Can an Atwell Suites franchisee promote a website relating to their hotel without Holiday's approval?
Atwell_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may not promote, implement or be responsible for any web site relating to your Hotel without Holiday's advance written approval. You may not register any of the Marks (defined in Item 13), as part of any domain name or Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"), and/or display or use any of the marks or other intellectual property rights related to the Brand System or to any of the other brands licensed by Holiday in connection with any web site, without Holiday's advance written approval. You must comply with all of Holiday's web site requirements in connection with any web sites that Holiday may permits you to develop and maintain relating to your Hotel. The License does not otherwise limit the channels through which you may solicit customers for your Hotel.
Source: Item 12 — Territory (FDD pages 87–88)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Atwell Suites Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not allowed to promote or implement any website related to their hotel without obtaining advance written approval from Holiday. This restriction extends to registering any of Holiday's marks as part of a domain name or URL, and displaying or using any intellectual property rights related to the Atwell Suites brand or other brands licensed by Holiday on any website, again without prior written approval. Franchisees must also adhere to all of Holiday's website requirements for any websites they are permitted to develop and maintain for their Atwell Suites hotel.
This requirement gives Holiday significant control over the online presence and branding of each Atwell Suites location. It ensures brand consistency and allows Holiday to manage the digital representation of all its hotels. While the license does not limit other channels for soliciting customers, the strict control over websites indicates the importance Holiday places on its online brand image.
For a prospective Atwell Suites franchisee, this means they cannot independently manage or create a website to promote their specific hotel without Holiday's oversight. Any website initiatives must be pre-approved and comply with Holiday's standards. This could potentially limit a franchisee's ability to implement unique marketing strategies or tailor their online presence to local market conditions without express permission. Franchisees should factor in the time and potential restrictions associated with gaining website approval from Holiday when planning their marketing efforts.