Does Even Hotels have any preferred vendors for goods and services related to the hotel business?
Even_Hotels Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Holiday can designate the designers, architects, contractors and suppliers who will perform Renewal Work and brand refresh work at your Hotel and who will provide brand specified products, such as fixtures or furniture, and services. You may otherwise purchase your equipment, furnishings and supplies for the Hotel from any source, provided that the products meet the specifications in the Standards, except for suppliers of certain components of the property-based technology and telecommunications systems and as may be noted elsewhere in this disclosure document. Holiday may provide you with information and recommendations concerning firms which offer products and services (which the License and/or the Standards require you to use) which are necessary and useful to the operation of a Hotel, or which meet the Standards and specifications. However, Holiday has no ongoing obligation to provide purchasing information to you, and Holiday's practice and approach to this activity may change at any time. Your License does not require Holiday to engage in or continue these voluntary activities. We cannot guarantee that any vendor will extend or maintain credit or payment terms (including us and any vendors that are our affiliates).
In furnishing supplier or service provider information and making recommendations, Holiday uses its business judgment regarding the long-term interests of the Brand System as a whole, based on its information at that time concerning quality, performance, competitive pricing and similar factors. However, by identifying or recommending a supplier or service provider, Holiday makes no warranty to you of these or any other factors. Your use of an identified or recommended supplier or service provider, selling products or services meeting the Standards and specifications may make it easier for you to comply with the Standards and specifications, but it is not a substitute for compliance.
While Holiday may, from time to time, communicate with you or your suppliers/service providers regarding supply/service provider issues and take steps to improve performance or resolve complaints, Holiday has no responsibility for the financial condition or performance of any supplier or service provider.
Suppliers may offer Holiday the opportunity to take advantage of funds to support co-op marketing, training and other services that support the Brand System at national and hotel levels. When these options are available and selected, Holiday uses these funds as designated, and to the extent possible to benefit the Brand System and the systems of Holiday's other brands which purchase from suppliers. SCH and its affiliates may enter agreements with suppliers and receive revenue attributable to purchases by licensees and by SCH and its affiliates.
Source: Item 16 — Restrictions on What the Franchisee May Sell (FDD page 87)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Even Hotels' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally allowed to purchase equipment, furnishings, and supplies from any source, provided they meet the brand's standards. However, there are specific instances where Even Hotels requires franchisees to use approved or designated vendors.
For signage, franchisees must purchase the total signage package, including the primary sign and all additional signage, from a Holiday-approved sign vendor. These vendors are the only ones authorized to manufacture and install exterior signage. For property-level technology and telecommunications systems, franchisees must acquire equipment, software, and services from vendors designated by Holiday or those meeting Holiday's specifications. Currently, Even Hotels with 150+ rooms must use the Premise-Based Opera or Opera Xpress property management system, and Oracle America, Inc. is the sole supplier of Opera software licenses and support services. For Even Hotels with less than 150 rooms, HotelKey is the only approved Cloud PMS supplier as of the FDD date, though this may change.
Even Hotels also negotiates rates with certain providers of long-distance telecommunication services, such as AT&T and Verizon, though franchisees are not required to use these providers. For public access computers, franchisees may be required to sign a participation agreement with an approved vendor for security protection software and 24x7 support. Additionally, franchisees will pay an approved vendor for maintenance and support for the F&B Point of Sale (POS) system. The monthly fee is anticipated to be $45.00 per month per workstation but can vary depending on the selected vendor.
Even Hotels also operates the IHG Procurement Program, which aims to leverage the scale of the IHG hotel system to provide access to suppliers of goods and services with standardized commercial terms. While franchisees are not obligated to use the IHG Procurement Program, it can offer cost-effective buying opportunities. Holiday may also designate the designers, architects, contractors, and suppliers for Renewal Work and brand refresh work at the hotel, as well as suppliers of brand-specified products like fixtures or furniture.