Hotel Licensing

By R. Britton Colbert, CHA

The hotel License Agreement and the Licensor’s UFOC document provide the foundation of hotel licensing. Selected key provisions of the hotel license agreement include: a) Obligations of the parties, b) Establishment and acknowledgement by the parties of System procedures, standards, and c) Relationship of the parties. The License Agreement provides the authority for the enforcement of the preceding elements and the expectation that the brand standards and the standard operating procedures will be met by all parties without exception. Many hotel disputes and much litigation emanate from the failure of the parties to fully comply with the license terms as well as with the operating standards. Many expert witness case assignments involved a number of these hotel license issues.

R. Britton Colbert, CHA, a 30+ years hotel veteran, earned a BS from the University of Denver School of Hotel & Restaurant Management. He holds the Certified Hotel Administrator Certification, the highest certification from the American Hotel & Lodging Association, 1991– 2006; 2011–2016. He has developed and financed hotels throughout the United States and operated a national hotel portfolio of nine hotels. He holds real estate licenses in California and Pennsylvania. Colbert lives in South Florida and can be contacted at 561-455-2785 or ColbertLLC@aol.com.