Certified Hotel Franchise Negotiator

"The course that teaches hotel owners how to select the right brand and negotiate a franchise agreement that protects their economics, flexibility, and long-term investment."

A hotel franchise agreement can govern an owner's property for 10, 15, or even 20 years. The wrong brand, the wrong fee structure, or one overlooked contract provision can cost an owner millions of dollars over the life of the agreement.

The Rushmore Method: Hotel Franchise Negotiations & Brand Selection was created to give hotel owners, developers, investors, asset managers, lenders, consultants, and other hotel professionals the knowledge needed to make better brand decisions and negotiate franchise agreements from a position of strength.

Through a comprehensive series of lessons covering the most important aspects of brand selection and franchise negotiations, you'll gain practical knowledge that took Steve Rushmore more than 50 years of hotel consulting, ownership advisory, and contract analysis to accumulate.

Rather than simply explaining what is contained in a franchise agreement, the course focuses on the questions every owner should be asking:

Is this the right brand for my hotel? What will the franchise really cost me? Which provisions are negotiable? Where should I push back? What protections do I need before I sign?

Price: $995  |  Monthly Payment Plan Available | Full Money Back Guarantee if not 100% Satisfied | Let's talk: steve@steverushmore.com

You'll learn how to evaluate competing hotel brands based on much more than name recognition and projected RevPAR.

The course shows you how to analyze the total economics of a franchise relationship, including the fees, required capital expenditures, operating restrictions, technology requirements, loyalty program costs, reservation charges, marketing assessments, and other expenses that can materially affect hotel profitability.

You'll learn how to:

• Identify and compare the brands that are most appropriate for a particular hotel, market, ownership strategy, and investment horizon
• Evaluate a brand's market position, reservation contribution, loyalty program, competitive supply, pipeline, and potential impact on hotel performance
• Understand franchise fee structures, including royalty fees, marketing fees, reservation charges, loyalty program costs, technology fees, and other mandatory assessments
• Calculate the true cost of affiliation, including expenses that may not be obvious when the franchise is first presented
• Determine which franchise agreement provisions are truly negotiable, even when the franchisor initially describes them as "standard"
• Establish an opening negotiating position, identify acceptable fallback positions, and recognize provisions that may warrant walking away from a deal
• Negotiate stronger area-of-protection and sister-brand protections to reduce the risk of future brand competition
• Control the timing, scope, and cost of Property Improvement Plans (PIPs)
• Negotiate protections against costly future changes in brand standards
• Improve owner rights involving hotel sales, transfers, refinancing, ownership changes, and lender requirements
• Understand and negotiate liquidated damages, termination rights, default provisions, and cure periods
• Address franchise performance protections and situations where the brand fails to deliver expected results
• Negotiate renewal rights and reduce uncertainty at the end of the initial franchise term
• Understand lender non-disturbance requirements and how franchise provisions can affect hotel financing
• Evaluate and negotiate key money and other financial incentives offered by franchisors
• Understand the risks created by new hotels entering the brand's pipeline in your market
• Analyze loyalty programs, distribution channels, reservation systems, and their impact on hotel economics
• Address technology requirements, data ownership, cybersecurity responsibilities, and system replacement costs
• Understand mandatory purchasing and procurement programs and their impact on operating costs
• Evaluate quality assurance inspections, default triggers, and brand enforcement rights
• Identify provisions that can restrict an owner's ability to reposition, refinance, sell, rebrand, or terminate the franchise in the future

Throughout the course, Steve explains not only what each provision means, but also why it matters to the owner, what the franchisor is trying to accomplish, what is commonly negotiable, and how an owner should approach the negotiation.

One of the course's most important lessons is that franchise negotiation shouldn't begin with the franchise agreement.

It begins with selecting the right brand.

You'll learn how to compare competing brands based on their potential revenue contribution, total cost structure, required capital investment, market saturation, reservation system, loyalty program, operating requirements, and long-term implications for the hotel's value.

A strong brand may produce more revenue but also impose higher fees, greater capital requirements, and more restrictive contract provisions. A lower-cost brand may provide greater flexibility but less distribution power.

The Rushmore Method teaches you how to evaluate these trade-offs from the owner's perspective and determine which affiliation is most likely to create the greatest long-term value.

Franchise companies negotiate these agreements every day.

Most owners do not.

That imbalance of experience can place the owner at a significant disadvantage.

This course is designed to help correct that imbalance by showing you how experienced hotel owners and their advisors prepare for negotiations, create competition among brands, identify negotiating leverage, prioritize their objectives, and concentrate their efforts on the provisions that matter most.

The goal is not simply to obtain a franchise.

The goal is to negotiate a franchise agreement that maximizes the benefits of brand affiliation while protecting the owner's economics, flexibility, control, financing options, and eventual exit strategy.

Upon successfully completing the course, participants earn the Certified Hotel Franchise Negotiator (CHFN) designation.

The CHFN recognizes specialized knowledge in hotel brand selection, franchise agreement analysis, and franchise negotiations.

It demonstrates that you understand both the business and contractual issues that determine whether a hotel franchise relationship ultimately creates—or destroys—value for the owner.

This course is designed for both experienced hotel professionals and those seeking to build specialized expertise in hotel ownership, development, asset management, consulting, brokerage, lending, operations, and investment.

