Does the definition of 'Standards' for Embassy Suites By Hilton include personnel policies or procedures?
Embassy_Suites_By_Hilton Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
References to the Manual include the Standards, which include all standards, specifications, requirements, criteria, and policies that have been and are in the future developed and compiled by us for use by you in connection with the design, construction, renovation, refurbishment, appearance, equipping, furnishing, supplying, opening, operating, maintaining, marketing, services, service levels, quality, and quality assurance of System Hotels, including the hotel, and for hotel advertising and accounting, whether in the Manual or the Franchise Agreement or other written communication (Franchise Agreement, Sections 1.0 and 4.6). The Standards do not include any personnel policies or procedures that we may, at our option, make available to you in the Manual or other written communication. You may, in your sole judgment, determine to what extent, if any, any such personnel policies or procedures might apply to the Hotel or Hotel site.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 53–67)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Embassy Suites By Hilton Franchise Disclosure Document, the definition of 'Standards' does not include personnel policies or procedures. The standards encompass various aspects of the hotel's operation, including design, construction, renovation, appearance, equipping, furnishing, supplying, opening, operating, maintaining, marketing, services, service levels, quality, and quality assurance. These standards apply to System Hotels and cover hotel advertising and accounting, as detailed in the Manual, the Franchise Agreement, or other written communications.
Embassy Suites By Hilton may choose to make personnel policies or procedures available to franchisees in the Manual or other written communication. However, franchisees have the autonomy to decide the extent to which, if at all, these personnel policies or procedures apply to their specific hotel or hotel site. This flexibility allows franchisees to tailor their personnel practices to the unique needs and circumstances of their location and workforce.
This distinction is important for prospective franchisees because it clarifies the scope of mandatory compliance. While franchisees must adhere to the brand's standards for operations and quality, they have discretion over personnel matters. This balance of brand consistency and operational flexibility is a common approach in the franchise industry, allowing franchisees to adapt to local market conditions while maintaining the brand's overall standards.