Quality Inn vs Comfort Inn – What’s the Difference?

When it comes to midscale hotel accommodations in the United States and internationally, two brands that frequently get compared are Quality Inn and Comfort Inn. Both fall under the Choice Hotels umbrella, sharing some similarities but also distinct differences. If you’re trying to decide between the two for an upcoming trip, this in-depth comparison will break down the key factors to consider.

From the total number of global locations and amenities offered to room options, pricing structure, family-friendliness and overall vibe, Quality Inn and Comfort Inn have established their own unique identities. While they may seem interchangeable at first glance, taking a closer look reveals why one brand may better suit your needs over the other depending on your travel priorities.

Number of Locations

No matter where your travels take you, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a Quality Inn or Comfort Inn nearby. However, Comfort Inn does have a more extensive global footprint overall.

Quality Inn Properties

As of 2023, there are over 2,000 Quality Inn hotel properties across 17 countries worldwide. The brand has a solid presence across the United States as well as parts of Europe and Asia to serve international travelers. Key markets with multiple Quality Inn locations include:

• United States
• Canada
• China
• India
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Brazil

While providing a wide distribution, the total number of Quality Inn hotels puts it behind its Choice Hotels counterpart Comfort Inn.

Comfort Inn Properties

The Comfort Inn brand takes the lead with over 2,400 individual properties spanning across 24 countries globally. In addition to most of the same markets where Quality Inn has a footprint, Comfort Inn also has locations in:

• Mexico
• Costa Rica
• Australia
• Thailand
• Turkey
• South Africa

With nearly 400 more hotels worldwide compared to Quality Inn, Comfort Inn ensures guests have an excellent selection of destinations to choose from both domestically and internationally. The brand’s larger scale provides more location options.

Amenities and Services

When comparing Quality Inn vs Comfort Inn head-to-head, the amenities and services included are where some of the most significant distinctions arise between the two brands. While they share some commonalities, each provide their own unique offerings and areas of focus.

Quality Inn Amenities & Services

Quality Inn prides itself on its “5 Q’s” – Q bed, Q breakfast, Q shower, Q service, and Q essentials. These serve as the pillars for the brand’s amenities and services.

Q Bed represents Quality Inn’s commitment to luxury bedding and ensuring guests enjoy a restful night’s sleep with premium mattresses, fresh linens, plush pillows and blankets in every room.

The Q Breakfast is Quality Inn’s complimentary hot breakfast offering served daily from 6-10am, including classic morning items.

Q Shower highlights the brand’s spacious, multi-setting shower facilities designed for an invigorating experience.

Quality Inn emphasizes its Q Service approach of “professional, responsive and friendly service” from staff.

Lastly, Q Essentials covers the additional comforts like free WiFi, in-room refrigerators, coffee/tea provisions, and travel-size sanitizers.

Comfort Inn Amenities & Services

Comfort Inn’s services revolve around providing a warm, familiar experience in a hotel setting. Key amenities include:

100% Smoke-Free Rooms across all properties, ensuring fresh air for all guests.

Free, fast WiFi throughout to stay connected during your travels.

Healthy Breakfast options, including the brand’s signature waffles, provided complimentary.

Swimming Pool and Fitness Center access to stay active at most locations.

Both Quality Inn and Comfort Inn include free daily breakfast and WiFi as standard amenities. However, Quality Inn leans into more luxury touches like upgraded showers and Q Bed program, while Comfort Inn provides recreational facilities like pools and gyms that Quality Inn lacks.

Room Options

When it comes to booking rooms at Quality Inn or Comfort Inn hotels, guests will find a relatively standard set of options and policies between the two brands.

For both Quality Inn and Comfort Inn, guests can book up to 41 rooms at once online through the Choice Hotels website. If needing more than 41 rooms, special group requests can be submitted.

The maximum room occupancy caps out at 6 adults or 6 children (or combined total of 6) for both brands as well.