It is particularly valuable for:

• Hotel owners and developers preparing to select or negotiate with a brand
• Asset managers responsible for monitoring franchise costs and brand performance
• Hotel investors evaluating acquisitions or development opportunities
• Consultants advising owners on brand selection or contract negotiations
• Brokers involved in branded hotel transactions
• Lenders underwriting hotels subject to franchise agreements
• Attorneys seeking a deeper understanding of the business implications behind franchise provisions
• Hotel company executives who want to better understand the owner's perspective
• Students and professionals seeking to differentiate themselves with specialized hotel franchise expertise

Whether you're developing a new hotel, acquiring an existing property, considering a conversion, refinancing a branded hotel, negotiating a new franchise agreement, renewing an existing agreement, or simply building your expertise in hotel ownership and investment, 

The Rushmore Method: Hotel Franchise Negotiations & Brand Selection gives you a practical framework for making better decisions before committing to a long-term brand relationship.

The most important franchise negotiation often takes place before the agreement is signed.

Once the contract is executed and the hotel is operating under the brand, many of the owner's opportunities to improve the agreement are gone.

The Rushmore Method teaches you what to look for, what to ask for, what to negotiate, and what to protect—before you sign.

Steve will take you step-by-step through the complete process of selecting the right hotel brand and negotiating the franchise agreement. Along the way, he will explain not only what to do, but how he thinks through the critical decisions involved in evaluating competing brands, comparing the true economics of affiliation, identifying negotiating leverage, and preparing for detailed and often intense franchise negotiations.

What makes this online course especially unique is the direct access you will have to Steve throughout the program. Steve will personally assist you by email and, when appropriate, through Zoom calls, giving you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss real-world issues, and learn directly from the Founder of HVS and creator of The Rushmore Method: Hotel Franchise Negotiations & Brand Selection.

For many participants, the relationship does not end when the course is completed. A number of Steve’s students go on to become his mentees, benefiting from more than 40 years of career guidance as well as introductions and access to his extensive network of hotel owners, developers, brands, operators, consultants, lenders, educators, and other industry professionals.

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Steve Rushmore, MAI, CHA is the Founder of HVS, a global hotel consulting organization with more than 50 offices around the world. During his 50-year career, he has advised hotel owners, developers, lenders, investors, and operators on more than 15,000 hotels worldwide.

In addition to his extensive work in hotel consulting, Steve has developed a particular expertise in hotel brand selection, franchise agreement analysis, and franchise negotiations. He has advised owners on evaluating competing hotel brands, understanding the true economics of affiliation, selecting the brand best suited to a hotel’s market and investment objectives, and negotiating franchise agreements that protect the owner’s long-term interests.

Steve approaches franchise negotiations from an owner’s perspective. His focus is not simply on obtaining a franchise, but on understanding how the brand will affect the hotel’s revenue potential, operating costs, capital requirements, flexibility, financing, and ultimate investment value.

His work addresses the many provisions that can materially affect hotel ownership, including franchise and royalty fees, reservation and marketing charges, loyalty program costs, technology fees, procurement requirements, property improvement plans, brand standards, area-of-protection provisions, transfer and sale rights, termination provisions, liquidated damages, performance protections, renewal rights, lender protections, key money, and restrictions affecting future ownership flexibility.

Steve has spent decades analyzing the relationship between hotel owners and major hotel brands. This experience allows him to identify provisions that may appear routine during negotiations but can create significant financial consequences over the life of a franchise agreement.

A major part of Steve’s approach is helping owners look beyond the strength of a brand name and evaluate the total economics of the franchise relationship. This includes understanding all direct and indirect fees, the value of the reservation and loyalty systems, market penetration, competitive brand supply, required capital improvements, operating standards, and the potential impact of future brand changes.

Steve is also a prolific hotel industry author and educator. He has written numerous books, reference materials, and more than 300 articles covering hotel investment, ownership, valuation, management, and branding. He lectures extensively and has taught thousands of hotel industry professionals throughout the world.

Steve has also been a frequent lecturer at major hotel schools and universities, including Cornell, EHL, Glion, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Florida International University, IMHI, Michigan State, Penn State, the University of Houston, NYU, and Harvard Business School.

His latest educational program, The Rushmore Method: Hotel Franchise Negotiations & Brand Selection, draws upon decades of experience advising hotel owners and analyzing hotel franchise relationships.

The program takes participants through the complete process of evaluating hotel brands, selecting the most appropriate franchise, and negotiating the franchise agreement. Participants learn how to compare competing brands not only on projected revenue performance, but also on fees, costs, required investments, contract restrictions, competitive protections, owner flexibility, and long-term investment implications.

The course examines the major provisions of a hotel franchise agreement and shows owners how to identify negotiable terms, establish opening positions, determine acceptable fallback positions, and recognize provisions that should be treated as potential deal breakers.

Topics include area-of-protection and sister-brand protections, fee transparency, property improvement plan governance, changes in brand standards, transfer and sale rights, liquidated damages, quality assurance, data ownership, technology obligations, procurement mandates, performance protections, termination rights, renewal provisions, lender non-disturbance, key money, and competitive pipeline saturation.

Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the difference between what a franchisor initially presents as “standard” and what may actually be negotiable for a well-prepared owner.

The objective is to help owners select the right brand and negotiate a franchise agreement that maximizes the benefits of affiliation while protecting the owner’s economics, control, flexibility, and exit options.

Upon successfully completing the program, participants may earn the Certified Hotel Franchise Negotiator (CHFN) certification, recognizing their specialized knowledge of hotel brand selection and franchise agreement negotiations.

Steve has a BS degree from the Cornell Hotel School, an MBA from the University at Buffalo, and attended the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has held the MAI and FRICS professional designations and is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA).

In his free time, Steve enjoys tennis, skiing, hiking, diving, sailing, and cooking with his wife, who is a trained chef. He also holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument, multi-engine, and seaplane ratings.

For this course, I especially like the positioning around “the total economics of the franchise relationship” and “what is presented as standard versus what is actually negotiable.” Those ideas make the course sound much more owner-focused and practical.