Does a Crowne Plaza hotel have the right to customize the hosted environment provided by FreedomPay?

According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza Franchise Disclosure Document, a Crowne Plaza hotel does not have the right or ability to customize the hosted FreedomPay environment for its individual needs. The FDD specifies that the hotel will be accessing a single hosted environment configured for IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group). This means that the payment gateway services provided by FreedomPay are standardized across all IHG-branded hotels, and individual hotels cannot make modifications to suit their specific requirements.

This lack of customization could be a drawback for franchisees who prefer a tailored payment processing system. However, the standardized environment ensures consistency and potentially simplifies support and maintenance, as all hotels operate on the same platform. Any requests for service or payment-related issues must be routed through IHG, which acts as a facilitator between the hotel and FreedomPay. This centralized approach may streamline communication and problem resolution.

Prospective Crowne Plaza franchisees should be aware that they will need to adhere to the established FreedomPay system configuration and cannot implement their own preferred settings or features. While this may limit flexibility, it also ensures compliance with IHG's standards and potentially reduces the burden of managing a complex payment infrastructure independently. Franchisees should direct any questions or concerns about the FreedomPay system to IHG rather than directly to FreedomPay.