Can Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential discontinue the Franchise System Website?
Sonesta_Select_Sonesta_Essential Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We maintain a website for the Brand Hotels and certain other Network Brands to advertise, market, and promote Brand Hotels and other applicable Network Hotels, the products and services that they offer and sell, or the franchise opportunity (the "Franchise System Website"). We will have sole discretion and control over the Franchise System Website (including design, contents, and continuation). In connection with the Franchise System Website, we may require you to: (i) provide us the information and materials we request to develop, update, and modify the Franchise System Website with reference to your Hotel information; and (ii) notify us whenever any information on the Franchise System Website is not accurate with respect to your Hotel. We will own all intellectual property and other rights in the Franchise System Website, including your webpage, and all information they contain (including the domain name or URL for your webpage, the log of "hits" by visitors, and any personal or business data that visitors supply). We also may discontinue the Franchise System Website, create a separate Franchise System Website for any one of the, or any combination of the, Network Brands, or consolidate the Franchise System Website with the website of any other brands we or our affiliates maintain, at any time.
You may not register, own, maintain or use any domain name, homepage, electronic address, website, email address, social media account, username, screen name, other online presence, or presence on any electronic, virtual, or digital medium of any kind (collectively, the "Online Presence"), relating to Network Hotels or your Hotel or that includes the Network Marks, except as approved in advance by us. As a general rule, we do not permit franchisees of Brand Hotels to maintain vanity or other independent Online Presences. You may not list the details or contact information of your Hotel on any vanity or other independent websites or other Online Presence, including any OTAs, without our prior approval. You must establish any Online Presence that we may require, and only establish any other Online Presence that we authorize.
Source: Item 11 — **FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 52–64)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential maintains a website for Brand Hotels and other Network Brands to advertise, market, and promote Brand Hotels. Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential has sole discretion and control over the Franchise System Website, including its continuation.
Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential may discontinue the Franchise System Website at any time. They can also create a separate Franchise System Website for any one of the Network Brands, or any combination of them. Additionally, Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential can consolidate the Franchise System Website with the website of any other brands they or their affiliates maintain.
As a Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential franchisee, you are not allowed to register, own, maintain, or use any domain name, homepage, electronic address, website, email address, social media account, username, screen name, other online presence, or presence on any electronic, virtual, or digital medium of any kind relating to Network Hotels or your Hotel or that includes the Network Marks, except as approved in advance by Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential. As a general rule, Sonesta Select Sonesta Essential does not permit franchisees of Brand Hotels to maintain vanity or other independent Online Presences.