Steve's New Course: Negotiating Hotel Management Contracts

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When it comes to negotiating hotel management contracts, hotel owners are often at a serious disadvantage.

Why? Because hotel management companies do this all the time.

This course will give you the tools and knowledge to level the playing field, so you will get a fair contract.

Steve Rushmore's course is designed for hotel owners, developers, asset managers, and hospitality professionals who need to understand and negotiate hotel management contracts from the owner’s perspective. Whether you’re building a new hotel, acquiring an existing asset, or managing a portfolio, this course provides the tools and insights to secure a fair, balanced agreement with a management company.

You’ll learn how to identify and negotiate the most critical contract provisions—such as performance tests, termination rights, owner approval rights, fees, and dispute resolution—so you can protect your investment and maintain control. Through real-world examples and proven strategies, you’ll gain the knowledge to confidently engage with hotel brands, independent operators, and legal counsel during contract negotiations.

Ideal for hotel consultants, appraisers, attorneys, and students pursuing careers in hospitality ownership or advisory roles, this course demystifies one of the most complex agreements in the hotel industry.

 Who Should Enroll: 

• Hotel Owners and Developers
• Asset Managers and Investment Analysts
• Hospitality Attorneys and Legal Advisors
• Hotel Consultants and Appraisers
• Brand Development and Operations Executives
• Hospitality MBA and Hotel School Students

Hotel management contracts are among the most complex and impactful agreements in the hospitality industry. While these contracts are essential to aligning the interests of owners and operators, they often tilt in favor of the management company—especially when negotiated without a thorough understanding of the risks, nuances, and leverage points available to owners.

This comprehensive course is designed to equip hotel owners, developers, asset managers, attorneys, and hospitality professionals with the tools, strategies, and insights needed to negotiate balanced, owner-favorable hotel management agreements. Whether you’re developing a new hotel, acquiring an existing asset, overseeing performance as an asset manager, or advising clients in a legal or consulting role, this course provides the practical knowledge required to secure terms that enhance control, reduce risk, and maximize value.

Through engaging video lessons, real-world case studies, and analysis of actual contract clauses, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify and negotiate the key provisions that most affect owner rights and financial returns.
• Understand the implications of base and incentive fees, performance tests, and operator approval rights.
• Protect against long-term inflexible commitments and one-sided termination clauses.
• Use brand leverage, market data, and ownership structure to improve your negotiating position.
• Ensure quiet enjoyment, owner flexibility, and clear exit strategies under a variety of scenarios.
• See the Course Curriculum set forth below to see the extensive material covered in this course.

• Access to the course
• Start at any time and proceed at your own pace.
• Unlimited downloads of sample management contract provisions, articles, and publications.
• One-on-one Zoom calls with Steve Rushmore.
• Upon completion of the course and a passing final exam, you will receive the Certified Hotel Management Contract Negotiator certificate (via e-mail) suitable for framing.
• Your name will appear in the Directory  of Certified Hotel Management Contract Negotiators

Unlike academic discussions or generic legal overviews, this course offers a practical, owner-focused framework drawn from decades of experience in hotel valuation, contract negotiation, and asset management.

• Hotel Owners and Developers: Learn how to avoid one-sided provisions and secure terms that give you oversight, flexibility, and performance-based accountability.
• Asset Managers: Gain tools to interpret contract terms, challenge underperformance, and support ownership decisions with expert analysis.
• Attorneys Specializing in Hospitality or Real Estate: Understand key business and operational concerns that influence the legal structure of management agreements.
• Hotel Consultants and Appraisers: Improve your advisory services by integrating contract insights into feasibility studies, valuations, and strategic plans.
• Hospitality MBA Students and University Hotel Program Participants: Build real-world skills that bridge the gap between classroom theory and the realities of hotel ownership, development, and brand negotiations.
• Brand and Operator Development Executives: Learn the owner’s perspective to facilitate more effective, balanced partnerships. 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to read and interpret hotel management contracts with a critical eye—understanding not just what the clauses say, but how they affect owner control, property performance, and investment value. You’ll leave with a negotiation checklist, sample language, and the confidence to advocate for terms that align with your goals.

Whether you are signing your first agreement or managing a portfolio of branded assets, this course gives you the edge to negotiate smarter, protect your investment, and build more productive operator relationships.