If a Crowne Plaza franchisee chooses to operate an independent website, what guidelines must they follow?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you choose to operate an independent website (which operation shall be at your own expense), you or your agent, must follow the guidelines contained in the Standards for independent websites (e.g. the Standards for Search Engine Marketing and the Standards for Email). Further, if Holiday is already marketing your Hotel via its global Performance Marketing programs, if you choose to do additional online marketing for your independent website you may be driving up your performance marketing costs and lowering your ROI because there may be two competing websites. You may not register any of the Marks (defined in Item 13), as part of any domain name or Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"), and/or display or use any of the marks or other intellectual property rights related to the Brand System or to any of the other brands licensed by Holiday in connection with any web site, without Holiday's advance written approval. You must comply with all of Holiday's web site requirements in connection with any web sites you develop and maintain relating to your Hotel.
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, if a franchisee chooses to operate an independent website for their hotel, they must adhere to specific guidelines. These guidelines are detailed in the Standards for independent websites, which include the Standards for Search Engine Marketing and the Standards for Email. The franchisee bears the expense of operating this independent website.
Crowne Plaza, or Holiday as the franchisor is referred to in the document, retains control over all aspects of its own Digital Marketing efforts related to the hotel. The FDD cautions that if Holiday is already marketing the franchisee's hotel through its global Performance Marketing programs, the franchisee's additional online marketing efforts for their independent website may increase performance marketing costs and lower the return on investment due to potential competition between the two websites.
Furthermore, the Crowne Plaza franchisee is prohibited from registering any of the brand's trademarks as part of any domain name or URL. They also cannot display or use any of the marks or other intellectual property rights related to the Brand System or any other brands licensed by Holiday without obtaining advance written approval from Holiday. The franchisee must comply with all of Holiday's website requirements in connection with any websites they develop and maintain relating to their hotel.