Continued growth and community giving are part of Realstar Hospitality’s long-term strategy.
The Canadian master franchisor for Days Inn, Motel 6, and Studio 6 has supported both national and local charities through donations, volunteer efforts, and hands-on involvement. A recent initiative saw a franchisee of Days Inn sponsor the Winnipeg MS Walk in 2024 and match $12,000 raised through a charity barbecue for MS research. Realstar also works to combat human trafficking through staff training programs, further solidifying their commitment to community welfare.
Realstar Hospitality’s VP of Marketing, Ally Wesson said the company has a significant footprint across the country. “There’s over 100 Days Inns, and there’s over 30 Motel 6s and Studio 6s combined,” said Wesson. “We are (present) from coast to coast.”
Growth continues to be part of the company’s long-term strategy. “It really depends. Some years we open more than others,” she said. “This year we’ve got quite a few new construction Studio 6s coming. Studio 6 is the extended-stay brand, sister brand of Motel 6.” Days Inn continues to see steady interest as well. “We have consistently more coming through the pipeline,” she added.
But Realstar’s mission goes well beyond franchising and development. Community engagement is a core value for the brand.
“Connecting to the community is extremely important for whatever business you’re in, but also, it’s just the right thing to do,” said Wesson. “Giving back allows us to help Canadians facing difficult times, and as a brand, it’s really core to our key values. We love giving back and community support.”
One of Realstar’s flagship initiatives is through its Days Inn brand’s partnership with Food Banks Canada. “We have a three-year partnership now with Food Banks Canada,” Wesson shared. “It’s a national charity that works to support all food banks across Canada within their network.”
That partnership expanded this year with new support for After the Bell, a program designed to help kids who lose access to school food programs during summer. “For kids, obviously the last day of school is great because it marks the beginning of summer, but it also means for those who need it, they lose access to the school-funded food banks programs that run during the school year,” said Wesson. “After the Bell actually prepares food packages and food packs to help with that gap of food insecurity over the summer.”
Beyond food insecurity, Realstar also prioritizes anti-human trafficking awareness and training across all its brands. “For all of our brands—both Motel 6, Studio 6, and Days Inn—we require that all of the hotels be certified in anti-human trafficking training,” Wesson stated.
The training schedules vary slightly by brand. “For Days Inn, they have to restart that training every two years. And for Motel 6, they actually do it every year.”
Wesson emphasized that the training programs have been in place for years. “Days Inn is part of the Wyndham Hotel family of brands. And then Motel 6 and Studio 6 are part of G6 Hospitality,” she explained. “So both of those—we run their training to get all of our hotels certified. And it’s been going on at least for over five years now.”
What makes Realstar’s impact even more meaningful, Wesson added, is the company’s franchise model and the people behind the properties. “We’re really fortunate because our brands are franchise brands, which means community-owned and operated,” she said. “Our owners from both brands are extremely generous and work with their own local charities.”
“Not only do we have these overarching national charities that we work with corporately, but our owners are working within their local communities—and they do some really amazing things.”
Headquartered in Toronto, Realstar Hospitality continues to grow its national footprint while strengthening ties to the communities it serves—one franchise at a time.
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