Best Western International plans rapid expansion in the Middle East with 13 new hotels in the pipeline, including one in Kuwait, two in Qatar and 10 in Saudi Arabia.
The brand currently has eight hotels operating in the Middle East, and is adding new projects in key destinations including Kuwait City, Doha, Riyadh, Dammam and Makkah. Two new Best Western Premier properties in Al Ahsa and Ar Rass, both in Saudi Arabia are due to open in 2016. In total, Best Western will add nearly 1,800 new rooms to the Middle East. And Baran Turkel, managing director of Best Western’s Turkey, Middle East and Central Asia, will be at the helm of this ambitious project. To support this growth, Best Western expanded its regional operations offices in Turkey earlier this year. Under the company’s new operational and development support strategy, Best Western’s expanding collection of hotels in the Middle East will now be overseen by the company’s regional office in Turkey as opposed to Bangkok.Airline partnershipsBest Western International and Aeroflot recently announced a partnership within their customer loyalty programmes. Now Aeroflot Bonus Program members can get 500 miles for each stay at Best Western hotels worldwide. The Aeroflot programme is the largest frequent flyer programme in Russia and CIS countries with over 4.5 million members. Aeroflot is Russia’s flagship carrier and one of the largest airline groups in Europe. In 2014 Aeroflot carried 23.6 million passengers (34.7 million passengers as Aeroflot Group including subsidiaries) a record for any Russian airline.Best Western also launched a new loyalty partnership with South African Airways (SAA). Best Western Rewards members can now choose to earn 500 SAA Voyager Miles per stay at any Best Western-branded hotel, worldwide, as the newest SAA programme partner.
New conceptsThe hotel group launched two major new hotel development offerings in March this year – a stylish new hotel concept and a soft brand – both designed to meet growing demand for new hotel offerings in urban and primary markets. The announcement, made during the 2015 International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, came as Best Western continues to see historic growth in the brand’s North American and global development pipeline. Best Western’s newest hotel offering, V¯ib (pronounced Vibe), is a stylish and technology-centric hotel concept created to meet the needs of today’s connected traveller. V¯ib, which is short for 'Vibrant,' is a hotel prototype designed for urban markets. V¯ib’s high-density concept will be cost-effective to build and operate, making it an attractive option for owners and developers. Best Western’s first soft brand offering, the BW Premier Collection, will consist of carefully selected high-quality hotels in primary markets. All of the soft brand properties will be required to maintain a TripAdvisor rating of four or above and AAA/CAA rating of three Diamonds or above. Both V¯ib and the BW Premier Collection will be global offerings. Best Western already has nearly 400 properties in the brand’s global development pipeline, with areas of focus being Central and South America, Asia, and the Middle East. Best Western will be at stand number HC6870.
***************************************************************************************************************************Yangon gets a new propertyThe new Best Western Chinatown Hotel is located in the heart of this bustling downtown district, close to many of Yangon’s most sought-after attractions.
Combining the distinctive cultural charms of the area with Best Western’s standards of comfort, connectivity and service, Best Western Chinatown Hotel is sure to become a popular choice for the rising number of international travellers to this city.
The hotel offers 91 deluxe rooms, all featuring such amenities as flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, mini-bars, tea and coffee making facilities and bathrooms with showers and bathtubs and free wi-fi.
Best Western Chinatown Hotel also provides an array of guest facilities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, fitness centre and business centre, plus three function rooms able to host both small and large meeting events.
“Myanmar is one the world’s most exciting emerging destinations and we are delighted to launch the Best Western Chinatown Hotel,” says Ron Pohl, Best Western International’s senior vice-president of Brand Management and Member Services.
“International visitor arrivals to the country are increasing exponentially, and as Myanmar’s largest city and economic hub, Yangon is at the very heart of this growth.”
Best Western became one of the first international hotel groups to re-enter Myanmar after it opened up to international community when it launched the Best Western Green Hill Hotel in Yangon in late 2013.
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Hotel projects10 Saudi Arabia
2 Kuwait
1 Qatar
1,800 rooms to open***************************************************************************************************************************