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Best Western International

Best Western International

Best Western International Inc. offers 4,000* independently owned and operated hotels. Based in Phoenix, Ariz., Best Western employs 1,190 people and offers 314,331, quality guest rooms located in 100* countries and territories throughout the world.

 

History of Hospitality Excellence

Best Western was founded in 1946 by M.K. Guertin, a California-based hotelier with 23 years of experience in the lodging industry. Best Western International began as an informal referral system among member hotels. By 1963, Best Western was the largest chain in the industry, with 699 member hotels and 35,201 rooms. Best Western entered Mexico, Australia and New Zealand in 1976, further establishing its international presence. Since then, Best Western has become a familiar presence in more than 100 countries, and with more than 4000 hotels, remains the leader with respect to number of properties under a single flag.

 

Affiliations Around The World

At the end of the 2012 fiscal year, Best Western had 2,160 hotels in North America.

Best Western has 19 international affiliate offices and property-direct relationships with another six regions. Recently, Best Western welcomed the new countries and territories of Malaysia and Suriname. Best Western International provides reservation and brand identity services for all of its 4,000* hotels worldwide.

 

Reservations Made Easy

Best Western has multilingual, consolidated reservation and operation centers in Phoenix, Arizona and Milan, Italy.

 

Online Presence

Best Western also handles reservations through its website at www.bestwestern.com®. Special site features include hotel comparisons, ability to add reservations to your calendar, virtual tours of each property in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, hotel fact sheets for easy printing, travel planning section complete with customizable maps, and much more. In August of 2008, Best Western launched its own travel blog named YouMustBeTrippin.com. Visitors are able to view and share content on destinations, things to do, travel tips, business travel and more.

On average, bestwestern.com has been booking more than $1 million in revenue per day for the hotel chain since January 2005.

 

Corporate Partners

Best Western has a strong focus on marketing the brand. Some of the company’s key marketing partners are Michael Waltrip RacingTM, American Automobile Association/Canadian Automobile Association (AAA/CAA), Harley-Davidson®, AARP and MasterCard®.

Airline partnerships are also critical to the brand’s success. Best Western partners with a number of major airlines around the world including: Air Canada, Alaska, Alitalia, US Airways, Asiana Airlines, American, China Southern, Continental, Lan Chile, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines®, Air France®, Air Berlin, Czech and Hainan.

 

Special Programs For The Best Western Guest

All Best Westerns around the globe provide a guaranteed standard of 17 (14 internationally) of the most frequently requested guest amenities and services. They include: free high-speed Internet access, continental or hot breakfast, free local phone calls (up to 30 minutes) and long distance access, data port connections in all guest rooms, iron and ironing boards, hair dryers, coffee/tea makers in all rooms, 50 percent designated non-smoking rooms (20 percent international), complimentary toiletries available upon request (razors, toothpaste, shaving cream, sewing kits), bottled or canned water available on-site, photo copies available on-site during business hours, king-sized beds in a minimum of 10 percent of rooms (queen-size bed international), clock in all guest rooms, in-room music, upgraded shampoo size and at least one English speaking TV channel at international locations.

All Best Western hotels in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean offer free high-speed Internet access to guests. This was implemented in 2004.

 

Best Western Rewards®

Best Western Rewards® (formerly Gold Crown Club International) is Best Western’s FREE rewards program. Launched in 1988, it is one of the industry’s few truly international frequent guest programs. Members across the globe can earn points towards an extensive array of product and service awards – including free nights; dining, shopping, and entertainment gift certificates; as well as airline miles -- at Best Western hotels throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Best Western Rewards® members earn 10 points per US dollar (or equivalent in other currencies) spent on qualified room rates or 250 miles per stay on one of our airline partners. Other features include 3 elite tier levels with generous bonus point offerings, as well as many other opportunities to earn points through special promotions, purchases and point balance transfers with the Best Western® MasterCard® and our customized membership programs. Best Western Rewards® is now offering to match elite levels for customers that have gained elite levels in other hotel loyalty programs. For questions about Best Western’s elite matching, contact BWRelite@bestwestern.com. For more information about Best Western Rewards® or to enroll in the program.

 

Best Western Speed Rewards®

An extension of Best Western Rewards®, is a customized loyalty program designed specifically for race fans. As members, individuals receive discounted room rates at all Best Western properties with the Race Fan Rate®. Members can also earn free room nights anywhere in the world, as well as dining and shopping certificates, and are eligible for special sweepstakes and promotional offerings. Speed Rewards members also now earn 10 points per US dollar (or equivalent in other currencies) spent on qualified room rates. 

 

Best Western Ride Rewards®

An extension of Best Western Rewards®, is a customized loyalty program designed specifically for Harley-Davidson® enthusiasts. As members, individuals receive automatic upgrade to Gold Elite status which garners 10% bonus points. Members can also earn free room nights anywhere in the world, as well as dining and shopping certificates, and are eligible for special sweepstakes and promotional offerings. Ride Rewards members also earn 10 points per US dollar (or equivalent in other currencies) spent on qualified room rates, plus the 10% bonus points.

 

Best Western Travel Card®

Best Western is the first mid-scale hotel company in the world to offer a prepaid Travel Card. Used by guests to pay for both accommodations and related incidentals, such as room service and phone charges; the Card is accepted at 4,000 Best Western hotels worldwide. It is available for purchase in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, and Euros, as well as a variety of other currencies, and is offered in any denomination between $25 and $1,000 U.S./Euro (or equivalent in other currencies). It is also available through corporate incentive programs, at Best Western member hotels, online at www.travelcard.bestwestern.com or by calling Best Western Travel Card Customer Service at 1-877-CARD-2TVL (227-3288) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

 

Best Western Premier®

The BEST WESTERN PREMIER® designation identifies a select group of North American, European and Asian properties that offer a higher level of amenities, services and unique features. To qualify for the BEST WESTERN PREMIER® designation, hotels are subject to a special design and quality review. BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels provide 33 or more amenities and services than the already required product standards currently available at Best Western properties worldwide.


*Numbers are approximate and can fluctuate.

January 6, 2014
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