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.
From the filings
EVEN Hotels
LodgingSoftware purchasing for EVEN Hotels is controlled at the corporate level by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) executives, not individual franchisees. The brand mandates a suite of IHG systems—Concerto, Connect, Merlin, and a Revenue Management System—across all 27 franchised US locations. With 22.7% year-over-year unit growth, the addressable market is small but expanding, and any vendor pitch must align with IHG’s centralized technology stack.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
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)
15% reference
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.
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 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:
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.
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)
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 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.
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 $15,000 year over year cap will apply. This means that in any calendar year, your Hotel will not be assessed more than $15,000 over the total G&M fees accrued in the prior year.
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 EVEN 2026 FDD Page 5 EVEN Hotels 2026 FDD (11)
Type of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks $6.25 - $9.00 per room; per month depending on room count Monthly OPERA Cloud PMS (Payable to Note 9 Solutions Fee Service Provider) 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 $2,500 (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)
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
23 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 8 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?
YesItem 11
Holiday and SCH have independent access to the information and data collected by the PMS and Reservation System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesItem 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?
YesItem 8
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?
YesItem 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?
YesFranchise agreement
IHG reserves the right (i) to change the Service Provider for any Additional Required Service, and (ii) to add or remove Core Services or to replace any of the Additional Required Services.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
The IHG Marketplace collects fees from two sources: (1) hotels for services such as IHG Connect, and IHG Groups & Events, and (2) vendors that use the platform to offer products and services to IHG hotels.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to use suppliers other than established SRD Program–approved suppliers, the non-approved suppliers must provide samples and documentation pursuant to the Design Review process to demonstrate that their products meet Holiday’s quality specifications, and you must obtain Holiday’s prior written approval.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 17
As part of your obligation to comply with Card Organization Rules, you are required to comply with PCI DSS.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
(ii) will keep the restaurant open for meals during the hours required by IHG, (iii) will provide to Hotel guests all programs required by IHG, (iv) will allow Hotel guests eating in the restaurant or receiving room 19 EVEN Hotels 2026 FDD (144) service from the restaurant to charge restaurant bills to their Hotel…
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 6
Holiday representatives may inspect the Hotel at any time with or without notice to you, to determine whether your Hotel is compliant with the Standards.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
The Hotel and all other hotels operated under the Brand System will be subject to the Standards, as they may from time to time be modified or revised by IHG
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Holiday inspects and approves your Hotel before Holiday authorizes it to open, to confirm that you have completed all of the requirements under paragraph 13.J and/or Attachment “B” of the License.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not operate an independent website separate from the official Holiday brand website with respect to your Hotel.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
The Loyalty Program and required Loyalty Program contributions are described in Item 6.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
(see also Item 11). If Holiday requires you to purchase equipment, furnishings, supplies, or other products or services from a designated or approved supplier or service provider to comply with the Standards, you must do so unless you obtain prior written approval to use a non-approved supplier or service provider.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise 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?
YesFranchise 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?
YesItem 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 must hire a…
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 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?
YesItem 8
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?
YesItem 17
Hotel acknowledges and agrees that IHG will have full access to the transactions and data processed on behalf of Hotel by FreedomPay.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
In addition, the General Manager, Guest Service Manager, Sales Director/Manager, Executive Housekeeper, Director of Engineering, and Food and Beverage Director or Manager must complete any annual retraining requirements designated
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 6
The Licensee (or, if Licensee is not an individual, a representative of Licensee) and the General Manager must attend the IHG Premium Investors and Leadership Conference, or any successor name, and must pay the registration fee of up to $2,500 per attendee regardless of attendance plus travel and expenses.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
The vendor opportunity at EVEN Hotels
EVEN Hotels is a small but growing lodging brand within the IHG portfolio, with 27 franchised units in the US as of the 2026 FDD. The brand posted 22.7% year-over-year unit growth, signaling an expanding footprint that could create incremental software deployment opportunities. For vendors, the total addressable market is currently limited to those 27 locations—company-owned unit counts are not disclosed—but the centralized purchasing model means a single corporate relationship can unlock the entire system.
The absence of these figures makes it harder to build a traditional ROI case tied to franchisee margins, shifting the sales narrative toward operational efficiency and brand-standard compliance.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing at EVEN Hotels is firmly an HQ-level decision. The FDD lists IHG’s senior leadership as the controlling entity, with no franchisee-level operators mapped in our corpus. Key decision-makers include Colin Macdonald, Senior Vice President of US and Canada Franchise Operations, who oversees day-to-day brand execution, and Heather Balsley, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, who influences guest-facing technology. Elie W. Maalouf, CEO of IHG PLC, and Jolyon Bulley, CEO of Americas, sit at the top of the org chart, though direct technology procurement likely flows through Macdonald’s operational team.
Because no individual franchisees are identified as having purchasing autonomy, vendors should treat EVEN Hotels as a single-account sale. The pitch must resonate with IHG’s corporate priorities—brand consistency, guest experience, and operational efficiency—rather than individual owner ROI.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD mandates four technology systems across all EVEN Hotels units: IHG Concerto, IHG Connect, IHG Merlin, and a Revenue Management System (RMS). IHG Concerto serves as the central property management and operations platform. IHG Connect provides the guest-facing Wi-Fi and network infrastructure. IHG Merlin is the brand’s digital content and distribution management tool. The mandated RMS handles pricing and inventory optimization, though the specific vendor is not named in the FDD.
For software vendors, this stack represents both a barrier and a map. Any product that overlaps with these mandated systems faces an entrenched incumbent with corporate backing. Conversely, tools that integrate with or complement Concerto, Connect, or Merlin—without displacing them—may find a receptive audience if they can demonstrate added value within IHG’s existing ecosystem.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The procurement model for EVEN Hotels is not detailed in the available FDD extracts. Item 8, which typically specifies whether franchisees must buy from designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or have open purchasing discretion, provided no extract for analysis. This gap means vendors cannot confirm whether IHG mandates specific third-party vendors beyond the named IHG systems or whether franchisees have any latitude to source complementary software independently.
Contract renewal timing is similarly opaque. The initial franchise term length is not disclosed in the FDD, and Item 17 renewal signals were not extracted. Without term data, it is difficult to predict when franchise agreements come up for renewal—a common window for technology re-evaluation. Vendors should not rely on franchise-cycle triggers and instead focus on demonstrating continuous value that justifies a mid-contract pilot or corporate-level adoption.
How to read the EVEN Hotels FDD
The EVEN Hotels 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators and available in the embedded viewer below. For software vendors, the most relevant sections are Item 1 (identifying the franchisor and key executives), Item 11 (mandated technology and supplier obligations), and Item 8 (procurement restrictions, though not extracted here). Reviewing the full Item 8 and Item 17 directly may reveal additional details on supplier approval processes and renewal timelines that could sharpen your outreach strategy. If you need a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned with your software category, FranCloud can help prioritize your pipeline.
Ordinary royalty terms
Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.
Questions vendors ask
EVEN Hotels, answered from the filing
Read the filing itself
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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
Ownership
The portfolio behind EVEN Hotels
Ownership: IHG.
Sibling brands
Related Lodging brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.