From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Crowne Plaza

Lodging

Software purchasing at Crowne Plaza is controlled at the corporate level by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) executives, not individual franchisees. The brand mandates a specific tech stack including IHG Concerto, IHG Merlin, and a Revenue Management System across all 79 franchised US units. Vendors must navigate a centralized procurement model with decision-makers based at IHG’s Americas headquarters.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
79
79 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
-4.819%
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
2% component; full terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
3%
percentage component
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$14.24M–$76.90M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

2% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Recorded percentage components

These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.

1recorded components (FY2026)

Recorded percentage components (FY2026)Ad fund 3%. Components use their own filing bases and conditions. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Ad fund 3%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

2 technology requirements are recorded in this filing. A required choice lists alternatives for one obligation. Read each cited clause for its conditions.

FiservFiserv
Mandatory
PaymentsItem 6

Upon activation of the NGP program at your Hotel, you will enter into a Next-Gen Payment Agreement with Holiday’s affiliate SCH (See Exhibit G-4). SCH will immediately bill you monthly and administer support for the hardware and software. All hotels are required to use NGP or such successor payments program as may be implemented by SCH. Pursuant to the terms of the Next-Gen Payment Agreement, licensee will be liable for payment to IHG of an early termination fee for any reason equal to (x) 50% of the NGP monthly fee, multiplied by (y) the remaining monthly payments in the term. Each licensee will be required to enter into a merchant processing application and agreement with Fiserv, the SCH-approved merchant service provider, and a participation agreement with SCH (see Exhibit G-4). Your monthly NGP fee may increase according to the terms of the NGP agreement signed at install (no more than a 5% increase from your original quoted rate), based on increases in costs incurred by SCH to provide the service. The exact amount of the fee will be defined on the quote received before installation.

FreedomPayFreedomPay
Mandatory
PaymentsItem 1

software systems required to connect must be fully operational when the Hotel opens, with appropriate management and staff trained and competent to operate NGP at all times. Each licensee will be required to enter into a merchant processing application and agreement with Fiserv, the SCH-approved merchant service provider, and a participation agreement with FreedomPay and SCH (see Exhibit G-4 to this Disclosure Document). Holiday’s Involvement with Condominium Projects and Timeshares:

AmadeusAmadeus
BookingItem 6

Holiday requires that your Hotel participate in the IHG Commission Services (“ICS”) program and the Global Distribution System (“GDS”). ICS was the first centralized commission payment program in the industry and currently has approximately 165,000 participating travel agencies in 52 countries. SCH will provide you with a monthly invoice detailing all commissions and Distribution Connection fees that SCH pays for you. As a participant in ICS, you must pay the customary minimum of 10% of the GRR (or another percentage that Holiday designates) for the travel agent or other referral source booking. In some cases, Holiday is able to negotiate this percentage, and it is subject to increase from time to time. As a participant in ICS, you are automatically enrolled in the GDS, which provides reservation linkage with the three current major GDS – Travelport, Sabre, and Amadeus. You must pay a GDS fee for any reservation through the GDS that is not cancelled. The GDS Fee is currently set at $6.40 per reservation and is subject to change. Additionally, alternative connections may be developed between SCH and vendors which may be subject to transaction fees.

Delphi (Amadeus Hospitality)Amadeus
BookingItem 6

IHG Groups & Data Storage will depend on your Hotel size, charged Annually Events Platform and in 500 MB units: $370 per unit/per year (minimum of (Payable to Note 9 2Way Interface 4 units). Holiday) Interface Subscription: $2,200 for Delphi Annually One time cost of $250-$2,000 (Payable to IHG Edge Interface Note 9 Annual Maintenance Cost of $10 - $440 Service Provider) Annually Maintenance fees may be increased by up to 5% per PMS Software (payable to SCH year. Note 9 Maintenance or Service Costs will vary according to your technology needs Provider) $6.25 - $9.00 per room; per month depending on room Monthly OPERA Cloud PMS count (Payable to Note 9 Solutions Fee Service Provider)

First DataFiserv
PaymentsItem 17
HotelKeyHotelKey
Industry softwareItem 6

HotelKey also has two components to its solutions fee: a PMS Solution Fee paid during the term of the License and an Implementation Fee paid during the initial 48 months of the Hotel’s operation. Hotels will be charged a PMS Solution Fee of $6.25 per room per month, which may increase by no more than 5% annually with notice to Brand System Hotels. The PMS Solution Fee covers the Hotel’s use of the HotelKey 42 Crowne Plaza 2026 FDD CROWNE PLAZA 2026 FDD (48) Cloud PMS, which enables property-management and related activities to be integrated with IHG systems, and includes support and training modules. Additionally, Hotels will pay a HotelKey Cloud PMS Implementation Fee of $70 per month for the first 48 months of the Hotel’s operation within the Brand System, which covers deployment activities related to the HotelKey Cloud PMS. Hardware and software maintenance fees may vary based on the Hotel’s room count. Holiday estimates that the total cost for the HotelKey Cloud PMS will range from $22,000 to $39,000 depending on room count. Note that HotelKey is not an available solution for Hotels with more than 150 guestrooms.

