Can Embassy Suites withdraw prior approval for a franchisee's website?
Embassy_Suites Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may not register, own, or maintain any internet domain names, World Wide Web or other electronic communications sites, including mobile applications (each, a "Site" and collectively, "Sites"), relating to the Network, the System, or your Hotel, or that include the Marks. The only Sites, or Site contractors, that you may use for your Hotel are those assigned or approved by us. You must obtain our prior written approval of any third-party Site in which your Hotel will be listed, any proposed links between the Site and any other Sites ("Linked Sites"), and any proposed modifications to all Sites and Linked Sites. All Sites containing any of the Marks and any Linked Sites must advertise, promote, and reflect on your Hotel and the System in a first-class, dignified manner. Our right to approve all materials is necessitated by the fact that those materials will include and be inextricably linked with the Marks. Any use of the Marks on the internet and any other computer network or electronic distribution system, including mobile applications, must conform to our requirements, including the content, identity, and graphics standards for all System Hotels. Given the changing nature of computer and communications technology, we have the right to withhold our approval, withdraw any prior approval, and to modify our requirements at any time.
You may not (without a legal license or other legal right) post on your Sites or disseminate in any form any material in which any third party has any direct or indirect ownership interest, including video clips, photographs, sound bites, copyrighted text, trademarks or service marks, or any other text or image in which any third party may claim intellectual property ownership interests. You must incorporate on your Sites any other information we require in the manner we consider necessary to protect our Marks.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 53–67)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Embassy Suites' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must secure prior written approval from Embassy Suites for any third-party websites listing their hotel, proposed links between the site and other sites, and any modifications to these sites. All sites must promote the hotel and the Embassy Suites system in a dignified manner, adhering to the brand's standards.
Embassy Suites maintains the right to withhold or withdraw prior approval for a franchisee's website at any time, and can modify its requirements due to the evolving nature of computer and communications technology. This control extends to the use of trademarks on the internet and any other computer network or electronic distribution system, including mobile applications, ensuring they conform to Embassy Suites' standards for all System Hotels.
This provision allows Embassy Suites to maintain brand consistency and quality across all online platforms. It also protects the brand's trademarks and intellectual property. For a prospective franchisee, this means they must remain compliant with Embassy Suites' evolving digital standards and be prepared to make changes to their website as directed by the franchisor. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the withdrawal of website approval, impacting the hotel's online presence and marketing efforts.
Embassy Suites also restricts franchisees from posting or disseminating any material on their sites that infringe on third-party intellectual property rights, such as video clips, photographs, or copyrighted text, without proper legal licenses or rights. Franchisees must also incorporate any information that Embassy Suites deems necessary to protect its marks on their websites. This further emphasizes the importance of adhering to Embassy Suites' guidelines and requirements for online presence and marketing.