Where room options differentiate is in the overall designs, furnishings and amenities. Quality Inn markets its rooms as more luxurious and high-end compared to Comfort Inn’s offerings:

Quality Inn Rooms

Quality Inn’s guest rooms and suites put an emphasis on premium bedding and bathroom experiences. Plush mattresses, high-thread-count sheets, extra pillows, and upscale bathroom fixtures/showers are brand standards.

In addition, Quality Inn rooms typically include:

• In-room fridge
• Coffee/tea maker
• Workstation/desk
• Premium toiletries
• Sleek, modern designs

The Quality Inn room experience is focused on elegance, comfort and providing an upscale feel relative to its midscale pricing position.

Comfort Inn Rooms

By contrast, Comfort Inn guest rooms have more of a traditional, no-frills hotel approach. While still clean and perfectly comfortable for the average traveler, Comfort Inn rooms do not aim for the premium luxury positioning of Quality Inn’s accommodations.

Standard Comfort Inn room amenities include:

• Smoke-free environment
• Portable crib/playpens available
• Coffeemaker
• Complimentary toiletries
• Work desk
• WiFi access

Instead of luxury touches, Comfort Inn rooms concentrate on a warm, welcoming environment consistent with the brand’s overall philosophy. The addition of smoke-free guest rooms is one benefit Comfort Inn has compared to Quality Inn properties.

Pricing

Of course, pricing plays a major factor for many travelers when determining whether to book a Quality Inn, Comfort Inn or other accommodation. Looking at average room rates, Quality Inn does come out as the more budget-friendly option between the two brands.

Quality Inn Average Pricing

Across the Choice Hotels portfolio, Quality Inn represents the midscale brand tier pricing-wise. Quality Inn hotels are positioned as offering many of the same amenities as some higher-end properties, but at lower average room rates.

In 2023, Quality Inn’s average nightly rate across all properties is approximately:

• $85-$120 for a standard room
• $100-$150 for larger suites

These rates can fluctuate based on factors like location, time of year, local event demand and more. But in most markets, Quality Inn provides reliably affordable rates for the amenities included.

Comfort Inn Average Pricing

As the more upscale offering between the two brands, Comfort Inn hotels do trend slightly higher in average room pricing compared to Quality Inn. Comfort Inn positions itself as an upper midscale/resort-select service brand tier.

Nationally in 2023, average Comfort Inn room rates are:

• $90-$130 for standard rooms
• $110-$165 for suites

While only $5-15 higher on average versus Quality Inn, Comfort Inn rates can spike higher for prime locations, peak dates and high-end resort properties. The brand emphasizes value through added amenities like pools and fitness centers contributing to the higher rate positioning.

Just like Quality Inn, room pricing at Comfort Inn properties fluctuates widely based on market factors. However, guests can generally expect to pay a bit more per night at Comfort Inn versus a Quality Inn in the same area.

Family-Friendly Amenities

Traveling as a family, whether young kids or teenagers, means evaluating each hotel brand’s family amenities and conveniences. Both Quality Inn and Comfort Inn include family-friendly features, along with some key differences:

Quality Inn Family Amenities

For families, Quality Inn properties stand out for their in-room refrigerators and premium “Q” bedding which appeals to those wanting extra spaces and comfort. Parents can also appreciate free high-speed WiFi to keep kids entertained with device streaming.

While Quality Inn does not have any explicitly kid-focused amenities like waterparks or game rooms, the brand’s suites provide more space than traditional rooms. This can give families the ability to spread out more comfortably.

Comfort Inn Family Amenities

Comfort Inn may have an edge for families looking for classic hotel recreation amenities. The brand’s standards ensure all properties provide access to:

• Swimming Pool: Both indoor and outdoor pools at most locations
• Fitness Facilities: On-site gyms and exercise rooms

These types of amenities lend themselves well to classic family vacations and giving kids fun activities and spaces to burn off energy.

The smoke-free rooms available only at Comfort Inn properties is another family-friendly benefit over Quality Inn. Parents can ensure their kids are not exposed to secondhand smoke smells or air particulates when staying at a Comfort Inn hotel.

Style and Feel

While Quality Inn and Comfort Inn share some baseline similarities as Choice Hotels brands, they have distinctly different overarching styles and vibes that separate them. Depending on your personal preferences, one may simply feel more appealing and aligned with the experience you’re seeking.