MeetingBrokerMeetingBroker
Industry softwareItem 6

The 4% fee applies to definite room revenue sourced through MeetingBroker, even if the MeetingBroker status is not listed as “definite”. If the “definite” consumed revenue has not been updated in MeetingBroker at the time of billing, the fee will apply to the contracted or “presumed” room revenue (i.e., the number of room nights and room rate that were agreed upon when contracted). The funds collected through the G&M Fee are reinvested into improving G&M tools and programs. Hotels agree to pay commissions due to third parties sourcing through MeetingBroker. To support hotels globally, there is a $30,000 individual lead cap in place meaning that no Hotel will be assessed more than $30,000 in G&M fees for any one lead. Additionally, a $25,000 year over year cap will apply. This means that in any calendar year, your Hotel will not be assessed more than $25,000 over the total G&M fees accrued in the prior year.

NextGen PaymentsNextGen Payments
PaymentsItem 1

SCH owns or licenses (in the case of certain software) and administers a computerized reservation network, the “Reservation System,” a revenue management system and a cloud-based network. Components of the “Reservation System”, the revenue management system, and cloud-based network operate under the name of IHG Concerto (“IHG Concerto”). All Hotels must be linked to the Reservation System, including all system enhancements and upgrades such as the Revenue Management System (“RMS”, which is fully integrated with IHG Concerto) or such successor systems as SCH may designate. Hardware, software and network systems required to connect to the Reservation System must be fully operational when the Hotel opens, with appropriate management and staff trained and competent to operate the Reservation System at all times. IHG Concerto is a technology platform designed to enable many capabilities, such as reservations, digital check-in, stay enhancements, guest complaints, rate management, inventory management and yielding, interactive homepage, and other front desk capabilities. The IHG Concerto platform is also designed to support effective management of Hotel Content and quick response to guest relations issues. SCH administers a computerized payment card processing program, NextGen Payments (“NGP”). NGP is a data security process designed to protect certain credit card information. Using PCI-certified payment terminals, credit card data will be encrypted and converted to tokens before entering the PMS. SCH has contracted with FreedomPay to provide the tokenization application services. All Hotels are required to use NGP or such successor payments program as may be implemented by SCH. Hardware and 5 Crowne Plaza 2026 FDD CROWNE PLAZA 2026 FDD (11)

OracleOracle
POSItem 17
Oracle OPERAOracle
Industry softwareItem 6

Interface Subscription: $2,200 for Delphi Annually One time cost of $250-$2,000 (Payable to IHG Edge Interface Note 9 Annual Maintenance Cost of $10 - $440 Service Provider) Annually Maintenance fees may be increased by up to 5% per PMS Software (payable to SCH year. Note 9 Maintenance or Service Costs will vary according to your technology needs Provider) $6.25 - $9.00 per room; per month depending on room Monthly OPERA Cloud PMS count (Payable to Note 9 Solutions Fee Service Provider) 29 Crowne Plaza 2026 FDD CROWNE PLAZA 2026 FDD (35) Type of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks Monthly (Payable to Service OPERA Cloud PMS $.36 per room/per month for the first 48 months of Provider) only Note 9 Implementation Fee operation of the Hotel. during the first 48 months of operation IHG Connect Monthly Bandwidth Service Varies; can range from $450 to $1,800 (Payable to Note 9 Subscription SCH) Renews every five years following the IHG Connect original Hardware Software Varies; can range from $1,000 to $200,000 Note 9 purchase License Renewal (Payable to Service Provider) FastConnect SD- Monthly $180 per month for base solution plus $17.75 per WAN and Active (Payable to Note 9 month Directory Support AT&T) Monthly Back office IT (Payable to Network $250 - $1,250 Note 9 Service Connectivity Provider) $1.50 per guest room Monthly IHG Connect $25 per meeting/conference room, plus $20 per 2,000 Hardware sq. ft. of total meeting space, up to a maximum of (Payable to SCH Note 9 Maintenance and $500. approved Guest Support $1,452 estimated cost of 4 access points per 100 Guest Integrator) Conference Space Capacity NextGen Payments (“NGP”) Program Monthly Fee (includes $223 to $794 (Payable to Note 9 support, installation, SCH) and hardware) Hotels will see a monthly recurring charge (“MRC”) for the entertainment platform on the monthly invoice Monthly Guest In-Room at a rate of $3.75 per room, per month for software, Entertainment– maintenance, and $1 per room, per month for guest (Payable to SCH Hardware, support. Note 9 or an SCH- Maintenance, Guest approved Support, & Content $7.20 per room, per month for content. Integrator) $1.25 per room, per month for HBO (where required)

