What is a Crowne Plaza franchisee required to do regarding architectural plans for new construction or remodeling?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Within three months after the date of the License, you must submit preliminary plans for new developments. Holiday will approve your construction plans for new development (or conversion) if they meet the requirements of the License and the Standards. You may not start construction until you obtain Holiday's approval. Construction or remodeling costs and arrangements are solely your responsibility. Holiday will supply prototype architectural plans which you must use. An architect approved by Holiday must adapt these plans for a specific site and construction type. You must commission and pay your architect directly.
Before detailed construction documents are started by your architect, representatives of your Hotel must attend a kick-off meeting for consultation and coordination with Holiday. Various members of the Crowne Plaza team will be present to review all related business plans, target markets for operation, and building plans as well as scheduled timelines for the completion of these plans. Members of the Crowne Plaza team may include senior operations management and representatives from other areas, including, for example, sales and marketing, purchasing, information technology, and other license support systems. Holiday expects the following representatives of your Hotel to attend the kick-off meeting: Principal Contact (licensee), General Manager (if appointed), Designer or Architectural Representative, General Contractor, and all other principals involved in the construction, development and marketing of the property. There is no charge for the kick-off meeting. However, you must pay your representatives' travel, lodging and living expenses.
Holiday will review the construction working drawings to check for compliance with the Standards of the Crowne Plaza System. Holiday does not review the drawings for compliance with any local, state and federal law, including any obligations imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act since this legal compliance is your responsibility.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 69–81)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to adhere to specific guidelines regarding architectural plans for new construction or remodeling. Within three months of the license date, franchisees must submit preliminary plans for new developments. Crowne Plaza will approve these plans if they meet the requirements of the license and the brand's standards. Franchisees cannot begin construction until they receive approval from Crowne Plaza.
Crowne Plaza supplies prototype architectural plans that franchisees are obligated to use. However, these plans must be adapted for the specific site and construction type by an architect approved by Crowne Plaza. The franchisee is responsible for commissioning and directly paying the architect for these services. This ensures that while franchisees have flexibility in site adaptation, they must adhere to Crowne Plaza's brand standards and use approved professionals.
Before detailed construction documents are started, representatives from the franchisee's hotel must attend a kick-off meeting with Crowne Plaza. This meeting involves reviewing business plans, target markets, building plans, and timelines. Attendees from the hotel's side should include the licensee, general manager (if appointed), designer or architectural representative, general contractor, and other key personnel involved in the project. While there is no charge for the kick-off meeting itself, the franchisee is responsible for covering the travel, lodging, and living expenses of their representatives. Crowne Plaza will review the construction working drawings for compliance with the brand's standards, but it is the franchisee's responsibility to ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.