New Company Structure and Brand Relaunch Strengthen Hotels

Eschborn/Bern/Vienna, February 9^th, 2016. Best Western starts in 2016 with far-reaching changes. With new future-oriented strategies the brand support individual and entrepreneurial independent hotels to achieve higher success. Since the beginning of the year more than 230 hotels in ten countries Germany, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Hungary belong together in the common corporate roof Best Western Hotels Central Europe GmbH. The new powerful company organization is formed from the merger of the previous three national organizations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

"By extending the recent German Best Western organization and consolidating our activities all our member hotels now receive more sales and marketing power. No longer restricted by state borders we are able to easily access new target markets and to create greater synergies in order to become even more efficient for our member hotels. This step guarantees a stronger cohesion in Europe in order to strengthen our presence on common markets”, said Marcus Smola, CEO of Best Western Hotels Central Europe GmbH, at today's annual press conference in Eschborn. "Observing the current market concentration and mergers and the increasing strength of large hotel companies it is important to provide our individual hotel operators professional instruments and services, in order to succeed in the intensifying competition. We notice that it is increasingly difficult for independent hotels without international brand connection by the rapid digitization of our hotel distribution world and the sharper competition. As a service partner Best Western pursues to increase the profitability, success and competitiveness of our member hotels. Best Western Hotels maintain their independence while locking in all the advantages of the world's largest lodging affiliation. Member hotels benefit from a powerful global brand with full-service support and comprehensive marketing and sales activities for all relevant market segments and target groups", said Smola. “Hoteliers in Austria as well as Slovakia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia benefit from that historical step, that provides advantages for each hotel in every country in regards to marketing and sales, especially as Germany is one of the most important target markets for many of those hotels”, adds Smola.

Portfolio grew to over 230 hotels

The hotel portfolio of the new Best Western Hotels Central Europe has grown with the merger to currently 236 hotels with over 21,000 rooms. Year-to-date in Germany belong 188 hotels and in Luxembourg three hotels to the brand family. Additionally in Austria join eleven hotels (943 rooms) and in Switzerland 19 hotels (1,276 rooms). With the properties from the other countries of the new region a further 15 hotels (1,401 rooms) joined the new Best Western Hotels Central Europe - 7 hotels in the Czech Republic, 1 hotel in Slovakia, 3 hotels in Slovenia, 2 hotels in Croatia and 2 hotels in Hungary. Since the beginning of 2016 a total of 45 hotels have been added to the portfolio with 3,620 rooms thus from countries outside Germany. As a result a total of 45 hotels have been added to the portfolio with 3,620 rooms from countries outside Germany. "We do see in particular in the new countries, great opportunities to expand with our brand, because we deliver the whole range of services and technology hotels needed today to be successful. We therefore anticipate that we will double our hotel portfolio in the coming years in the countries-added," said Smola.

More power for hotels by brand relaunch

Another strong worldwide initiative of the brand will strengthen the success of all Best Western hotels. In 2016 the hotel group is reinventing itself: After more than 20 years there will be a rebranding of its brands and a new brand strategy. “For more than two decades, Best Western has had a familiar, recognizable, and visible logo. But with our investments in this 70-year old brand during the last ten years, we need to make consumers aware of the exciting improvements in our brand. We are embracing our future with a completely reimagined brand identity that clarifies our exceptional offerings and broadens our appeal with a contemporary, energetic and relevant look,” said Smola. Best Western offers in total seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier, Best Western Plus Executive Residency, Vib, Glo and the soft brand BW Premier Collection.

“We are embracing our future with a completely reimagined brand identity that clarifies our exceptional offerings and broadens our appeal with a contemporary, energetic and relevant look,” Smola explains. “Best Western has had a powerful and trusted logo, but it doesn’t reflect the tremendous revolution our brand has experienced in the last ten years. We started over. These new logos recognize the investments made by our hoteliers and the dramatic shift our brand has experienced over the past decade,” Smola said.

As part of this rebranding, Best Western is focused on contemporizing the look of the company and placing more of an emphasis on all of the company’s hotel brands. From summer 2016 on Best Western is presenting contemporary logos of the three brands that clearly differ from each other and underline the new brand strategy. “We are glad that we perform not only a slight modification of our logo, but that we carry out a complete transformation of our outer appearance worldwide,” Smola said. “Furthermore these logos bring clear and memorable differentiation between our brands, making it easier for guests to understand the different hotel options we offer under the Best Western umbrella,” he said. “With unique logos for each of our brands, we are illustrating the value and experience of each and underscoring the unmistakable Best Western family bond.”

Marketing and Distribution Solutions Without Limits

"Our merger in Europe is extremely positive both for our hoteliers and from a market perspective, as we make our portfolio for all customers in these countries more attractive. Without boundaries we now can realize stronger cross-border marketing" said Carmen Duecker, Deputy CEO Best Western Hotels Central Europe GmbH and responsible for e-commerce, marketing and distribution. The already consisting successful Best Western strategies will be implemented now to all new countries. "Facing the progressive digitization of the entire hotel distribution world we offer both technological and marketing technical solutions in order to raise the future success of our hotels. The digital world and thus the hotel distribution don’t know any boundaries. With our new corporate structure, we can now in literally offer limitless marketing and sales solutions for hotels", Duecker explains. Best Western extends its strategic focus on strenghten its own distribtution channels and decrease external distribution costs for hotels. "In addition, we consistently expand our loyalty program Best Western Rewards with more than 25 million members and negotiate successfully global partnerships”, Duecker said.

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About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:

Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of more than 4,000 hotels in more than 90 countries worldwide. Best Western Hotels Central Europe (BWHCE) headquartered in Eschborn / Germany is in charge of approximately 230 hotels in ten countries: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. In addition to its German headquarter in Eschborn there are regional offices in Vienna and Bern. All city and resort hotels of Best Western guarantee uniform and consistent quality standards worldwide and still keep their individual styles and their entrepreneurial independence. As a membership association all Best Western hotels are independently owned and operated. Best Western offers seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: BEST WESTERN^®, BEST WESTERN PLUS^®, BEST WESTERN PREMIER^®, BEST WESTERN PLUS EXECUTIVE RESIDENCY®, Vīb®, BW Premier Collection® and GLō.

As a service partner Best Western pursues to increase the profitability, success and competitiveness of their member hotels. Best Western Hotels maintain their independence while locking in all the advantages of the world's largest lodging affiliation. Member hotels benefit from a powerful global brand with full-service support and comprehensive marketing and sales activities for all relevant market segments and target groups. All hotels are optimally presented and bookable through all worldwide reservations and online booking channels. More than 25 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards^®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. More information: www.bestwestern.de and www.bestwestern.com

For further information please contact:

Best Western Hotels Central Europe GmbH
Austria | Croatia | Czech Republic | Germany | Hungary | Liechtenstein | Luxemburg | Slovakia | Slovenia | Switzerland

Anke Cimbal, Director of Corporate Communications

Frankfurter Strasse 10-14, 65760 Eschborn, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 6196 - 47 24 301, Fax: -78
Email: anke.cimbal@bestwestern.de

Websites www.bestwestern.de, www.bestwestern-ce.com, www.bestwestern.de/presse