The lift in standards across Best Western’s hotel network in Australia and New Zealand has continued with a record 54% of its properties rated four stars or above by consumers on TripAdvisor and awarded a coveted Certificate of Excellence for 2017.
It is the third consecutive year that the Best Western Australasia (BWA) network has improved its TripAdvisor ranking, up an impressive 17% since 2015, when 46% of BWA properties received a Certificate of Excellence.
A major factor in the sustained improvement has been BWA’s new Quality Assurance Program, lifting standards across all member properties, which now offer free high-speed internet, healthy breakfasts and the ability to earn or redeem Best Western Rewards points.
“There’s no question that we now have a much stronger network due to the improvements our members have made over the past couple of years and it’s very satisfying to see that recognised by our guests,” said Steve Richards, Head of Commercial at BWA.
In all, 68 Best Western Australasia hotels and resorts received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor – 11 of them for the first time, demonstrating the positive impact of the tougher Quality Assurance Program on members properties.
One of the star performers was the Best Western Plus Hotel Stellar in Sydney’s CBD, which received its seventh consecutive Certificate of Excellence.
Best Western Plus Hotel Stellar General Manager, Daniel Rosso, said: “We are very proud to have been awarded the Certificate of Excellence every year since 2011 – it shows our guests are happy with the property and the hospitality we are providing.
“It’s also vital for our business because most customers now look at the TripAdvisor reviews before making a booking and if they see a high star rating and positive reviews will be much more likely to book.”
Globally, an impressive 1,956 Best Western branded hotels were awarded a Certificate of Excellence, the brand’s best result since the awards started seven years ago.
Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, TripAdvisor said the Certificate of Excellence considers the quality, quantity and relevance of reviews submitted by travellers on the world’s leading review site over a 12-month period.
She said to qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.