Quality Inn’s Style & Feel

Quality Inn aims to provide an upscale, premium hotel experience despite its midscale pricing position. The brand leans into creating a cozy, comfortable and even luxurious feel through its modern room designs, upgraded bedding, and amenities like multi-setting showers.

The overall aesthetic Quality Inn properties convey is one of relaxation and indulgence while still being affordable. Spaces have a contemporary, residential-inspired style meant to feel more like an upscale apartment or home rather than a standard hotel environment.

Quality Inn markets itself as an ideal option for both business and leisure travelers seeking an elevated yet accessible experience compared to economy hotel tiers. The warm, homey ambiance is intended to serve as a respite from the road.

Comfort Inn’s Style & Feel

In contrast to Quality Inn’s upscale positioning, Comfort Inn embraces more of a traditional, familiar hotel feel and environment across its properties. The brand doesn’t aim to redefine the hotel experience, but rather provide dependable accommodations and amenities consistent with guest expectations.

Comfort Inn hotels showcase a classic interior design sense with Standard room furnishings, accents and color palettes you’d expect from a midscale property. Shared spaces like lobbies, breakfast areas and recreation facilities have an approachable, casual tone.

Rather than luxury or uniqueness, Comfort Inn focuses on facilitating a seamless, comforting hotel stay prioritizing amenities like pools, fitness centers and complimentary breakfast. It’s a no-frills experience most guests can immediately recognize and understand.

Where Comfort Inn separates itself is the brand’s emphasis on truly “comfort” through thoughtful additions like smoke-free environments and warm, personable service from staff. The feel is familiar, but with comfort and familiarity as defining factors.

Room for Meaningful Loyalty Benefits

Both Quality Inn and Comfort Inn participate in the Choice Privileges loyalty rewards program, the combined rewards currency across all Choice Hotels brands. This allows guests to earn and redeem points in a unified manner no matter which individual Choice brand they stay with.

The Choice Privileges program has been well-received by frequent travelers and industry experts. It provides a simple, straightforward structure for earning free nights and elite status benefits relatively quickly compared to some other major hotel loyalty programs.

As of 2023, key Choice Privileges benefits include:

• Free night redemptions starting as low as 8,000 points per night
• Elite status tiers (Gold, Platinum, Diamond) from 10-40+ nights per year
• Elite benefits like bonus points, late checkout, welcome gifts and more
• Co-branded credit card with solid rewards earnings potential

For guests who prefer to consolidate their rewards under a single program, being able to combine Quality Inn and Comfort Inn stays (plus any other Choice brands) creates opportunities to qualify for meaningful perks and benefits faster.

Considering All the Factors

At the end of the day, determining whether Quality Inn or Comfort Inn is the better hotel choice depends on weighing your own unique priorities and preferences against each brand’s respective strengths. Here’s a quick rundown on when you may prefer one over the other:

Reasons to Choose Quality Inn:

• You want a more luxurious, premium hotel experience
• You prioritize high-end bedding and modern room designs
• Rates are the most important factor and Quality Inn is cheaper in your market
• You don’t need pools/gyms and prefer residential comforts like plush robes, fridge, etc.
• You’re a business traveler who will utilize workstations and want higher-end finishes

Reasons to Choose Comfort Inn:

• You want more recreational amenities like pools and fitness facilities
• You prefer the traditional, familiar feel of a classic hotel setting
• The smoke-free environment across all rooms appeals to you
• Family-friendly amenities like play areas or activities are appealing
• Brand consistency and standardized room quality is your top priority

No matter which Choice Hotels brand you ultimately decide on, both Quality Inn and Comfort Inn provide reliable accommodations and a solid rewards program to earn free nights quickly through the Choice Privileges loyalty scheme.

By understanding the key distinctions between Quality Inn and Comfort Inn regarding amenities, room products, pricing and overall brand identities, you can make the most informed decision for your travel needs. Choice Hotels has created two compelling midscale hotel options that cater to slightly different audiences and priorities.