Can Holiday fulfill its obligations to a Crowne Plaza franchisee through its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, or other designees?

According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza FDD, Holiday, the licensor, can perform its obligations to the franchisee directly or through its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, or other designees. For instance, SCH performs many of the activities described in the disclosure document. This means that while Holiday is the primary entity granting the franchise, other related entities may handle various aspects of the franchisor's responsibilities.

This arrangement is fairly common in franchising, especially with larger franchise systems, as it allows the franchisor to distribute responsibilities and leverage the expertise of different parts of its organization. For a Crowne Plaza franchisee, this could mean interacting with different entities within the Holiday corporate structure for different aspects of the business, such as training, marketing, or supply chain management.

While this structure provides flexibility for Holiday, it's important for a prospective franchisee to understand which entity they will be dealing with for specific issues. Clear communication channels and defined roles within the Holiday network are crucial for a smooth working relationship. Franchisees should seek clarification on the specific roles and responsibilities of Holiday, its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries to ensure they know who to contact for different types of support and assistance.