Strategy & Communication Marriott International

A franchise is a legal agreement between franchisers and franchisees that consents use of the franchise’s trademark and trade name or marketing plan

A brand is a powerful tool, especially in the hotel industry where services are intangible. Many hotels of the 21st century have made branding one of their top most priority with the realisation that hotel branding helps to set them apart from their competitors and create a firm customer base. Branding creates brand recognition, brand preference, increase customer satisfaction and most importantly, customer loyalty.

While doing some research I found that a franchise agreement is a binding legal contract that is signed between a franchisor and franchisee. A franchisor is the company owning the rights to grant franchises to franchisees, while a franchisee is a person or entity who is given the right to conduct business by a franchisor or licensor. The most important definition however is that of a franchise which is an authorization granted by the government or company to an individual or group allowing them to carry out certain commercial activities.

Franchise Agreements vs. Management Agreements: Which One Do I Choose?, by Nelson Migdal. (2014). from http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2101/test-franchise-agreements-vs-management-agreements-which-one-do-i-choose

Explain how a franchise could be considered a partnership. What makes a franchise agreement simpler than a partnership that you would start with another individual?

Marriott is renowned for its elegant and comfortable hotels and resorts. The company caters to a targeted customer base, ranging from the frequent corporate business traveler to the family enjoying their occasional weekend get-away. Marriott has continued its rise in the lodging, contract services, and restaurant industries. The company continuously strives to meet the needs and wants of its customers while strategically maneuvering the rigors of today’s competitive and ever-evolving market of glamorous destinations and convenient services. In order to remain relevant in a highly-competitive environment, Marriott must strike that successful balance of minimizing costs, and gaining and effectively

The idea of repurchasing shares was no stranger to Bill Marriott by January 1980. Almost five million shares of common stock had been repurchased on the open market by Marriott Corporation during 1979 at a total cost of $74 million and an average price of $15.16 in the belief that they were undervalued—a belief that still was not fully reflected in the market price. At $19 5/8, the stock was selling at only six times cash flow per share; and its price/earnings ratio of nine was a far cry from historical multiples as high as fifty times as recently as 1973. Its low price seemed to offer once again an obvious opportunity to benefit shareholders. However,

The first choice of business is the franchise. In a franchise, legal binding agreement is entered into between two firms, the franchisor (the product or service owner) and the franchisee (the firm to market the product or service in a particular location). The franchisee pays a certain sum of money for the right to market this product” (Rubin, 1978, p.224). The franchising is more prevalent in the restaurant industry (Hoffman & Preble, 2003). The two distinct features of this business type include; first, in order to notable service components should

Roman Holiday defined reacquired franchise rights as “the excess of the net amount assigned to identifiable assets and liabilities recorded upon the acquisition of franchise markets.” It was classified as an intangible asset with an indefinite life. The reacquired franchise rights takes over 29% of Roman Holiday’s total asset and the complicities in the classifications introduce significant risks of material misstatement in the company’s financial statements. The classification should be critically assessed in order to ensure the fair presentation of the company’s financial statement.

Franchising is a business model that allows companies to rapidly expand their market share. According to Franchise.com (2015), there are three types of franchises: distributorships, trademark licensing, and business format franchises. When two organizations enter into a distributorship, the originating company provides the rights another company to sell their products. An example of a distributorship is when an auto manufacturing company grants rights to a dealership to sell their vehicles (Franchise.com, 2015). Trademark licensing is when one company allows another company to use their trademark (Franchise.com, 2015). The business format franchise authorizes franchisees to sell the parent company’s products and/or services as well as utilize their business model. This type of franchising is the most common and is the type needed to obtain to open a new Cold Stone Creamery.

If the business is newly formed, the directors should provide a personal guarantee for the entity named on the lease.

a. Both, Carol, and Waterfront Hotels entered into a contractual relationship and the third requirement for a valid contract.

In January 1980, the management of the Marriott Corporation found itself in an interesting dilemma: not only did the corporation have considerable excess debt capacity, but projections of future operations and cash flows indicated that this capacity was on the rise. For Marriott, excess debt capacity was viewed as comparable to unused plant capacity because the existing equity base could support additional productive assets. Management was therefore faced with two problems. First, it needed to determine the amount of funds that would be available if Marriott's full debt capacity were utilized. Second, management needed to decide whether to invest excess funds in new or existing businesses, or to return them to the companies shareholders

Marriott International envisions itself to be the world’s lodging leader. Its mission is to provide the best possible lodging services experience to customers who vary in backgrounds, language, tradition, religion and cultures all around the world. Marriot is committed to environmental preservation through using environment-friendly technology and engages in social responsibility and community engagement.  We value our shareholder’s so we will only take steps that will ensure our growth. Most importantly, through our “spirit to serve”, we emphasize the importance of Marriott’s people and recognize the value they bring to the organization’s growth and success. It aims to increase revenues by 9% every year, to increase

You could contractually require them to personally participate in the business, and restrict them to one property until they’ve proven themselves.” He then described typical terms in the franchise restaurant agreement: a 20 – year term with renewal at the franchisor’s option; a 5% to 6% royalty on gross revenues, and an up-front fee. “That fee depends on the strength of the brand,” he noted. “And you can structure the deal so that each franchisee is responsible for his own financing.” He explained that some franchisors handled all development, including market analysis, feasibility studies, site selection, and construction themselves, then lease the property to the operator. “But in others,” he continued, “franchisees must buy or lease the land in an attractive location, and build the restaurant themselves. Since Porcini’s doesn’t have a construction department, which might be the way you should begin.”