Sabre SynXisSabre Hospitality
Industry softwareItem 3

On April 5, 2019, Plaintiffs filed a purported class action suit alleging that they were harmed by No. 3:19- cv-01860-MMC the compromise of personal information due to a data security breach affecting Kimpton Hotels during the period August 10, 2016 – March 9, 2017. This suit relates to the breach of the Sabre SynXis reservation system used by Kimpton during the referenced time frame. On August 8, 2019, the court granted Kimpton’s motion to dismiss the complaint. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on August 30, 2019, adding two new named plaintiffs. On November 1, 2019, the court granted Kimpton’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on December 16, 2019. In response to Kimpton’s motion to dismiss the second amended complaint, Plaintiffs amended the complaint for the third time on February 11, 2020. Kimpton answered on August 7, 2020. The Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification was denied on April 20, 2022. The Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification was denied on April 20, 2022. On May 26, 2023, the parties resolved this matter via signed a settlement agreement resulting in Kimpton Hotels making payment to plaintiffs. The case was dismissed with prejudice on May 26, 2023 after the parties filed a joint Stipulation of Dismissal with Prejudice.

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 9 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Licensee understands that IHG and its Affiliates will have access to certain reports and information relating to the Hotel and generated through the use of the Curated Solutions, including information relating to revenues, room occupancy, and availability, as well as Personal Data.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Item 17

Upon request, you will provide us and our Affiliates, quarterly financial statements within 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter and annual audited financial statements within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

Groups360: Holiday or its affiliate currently own an interest in Groups360 LLC (“Groups360”), which provides lead generation services, meeting advisory services, and marketing services to participating hotels in our System and other hospitality companies.

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Item 20

The IHG Owners Association was created by Holiday’s predecessor in interest in 1956.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Item 8

Holiday may issue specifications by brand, by approved equivalent products, by physical characteristics, or by other methods, depending on the product or service involved.Holiday can make changes to the Standards, which will become binding on you as if originally set forth in the Standards.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

The GPO, or in some cases, the supplier, may also pay a rebate or allowance to the licensee directly based on the volume of your purchases.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

If Holiday requires you to purchase equipment, furnishings, supplies or other products for the Hotel from a designated or approved supplier or service provider to comply with the Standards, then you must procure the products or services from the approved supplier unless you receive prior written approval to procure…

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Licensee and the Hotel shall, and Licensee shall cause its Agents to, comply with: 7.1.1 all applicable laws, including the Data Privacy Laws and contractual obligations, and any requirements of the credit card processing industry, including PCI DSS and any successor standard,

Franchise management

Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?

Yes

Item 6

Completion of the TOV survey is mandatory when assigned.

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Quality System may include, but shall not be limited to, online questionnaires for the Hotel to complete and/or inspections of the Hotel by IHG’s representatives;

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Item 8

Holiday can make changes to the Standards, which will become binding on you as if originally set forth in the Standards.

Marketing

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Item 6

You must also participate in all other marketing and sales programs and policies that Holiday requires of its licensees.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

All non-alcoholic beverages served at meetings or events hosted by your Hotel should be TCCC products, unless serving non-TCCC beverages was required by the client as a condition of booking the function.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

If Holiday requires you to purchase equipment, furnishings, supplies or other products for the Hotel from a designated or approved supplier or service provider to comply with the Standards, then you must procure the products or services from the approved supplier unless you receive prior written approval to procure…

Payments

Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

In addition, Licensee will be required to enter into a merchant processing application and agreement with the IHG-approved merchant service provider.

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Franchise agreement

IHG requires Licensee to pay all outstanding fees by electronic funds transfer, direct account debit, ACH or other similar technology designed to accomplish the same purpose as may be designated by IHG.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

Regardless of whether you or a third party management company operate your Hotel, the General Manager and Director of Sales with hospitality business experience employed by you or your management company must each work exclusively for your Hotel at all times, and if you own more than one Hotel, you 87 Crowne Plaza…

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 8

All employees must wear the Brand System defined uniform from the Cintas Uniform Collection or such other mandated supplier.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 8

Food and Beverage Point of Sale (“POS”) System 64 Crowne Plaza 2026 FDD CROWNE PLAZA 2026 FDD (70) All Brand System hotels must use an approved F&B POS System that meets the Standards which includes full integration with the PMS.

