For Atwell Suites hotels, what costs are NOT included in the estimated costs for the PMS and Reservation System?
Atwell_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
All Hotels will require a custom quote at the time the deployment process begins to better determine estimated costs. You must pay these costs before any goods or services are delivered to the Hotel. These cost estimates include: the basic hardware for the PMS and access to the Reservation System, the basic software, the installation of equipment and software and initial training for your employees on how to use the PMS (including the Cloud PMS) with the Reservation System, and the purchase, installation of and training for the NGP equipment and software. These estimated costs do not include other training, additional equipment, additional software, additional operational manuals, shipping and handling, taxes, insurance, or food, travel and lodging expenses of your employees, vendor employees, SCH employees or contractors who install the PMS and Reservation System equipment and software at your Hotel and train your employees to use them or the cost of internal Hotel cabling or infrastructure. SCH requires that you refresh PMS hardware/software every 48 months.
Source: Item 5 — INITIAL FEES (FDD pages 27–30)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Atwell Suites' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the estimated costs for the PMS (Property Management System) and Reservation System cover specific items, but exclude other potential expenses. The covered costs include the basic hardware and software for both systems, installation of the equipment and software, and initial employee training on using the PMS with the Reservation System. Additionally, the costs encompass the purchase, installation, and training for the NGP (presumably Next Generation Platform) equipment and software. These costs must be paid before any goods or services are delivered to the hotel.
However, the estimated costs do not include several other categories of expenses. These include costs for other training beyond the initial sessions, additional equipment or software beyond the basic package, and extra operational manuals. Also excluded are shipping and handling fees, taxes, and insurance related to the PMS and Reservation System.
Furthermore, the estimate does not account for the costs of food, travel, and lodging for employees of the franchisee, vendors, SCH (presumably the franchisor or a related entity) employees, or contractors involved in the installation and training process. Finally, the costs of internal hotel cabling or infrastructure required for the PMS and Reservation System are not included in the initial estimate. Atwell Suites also requires that franchisees refresh PMS hardware/software every 48 months, which would be an additional cost to consider.