Best Western Hotels & Resorts now offers hotel operators new brands for all categories in the area of so-called soft brands. This way Best Western is able to offer individual hotels and hotel groups suitable brand solutions and services to meet the challenges of the market. In addition to the BW Premier Collection, the collection of exclusive private hotels, which was launched last year, two more soft brands were added: the BW Signature Collection for upper mid-range hotels and the Sure Hotel Collection for three-star hotels. With all soft brand offers hotels are addressed that want to remain independent from a brand and at the same time benefit from the sales and marketing power of one of the leading global hotel brands.
Ten brands are now offered under the umbrella of the company
“Considering the increasing consolidation and growing competition within the hotel industry, it is particularly important to offer hotel operators and hotel groups with very individual properties solutions and concepts for worldwide marketing. This way the hotels can remain independent from a brand and at the same time benefit from the powerful sales and distribution support of a global hotel brand,” says Andreas Westerburg, Head of Hotel Development Best Western Hotels Central Europe GmbH, headquartered in Eschborn, Germany. With the start of the year 2018, Best Western Hotels & Resorts newly presents three soft brands for different hotel categories: Ten brands are now offered under the umbrella of the company – both full and soft brands. “This brand diversity gives hotel operators the opportunity to select the appropriate concept for their hotel and thus best meet the demands of the market. At the same time, the broad portfolio makes it easier for travellers to choose the right hotel,” says Westerburg.
Three new soft brands for all categories
Beside full brands, Best Western Hotels & Resorts now offers three soft brands for independent hotels without a branding: BW Premier Collection, BW Signature Collection as well as the Sure Hotel Collection. The three soft brands are designed for different hotel categories and are based on the respective standards of the full brands Best Western Premier, Best Western Plus and Best Western. Following the successful introduction of the exclusive BW Premier Collection last year – the first three hotels in the Best Western Hotels Central Europe region have joined in Vienna, Ramsau near Berchtesgaden and the Motorworld Region Stuttgart in Booeblingen – the two soft brands BW Signature Collection for upper mid-range hotels and the Sure Hotel Collection for three-star hotels have now been launched for hotel operators at the beginning of 2018. “Soft brands are particularly interesting for hotels that are already well established with their own name, but also for new hotel projects that want to position themselves very individually without extensive branding,” explains Westerburg.
All soft brand hotels of Best Western Hotels & Resorts receive the full service package of the worldwide brand network: The hotels are not operated under the brand name Best Western Hotel, but can be booked via all Best Western booking channels, such as the Best Western websites, via the worldwide telephone reservation centres as well as via GDS and other booking channels. In addition, the soft brand hotels benefit from the worldwide terms and conditions of all global partnerships — from OTAs and other distribution partners to key account management for corporate and travel agency contracts. Furthermore, all hotels will be part of the worldwide loyalty program Best Western Rewards with 34 million users and loyalty partners such as Lufthansa Miles and More and Payback. “Already now, right after the introduction of the new soft brands, we see a clear interest in the market,” says Westerburg.
First hotels of the BW Premier Collection were launched
The first BW Premier Collection hotels were launched in the region of Best Western Hotels Central Europe in 2017. The BW Premier Collection is a soft brand for exclusive hotels at top locations in urban destinations and holiday regions. Under the roof of this collection, extraordinary private hotels in the four- to four-star-plus category are presented. The first hotels of the BW Premier Collection are located in Austria and Germany: The Harmonie Vienna in Austria, the Berghotel Rehlegg in Ramsau near Berchtesgaden in Germany and the new V8 Hotel Motorworld Region Stuttgart in Boeblingen. There are currently more than 80 hotels worldwide that belong to the exclusive BW Premier Collection.
Viennese boutique hotel: Art, dancing and painting
In October 2017, The Harmonie Vienna in Vienna was the first hotel of the new BW Premier Collection in Austria and the whole region of Best Western Hotels Central Europe. “Our boutique hotel with its unique art concept is ideally suited for the BW Premier Collection. We have been a partner of Best Western for many years and are happy about the new marketing offer. Our hotel is a small, elegant house, which places the highest value on great individuality. The BW Premier Collection offers us the perfect framework”, explains Sonja Wimmer, Managing Director of The Harmonie Vienna in the heart of Vienna.
Traditional and modern at the foot of the Watzmann
The family-run Berghotel Rehlegg in Ramsau near Berchtesgaden has joined the BW Premier Collection in November last year after extensive renovations and an expansion of the hotel offers, in order to position itself even more strongly as an exclusive and individual hotel on the market. “In recent years, our family business has developed into an exquisite vacation hotel in a class of its own. The new BW Premier Collection is a perfect fit for us. We have been a partner of Best Western for many years and are happy about the new soft brand offer. Our hotel places the highest value on great individuality. The BW Premier Collection offers us ideal marketing opportunities,” explains Franz Lichtmannegger, Managing Director of the 87-room hotel.
Design hotel for car lovers at Motorworld in Boeblingen
The newly built themed hotel V8 Hotel Motorworld Region Stuttgart in Boeblingen, where everything is about automobile and motorsport, has opened as a new building with 153 rooms at the beginning of 2018 and is the latest addition to the BW Premier Collection. With its concept the privately run hotel is ideally suited for this new collection of exclusive private hotels. The theme hotel for motor enthusiasts offers a total of 153 design and theme rooms, apartments, conference rooms, its own restaurant and a bar. It is the second hotel of the hotelier couple from Stuttgart Karen and Simeon Schad, who already run the existing V8 Hotel Classic in the Boeblinger Motorworld with 34 rooms. As in the V8 Hotel Classic, which opened about seven years ago, everything is about automobiles in the new building. “Our theme hotel V8 Hotel with a unique automobile design concept is ideally suited for the BW Premier Collection. Our new hotel puts an emphasize on great individuality, which is why the BW Premier Collection provides us with the perfect framework and ideal marketing opportunities”, explains Simeon Schad, operator and managing director of the new V8 hotel.
