Under what circumstances can an Atwell Suites hotel be granted a waiver from participating in the IHG|Coca-Cola® Beverage Program?
Atwell_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
grams, as outlined within the Standards. These programs may include specified brand name food and beverage products, serverware, equipment, merchandising materials, and approved training services and manuals.
Coca-Cola®
Agreement:
Pursuant to the Standards, Hotels located within the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) are required to participate in the IHG|Coca-Cola® Beverage Program (the "Beverage Program"). You must sign a Participation Agreement with The Coca-Cola Company ("TCCC"), a copy of which is attached as Exhibit G-3 to this disclosure document, unless a waiver is granted by Holiday. Waivers may be granted by Holiday if your Hotel has a pre-existing beverage agreement with another supplier. Under the Beverage Program, participating Hotels are subject to the standards and requirements summarized below.
All participating Hotels are required to make available to guests a core set of TCCC bottled/canned beverages (subject to availability) that consists of Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Sprite® and Coke Zero Sugar™. Hotels that serve fountain beverages are required to include Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Sprite® and Coke Zero Sugar™. In addition, Hotels are required to serve fountain-dispensed Minute Maid Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (a TCCC juice product). All non-alcoholic bottled/canned beverages (including waters), fountain beverages, and juices offered, served, or sold by your Hotel must be TCCC beverages, unless a permitted exception in your Hotel's Participation Agreement applies. All beverages displayed and offered in coolers and vending machines must be TCCC products, with limited exceptions for equipment owned by the Hotel. You may also be required to sign a lease agreement with TCCC for TCCC-provided equipment; a copy of which is included as part of Exhibit G-3 to this disclosure document. Hotels may not serve, offer, or display any products of PepsiCo.
All non-alcoholic beverages served at meetings or events hosted by your Hotel should be TCCC products, unless serving non-TCCC beverages was required by the client as a condition of booking the function. In such circumstances, serving competitive beverages is permitted; provided, that certain restrictions set forth in your Participation Agreement are followed.
Source: Item 8 — Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services (FDD pages 65–73)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Atwell Suites' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Atwell Suites hotels located within the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) are generally required to participate in the IHG|Coca-Cola® Beverage Program. This program mandates that hotels offer a core set of Coca-Cola products, including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Sprite®, and Coke Zero Sugar™. They must also serve fountain-dispensed Minute Maid Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice. Unless a permitted exception applies, all non-alcoholic beverages offered must be Coca-Cola products, and beverages in coolers and vending machines must also be TCCC products, with limited exceptions for equipment owned by the Hotel.
However, an Atwell Suites hotel can be granted a waiver from participating in the IHG|Coca-Cola® Beverage Program if the hotel has a pre-existing beverage agreement with another supplier. In this case, Holiday (presumably the parent company or a related entity) may grant a waiver.
Additionally, exemptions to the standards relating to the Beverage Program or requirements of the Hotel Participation Agreement require written approval from Holiday or SCH (presumably another related entity) pursuant to the waiver application process, unless clearly covered by a permitted exception stated in the Participation Agreement.