Is Holiday currently offering Crowne Plaza licenses involving timeshare properties?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The licensing arrangement grants HICV certain protected rights to use the Holiday Inn Club Vacations and Holiday Inn Club service marks (the "HIC Service Marks") within the United States and certain other territories and prohibits Holiday from franchising the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand or allowing third parties to use the HIC Service Marks while HICV's protected rights are in effect, subject to the conditions of the licensing arrangement. Accordingly, Holiday does not offer licenses involving timeshare properties. As of the date hereof, HICV's protected rights were in effect and Holiday and HICV had entered into license agreements for the branding by HICV of twenty-eight timeshare resorts located within the United States. All of those resorts were developed and/or are operated by HICV.
Source: Item 1 — THE LICENSOR, ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 8–15)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crowne Plaza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Holiday does not offer licenses involving timeshare properties. This is due to a licensing arrangement with HICV (Holiday Inn Club Vacations) that grants HICV certain protected rights to use the Holiday Inn Club Vacations and Holiday Inn Club service marks. This arrangement prohibits Holiday from franchising the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand or allowing third parties to use the HIC Service Marks while HICV's protected rights are in effect.
As of the date of the FDD, HICV's protected rights were in effect, and Holiday and HICV had license agreements for the branding of twenty-eight timeshare resorts located within the United States. All of these resorts were developed and/or are operated by HICV. This means that a prospective Crowne Plaza franchisee cannot operate a timeshare property under the Crowne Plaza brand, as Holiday is restricted from offering such licenses due to its agreement with HICV.
This restriction is important for potential franchisees to understand, as it limits the types of properties they can develop under the Crowne Plaza brand. Franchisees interested in the timeshare market would need to explore other franchise opportunities outside of the Crowne Plaza system. The FDD makes it clear that Holiday is focused on its core hotel brands and is not involved in the timeshare business due to its existing agreements.