2 SBA loans have financed Stay Express Inn & Suites locations since 2019, written by 2 different lenders across 2 states. Half were approved for $2.2M or less, the mix is almost entirely 7(a), and 0% went to owners whose business was under two years old.
A lender that has already underwritten this brand knows the unit economics, the build-out costs, and the franchisor. That is worth more to you than a bigger bank starting from scratch.