Free owner-side tool
Is your HMA protecting your hotel’s value?
Download the owner-side checklist covering the 25 clauses that can affect operator economics, owner control, performance accountability, and exit flexibility.
The problem
Most hotel management agreements were drafted on the operator’s template.
By the time an owner reads the full agreement, the fees, the approval mechanics and the exit terms are already structured. Nothing in the document is illegal — it is simply written to protect the party that wrote it. Owners who find this out at renewal pay for it for years; owners who check it before signature keep the negotiating capital that matters.
Fees are definitions
A base fee “on total revenue” and a base fee on defined revenues are different contracts. The percentage is negotiable; the definition is decisive.
Control is clauses
Budget approval, capex thresholds and audit scope decide who spends whose money — and whether the owner ever sees the numbers behind the narrative.
Exit is value
Buyers and lenders read the term, termination and transfer clauses first. An agreement you cannot leave is an asset you cannot sell at full value.
What the checklist covers
25 clauses. 8 categories. One page each.
Every clause comes four ways: what you see in the draft, where it hides, why it reduces value, and the ask to put on the table. Severity-rated, so you know where to spend your negotiating capital first.
Term, renewal and exit
Base and incentive fees
Centralized and technology charges
Performance tests and cure rights
Owner approvals and capex control
Brand standards and non-compete
Reporting, audit and data access
Termination, sale and transition
Who it is for
Written for the people who sign — and who fund.
Hotel owners & family offices
Negotiating a new HMA, approaching renewal, or living with an agreement you never fully read.
Developers
Selecting an operator for a new project and about to accept a first-draft term sheet.
Investors & lenders
Underwriting a hotel acquisition or financing where the HMA drives the exit value.
Not for operators or brands — we work exclusively on the owner’s side, and the checklist reflects that position.
What you receive
A working document, not a teaser.
One PDF, printable, in owner-side language. Inside:
- The 25 clauses across 8 categories — each with what you see, where it hides, why it reduces value, and the ask.
- Severity ratings, so you know which five clauses to fix first.
- A scoring guide: watchlist, negotiate-before-signature, or review.
- A one-page brief to hand to your legal counsel and your negotiator.
Quick self-check
Score your agreement in two minutes.
Tick every statement that sounds like your HMA. The 12 highest-risk clauses of the 25 — scored live in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Get the checklist
Where should we send your copy?
The download starts immediately after you send this form, and a copy arrives by email with the scoring guide. If your agreement scores in the review band, we will tell you — confidentially and without obligation.
Prefer to talk first? Message +966 56 658 4679 on WhatsApp — a senior advisor replies within one business day.
Trust and confidentiality
- Owner-side only. We never act for operators or brands and take no commission from them. The checklist can only say what an owner needs to hear — there is no operator relationship to protect.
- Your data stays yours. Your details are used to deliver the checklist and the follow-up emails, and to route a review request if you make one. We never sell or share them, and we handle personal data consistently with the Saudi PDPL.
- No obligation, ever. Downloading the checklist does not create an advisory engagement, and a review request starts with a conversation — you decide after that. Unsubscribe from the emails in one click.
Straight answers
Questions owners ask before downloading
Is this checklist legal advice?
No. It is an owner-side commercial read of management agreement drafting. It does not consider your specific transaction or jurisdiction, and it is not a substitute for qualified legal counsel — use it to prepare better questions for your lawyer, not to replace them.
Why do you need my details for a free PDF?
So we can send the file, follow up with two short emails that add context, and route you to the right advisor if you request a review. We never sell or share your details, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
My HMA is already signed. Is this still useful?
Yes. Most owners use the checklist at renewal, renegotiation, benchmarking or sale preparation — the clauses still shape your economics and your exit, and several of them can be reopened at amendment stage.
Does it cover franchise agreements too?
It is written around management agreements. Most flags — fees, term, performance tests, capex control, audit and data — have close franchise equivalents; the termination and transition flags differ most.
How is this different from the HMA Red-Flag Scorecard?
The Scorecard is an interactive tool that scores your answers to 18 checks in your browser. This checklist is the printable reference behind it: 25 clauses with severity ratings, where each one hides, and the negotiation ask for each. Use both — score first, then read the full clause notes.
What happens after I download?
You get the PDF immediately on the next screen, then a delivery email and two short follow-ups over five days. If your agreement scores in the review band, you can request a confidential HMA Red-Flag Review — no obligation at any point.
Read your agreement like the owner who signs it.
Twenty-five clauses decide most of what an HMA does to your value. Know them before your next negotiation — not after.
Download the Free HMA Red-Flag Checklist See our HMA negotiation service