Who has the right to name the Crowne Plaza hotel, and under what conditions can the name be changed?
Crowne_Plaza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Licensee acknowledges and agrees: (a) not to contest, either directly or indirectly, IHG's and its Affiliates' unrestricted and exclusive ownership of and right to use the Brand System and any element(s) or component(s) thereof; (b) that IHG or any of its Affiliates has the sole and exclusive right to grant licenses to use all or any element(s) or component(s) of the Brand System; and (c) that it will not take any action in derogation of such ownership and rights of IHG and any of its Affiliates. Licensee specifically agrees and acknowledges that IHG owns or is licensed to use the name and mark "Crowne Plaza®" and all other Marks, as defined in paragraph 6.B. below, and other elements associated with the Brand System or derived therefrom (including but not limited to domain names or other identifications or elements used in electronic commerce), together with the goodwill symbolized thereby, and that Licensee will not contest, directly or indirectly, the validity or ownership of the Marks or take any other action in derogation of such validity or ownership either during the term of this License or after its termination. All improvements, modifications and additions whenever made to or associated with the Brand System by the parties hereto or anyone else, and all service marks, trademarks, copyrights, and service mark, trademark, domain name or similar registrations at any time used, applied for or granted in connection with the Brand System, and all goodwill arising from Licensee's use of IHG's Marks and other intellectual property, including (without limitation) local goodwill, shall inure to the benefit of and become the property of IHG. Upon expiration or termination of this License, no monetary amount shall be assigned as attributable to any goodwill associated with Licensee's use of the Brand System or any element(s) or component(s) of the Brand System including any trademarks or service marks licensed hereunder.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 100–424)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza Franchise Disclosure Document, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) owns and licenses the "Brand System," which includes the "Crowne Plaza®" name. As stated in section 6.A, IHG has unrestricted and exclusive ownership of the Brand System and its components, including the Crowne Plaza name and mark.
The franchisee acknowledges IHG's ownership and agrees not to contest it. The franchisee also agrees not to take any action that would undermine IHG's ownership rights. This extends to all elements associated with the Brand System, including domain names and other online identifiers. All improvements, modifications, and additions to the Brand System, as well as any goodwill generated from the franchisee's use of IHG's marks, become the property of IHG.
Upon the termination of the license agreement, no monetary value will be assigned to any goodwill associated with the franchisee's use of the Brand System, including the Crowne Plaza trademarks or service marks. This means that the franchisee cannot claim any financial compensation for the brand recognition or customer loyalty built up during the term of the franchise agreement. IHG also retains the right to modify or revise the Standards of the hotel, which may impact the hotel's operations.