May 2023 marks five years since Best Western Hotels & Resorts migrated its 40-year affiliate relationship in Australia to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Western International.
In the years following, the organisation has repositioned itself in the Australasian market to become BWH Hotels, the umbrella organisation made up of WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels. Previously, Best Western was perceived as a regional motel group.
Today and without stepping away from its regional roots, BWH Hotels has broadened its appeal and is made up of 4,300 hotels across 100 countries and 19 brands from luxury through economy with properties across capital cities and regional areas.
BWH Hotels, Australasia is an agile business responding quickly to the diverse needs of an ever-growing list of partners including investors, developers, consultants, brokers and hoteliers all of whom are looking for customised accommodation solutions featuring feasibility and forecasting, branding, distribution, management, white label services and loyalty.
BWH Hotels 19 brands include both hard and soft formats. The timeless Best Western brands have been accompanied by a new range of aspirational, extended stay and lifestyle offerings.
The global powerhouse now boasts over 500 active soft brand hotels and resorts worldwide, with an additional 100 new properties in the global pipeline, including the latest local signing of South Harbour Hervey Bay opening in 2025. In 2022 alone, BWH Hotels activated over 40 soft brand hotels.
This powerful and in vogue strategy allows existing or new build hotels to display their own brands on the outside of their property whilst seamlessly plugging into BWH Hotels’ distribution platform to receive incremental bookings from Australasia and around the world.
This soft brand solution allows developers and owners to tap into the global powerhouse, including its award-winning loyalty platforms which are amongst the fastest growing programs in the industry. With over 53 million loyal BWH Hotels members worldwide, soft brand hotels can engage with these members whilst maintaining their own independence and local brand integrity.
For developers looking for hotel management, BWH Hotels now has a flexible range of management solutions available. They can provide management services themselves or in conjunction with industry renowned third-party Hotel Management partners or can provide hands-on assistance with GM selection and operational support.
As evidenced by recent signings, BWH Hotels now has the capability to engage and participate in full-service accommodation projects throughout Australasia no matter the scale. What sets BWH Hotels apart from its competitors is its approachable, in-house ‘can do’ team, its adaptability and its speed of response. This enables BWH Hotels to customise crafted responses to meet the diverse needs of each development project.
This agility lies at the very heart of BWH Hotels today, with hotel development meeting the demands of new hybrid travellers. Each new accommodation development must succeed in designing, crafting and representing a unique story about its own destination. This is why BWH Hotels is ‘The Place to Be’ for every developer or investor looking to bring their vision to life.