Services
Brand Selection and Negotiation
Which brand, and what are you actually agreeing to?
The right brand, on terms the building can live with.
Why it matters
The brand partner and the agreements signed with it shape the project for decades: how it sells, what it pays in fees, who controls standards and what the building costs to run.
At signing, most attention goes to the brand name, the sales premium and the headline fees. The operating consequences of individual clauses show up later, after handover, when they are hardest to change. A standards clause written for a hotel can set a cost that owners will have to fund. An approval right can decide who controls the service charge budget.
What the work covers
Brand and operator selection
Which brands fit the project, the market, the buyer and the operating model, and what each would require in return. Hotel brands and non-hospitality brands work differently; we compare like with like.
The selection process
Brief, longlist, shortlist, proposals and side-by-side comparison. We prepare the brief so proposals answer the same questions and can be compared fairly.
Negotiation
Licence, management, technical services and related agreements. We negotiate alongside your legal advisers, who draft the documents.
Clause by clause
For each key term we set out what it means in operation: fees and how they are calculated, approval and authority rights, brand standards and who funds them, staffing obligations, cost pass-through to owners, and termination.
Fit with the operating model
The agreements should match how the building is meant to run. Where they do not, we flag the gap before signing.
How we work
Brief
We agree the project's priorities: sales, positioning, operating model, budget.
Selection
We run or support the brand and operator process and compare proposals.
Term review
We read the draft terms for operating consequences and set out the points that matter.
Negotiation
We take part in negotiations on your side until terms are agreed.
Is this for you?
Who it is for
Developers and investors choosing a brand, and non-hospitality brands negotiating their first residential licence. We do not represent hotel operators on individual transactions.
When to bring us in
Before the brand brief goes out, or as soon as the first term sheet arrives.
What you receive
- A brand and operator comparison against your project's priorities.
- A clause-by-clause operating review of the draft agreements.
- A negotiation position and support through to agreed terms.
In a mixed-use scheme
In a mixed-use scheme, the residential agreements have to fit the hotel management agreement and the shared-site agreements, so the parts do not contradict each other.
Questions we are often asked
Do you replace our lawyers?
No. Lawyers draft and protect the legal position. We read the same terms for what they will do to the running building, and negotiate on that basis.
Can you help after the term sheet is signed?
Yes. Long-form agreements still leave room to shape how standards, fees and approvals work in practice.
Do you work with non-hospitality brands?
Yes, on the brand side or the developer side, one side per project.
Why us
We have negotiated these agreements from the brand, operator, developer and owner sides. We read each clause for how it plays out in operation, not only for what it says on paper.
Bring us in before the term sheet.
Get in touch