Does the Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential agreement allow for the use of email for day-to-day communications?
Sonesta_Select_Sonesta_Essential Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
19. ELECTRONIC MAIL. You acknowledge and agree that exchanging information with us by e-mail is efficient and desirable for day-to-day communications and that we and you may utilize e-mail for such communications. You authorize the transmission of e-mail by us and our employees, vendors, and affiliates ("Official Senders") to you during the Term.
You further agree that: (a) Official Senders are authorized to send e-mails to those of your employees as you may occasionally authorize for the purpose of communicating with us; (b) you will cause your officers, directors and employees to give their consent to Official Senders' transmission of e-mails to them; (c) you will require such persons not to opt out or otherwise ask to no longer receive e-mails from Official Senders during the time that such person works for or is affiliated with you; and (d) you will not opt out or otherwise ask to no longer receive e-mails from Official Senders during the Term.
This consent given in this Section 19 shall not apply to the provision of notice by either party under this Agreement pursuant to Section 18 unless we and you otherwise agree in a written document manually signed by both parties.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 84)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential franchise agreement does allow for the use of email for day-to-day communications. Section 19 of the agreement states that Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential and its franchisees acknowledge that exchanging information via email is efficient and desirable for routine communications. Therefore, both parties may use email for such purposes during the term of the agreement.
The agreement authorizes Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential, its employees, vendors, and affiliates to send emails to the franchisee and their authorized employees. Franchisees must ensure their personnel consent to receive these emails and do not opt out of receiving them during their affiliation with the franchise.
However, this consent to use email does not extend to formal notices required under Section 18 of the agreement, unless both Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential and the franchisee specifically agree to it in a manually signed written document. This ensures that critical legal and contractual notices are delivered through more reliable methods like registered or certified mail.