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Licensee understands that IHG and its Affiliates will have access to certain reports and information relating to the Hotel and generated through the use of the Curated Solutions, including information relating to revenues, room occupancy, and availability, as well as Personal Data.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

In addition, the General Manager, Guest Service Manager, Sales Director/Manager, Executive Housekeepers, Director of Engineering and Food and Beverage Director or Manager must also complete annual retraining requirements as Holiday may designate.

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Item 6

The Licensee (or, if Licensee is not an individual, a representative of Licensee) and the General Manager may be required to attend the IHG Investors and Leadership Conference, or such name as it may be changed to in the future, and must pay the registration fee of up to $2,500 per attendee regardless of attendance…

The filing answers no to 3 questions
  • Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Item 11
  • Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 6

The vendor opportunity at Crowne Plaza

Crowne Plaza operates 79 franchised lodging locations in the United States, with no company-owned units disclosed in the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The brand is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) portfolio, with headquarters in Georgia. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 4.819%, signaling a contracting footprint that may still present replacement or optimization opportunities for software vendors.

Vendors should approach this account understanding that all 79 locations operate under centralized technology mandates, making the addressable market the entire system rather than individual franchisee decisions.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority sits at the IHG corporate level, not with individual franchisees. The FDD lists Elie W. Maalouf as Chief Executive Officer of InterContinental Hotels Group, PLC, with Jolyon Bulley serving as Chief Executive Officer, Americas. Additional relevant decision-makers include Heather Balsley, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, and Colin Macdonald, Senior Vice President of US and Canada Franchise Operations. Mark Sergot, Chief Development Officer, Americas, may also influence vendor relationships tied to unit growth or system-wide initiatives.

Vendors should target these HQ executives rather than pursuing individual property-level contacts. The centralized structure means a single procurement decision can unlock access to all 79 locations.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2026 FDD mandates three specific technology systems across all franchised locations. IHG Concerto serves as a core operational platform, while IHG Merlin provides additional property management or operational support. A Revenue Management System (RMS) is also required, though the specific vendor for RMS is not named in the available data. No point-of-sale system is identified in the mandate disclosures.

For software vendors, this creates a clear picture of the existing stack. Any solution that integrates with or replaces Concerto, Merlin, or the RMS must align with IHG’s centralized technology strategy. The absence of a named POS vendor may indicate an open category, but vendors should verify through direct engagement with HQ.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, leaving the formal supplier designation process unclear. It is unknown whether Crowne Plaza uses a designated supplier model, an approved supplier list, or an open procurement framework. Similarly, Item 17 renewal terms are absent, so contract cycle lengths and renewal windows are not publicly available.

Given the -4.819% unit decline, vendors may find opportunities tied to system consolidation or efficiency mandates. Monitoring executive changes or public earnings calls from IHG could surface timing signals for software evaluations.

How to read the Crowne Plaza FDD

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the primary source for understanding Crowne Plaza’s technology mandates, executive structure, and procurement rules. Item 1 identifies the corporate officers who control purchasing. Item 11 details the mandated tech stack, including IHG Concerto, IHG Merlin, and the RMS requirement. While Items 8 and 17 lack the extracts needed to map procurement and renewal cycles, the FDD still provides the foundational intelligence vendors need to build a pitch strategy.

Review the embedded PDF below to analyze the full document. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help prioritize your outreach.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Crowne Plaza, answered from the filing

Decisions are centralized under IHG executives. Key contacts include Jolyon Bulley (CEO, Americas), Heather Balsley (Chief Customer & Marketing Officer), and Colin Macdonald (SVP, US and Canada Franchise Operations).
The 2026 FDD mandates IHG Concerto and IHG Merlin for operations, plus a Revenue Management System (RMS). No POS vendor is named in the available data.
There are 79 franchised locations in the US. The number of company-owned units is not disclosed in the most recent FDD.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so it is unclear whether the model uses designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open process.
The FDD does not provide an Item 17 renewal extract or initial term length, so contract cycle timing is not publicly known. Monitor unit growth trends (-4.8% YoY) for potential restructuring opportunities.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it using the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze procurement, tech mandates, and executive contacts directly.
Source

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit1

Related Lodging brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.