What experience level may Atwell Suites require for a General Manager or Director of Sales?
Atwell_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Whether you are an individual, corporation, partnership or other entity, Holiday requires you to retain and exercise direct management control over the Hotel's business at all times unless otherwise approved by Holiday. However, Holiday does not require that you participate personally in the direct operation of the Hotel. Holiday may include conditions in your License requiring you to hire a duly qualified and experienced (i) management company acceptable to Holiday or (ii) a General Manager and/or Director of Sales with at least two year's prior experience in such position at a hotel operated under any of Holiday's brands or at a hotel in a similar brand segment as the Hotel, as defined by Smith Travel Research, Inc. Regardless of whether you or a third party management company operate your Hotel, if a General Manager and/or a Director of Sales are required by Holiday, such individuals must work exclusively for your Hotel at all times, and if you own more than one Hotel, you must hire a separate, qualified General Manager for each Hotel.
You may hire a General Manager and all staff members and/or employees of your own choice without Holiday's advance approval; provided, however, that your License may require a specified level of experience for such individuals.
If Holiday requires that you hire a management company, General Manager and/or Director of Sales to operate your Hotel, it may require that you hire this company or person within a specific period of time either after signing your License or before the date your Hotel opens in the Brand System. You must notify Holiday in the designated timeframe before hiring or changing any of these positions for any reason. These conditions would be determined by Holiday and contained in your License. Holiday may reject a proposed management company if Holiday determines that it is inexperienced in the hospitality business, generally unqualified to operate the Hotel or unwilling or unable to: (1) comply with all requirements of Holiday under the License and the Standards, (2) cease operating the Hotel as a Holiday licensed Hotel once the License terminates, (3) treat the terms of the License as superior over any conflicting terms in the agreement between you and your management company.
Source: Item 15 — Obligation to Participate in the Actual Operation of the Franchise Business (FDD pages 90–92)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Atwell Suites's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, while franchisees retain direct management control over their hotel, they are not required to personally participate in its direct operation. However, Atwell Suites (referred to as Holiday in the document) may require franchisees to hire a qualified and experienced management company or a General Manager and/or Director of Sales.
Specifically, Atwell Suites may require that the General Manager and/or Director of Sales have at least two years of prior experience in such a position. This experience must be at a hotel operated under any of Holiday's brands or at a hotel in a similar brand segment as the Hotel, as defined by Smith Travel Research, Inc. If a General Manager and/or a Director of Sales are required by Holiday, such individuals must work exclusively for your Hotel at all times, and if you own more than one Hotel, you must hire a separate, qualified General Manager for each Hotel.
The FDD states that franchisees can hire a General Manager and staff of their choosing without advance approval from Atwell Suites, but the license agreement may specify a required level of experience for these individuals. If Atwell Suites mandates the hiring of a management company, General Manager, or Director of Sales, it may stipulate a timeframe for hiring these positions, either after the license is signed or before the hotel opens. Franchisees must notify Atwell Suites before hiring or changing any of these positions, and Atwell Suites retains the right to reject a proposed management company if it deems them inexperienced or unqualified.