What does the license agreement for the PMS software include for a Crowne Plaza?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The PMS Provider will provide you with a third-party license agreement for the use of the PMS software. (see Items 1, 8 and 11), which will be prepared for you after you complete the Oracle New Account Setup Form, the form of which is attached to this disclosure document as Exhibit G-7. This license agreement includes on-going maintenance and support for the PMS software. The PMS Provider will bill you annually for the support fee. The PMS Provider may not increase the maintenance and support fee more than once during any calendar year. You must also pay support fees for the other components of property-level systems, such as PMS equipment maintenance, and for other systems which interface to the Opera PMS system; such as the telecommunications system, the electronic door locking and keycard system, and the specialized sales software. Hardware and software maintenance fees may vary based on the number of rooms at the Hotel. The fees for local and long-distance telephone service and line charges are not included in the estimated fees on the chart. The costs will vary according to your technology needs, and the costs listed on the chart are an estimate.
Source: Item 6 — OTHER FEES (FDD pages 31–51)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crowne Plaza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Property Management System (PMS) license agreement, provided by the PMS Provider, includes ongoing maintenance and support for the PMS software. This agreement is prepared after the franchisee completes the Oracle New Account Setup Form, which is included as Exhibit G-7 in the FDD. The PMS Provider will bill the franchisee annually for the support fee and may not increase this fee more than once during any calendar year.
In addition to the PMS software support, the franchisee must also pay support fees for other property-level systems that interface with the Opera PMS system. These systems include telecommunications, electronic door locking and keycard systems, and specialized sales software. The costs for hardware and software maintenance can vary depending on the number of rooms at the hotel. However, the fees for local and long-distance telephone service and line charges are not included in the estimated fees.
Crowne Plaza franchisees are required to use the Opera PMS software and must obtain ongoing maintenance and support for it, including upgrades and new versions. They also need to acquire other software, such as operating system upgrades and endpoint protection software, which is part of the Total Protection for Network (ToPS) managed by AT&T via the FastConnect SD-WAN solution. Franchisees also need to secure ongoing equipment maintenance for the PMS hardware, arranged through either SCH or an approved vendor.