the incoming owner must complete on an agreed timeline.
Required for the change of control, with the same PIP review still applying to the property itself.
Title, financing, survey, and environmental due diligence proceed as a standard commercial real estate closing.
The property stays titled in the corporation's name — diligence still confirms what the company actually holds.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how hotel staff carry over.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change.
Buyer generally gets a stepped-up cost base on the real property and business assets purchased; HST self-assessment applies to the real property transfer.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares; the property's cost base carries over.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single independently-owned Travelodge property changing hands, with the real estate and Master Licence agreement moving together in one transaction.
Start my file →A property requiring a substantial Property Improvement Plan, a deal involving an existing mortgage or licensed lounge, or a buyer confirming exactly which entity's licence they're stepping into.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
No — the Travelodge operating in Canada runs under its own Master Licence, held by Superior Lodging Corp and partners, and is a separate brand relationship from the UK company of the same name. It's worth confirming which entity actually holds the licence on the property you're looking at before you get deep into diligence.
It's a comparatively recent Canadian licensing arrangement, so there's less of a long resale track record to draw on than at some longer-established economy banners. That doesn't change the legal process, but it's part of why we build the actual timeline around the specific property rather than relying on a general pattern.
Usually both — most Travelodge resales in Ontario bundle the real property with the Master Licence and operating business, which is why the deal runs as much like a commercial real estate closing as a franchise transfer.
No — the PIP process itself works the same regardless of licensing structure: it's the brand's inspection-driven list of upgrades required to bring the property to current standards, and who pays for what, and on what timeline, still gets negotiated as a closing condition rather than assumed.
They're related but not identical — mortgage financing, title, survey and environmental diligence for the real property proceed as their own standard commercial closing, timed alongside the brand review rather than folded into it, so the deal's overall closing date has to account for both tracks moving in parallel.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Travelodge by Wyndham (Canada) or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Travelodge by Wyndham (Canada) resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.