Best Western to call its higher-end hotels 'Premier' and 'Plus'

Best Western hotel owners have voted to add two new categories to the brand - Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotels. One of the goals: To make picking a Best Western hotel less confusing for travelers who don't always know what to expect.

"The purpose...of the strategy is to set expectations," Best Western CEO David Kong told me in an email last night. "By way of comparison, there is enough differentiation between 2 Diamond and 3 Diamond AAA-rated properties, so travelers should see a difference among the descriptors."

Consumers will start to see new advertising and signage for hotels in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean, early next year, according to the company. By February 2011, Kong said there should be around 700 Best Western Plus hotels and 10 Best Western Premeir hotels in the USA and Canada, with the rest remaining Best Western hotels.


Source