TRENDING
hope to enable their success while challenging them to do their best . The hardships of the past two years reinforced the importance of coming together as a team when times are tough . I believe we will continue to do just that – coming together as a global family of hoteliers and associates , striving each day to reach new levels of success .
H : Consumer demands have seen a major shift during and after the pandemic , with an increasing number of travelers preferring experiential stays and bleisure vacations . How is Best Western adapting to these changing trends ? How else will Best Western respond to evolving needs and what your competitive set is doing differently ? LC : Combining business and leisure travel is something we ’ ve seen in the industry for some time . Some of our brands in the boutique segment such as Aiden and Vīb offer open spaces , modern lobbies , and cocktail bars where our guests choose to work during the day and socialize in the evening . In addition , with approximately 4,500 hotels around the world , several of our properties are in destinations ideal for a blend of leisure and business travel and many of our properties provide business centers , meeting space and enhanced technology to meet business needs . We recognize the importance of social media to ensure travelers know that we have hotels that provide experiential stays . A perfect example is the V8 Hotel in Stuttgart , Germany – the experience is truly unique . Where else can you sleep in a Mercedes or Cadillac ? Of course , we will continue to monitor the evolving needs of our travelers and will continue to do everything we can to meet and exceed those expectations .
H : The pandemic has accelerated the hospitality industry ’ s shift towards technology automation . Will automation completely replace the front desk ? What ’ s the next tech-related move being considered by Best Western and how do you convince owners to make the investment now after such a tough few years ? LC : We have invested heavily in our technology platform , assets , and personnel . We revamped bestwestern . com and the results have been remarkable . Last summer , bestwestern . com set several records of performance exceeding the prior record-setting year of 2019 – we continue to set daily and monthly revenue producing records .
Will automation completely replace the front desk ? Not in the near term .
How will Best Western convince hoteliers to invest in innovation ? Our hoteliers are smart – they invest when there is a need , a business case , and an appropriate return on investment .
We recognize that consumers are relying more and more on the mobile experience , and we are investing heavily in that direction as a result . As we focus on improving the mobile experience , we are developing the ability to accept additional forms of payment besides credit cards . We also want to make our gift cards easier to use so that they can be redeemed online .
H : How strong is the Best Western pipeline today versus two or three years ago ? Which parts of the world is Best Western looking at for expansion opportunities ? Which brands do you expect to have the most growth ? LC : BWH Hotel Group remains focused on growing our presence globally . In recent years , we have had tremendous success in thoughtfully increasing our scale in key locations throughout the world . With the acquisition of WorldHotels in 2019 , we expanded our global reach , while adding brands in the upper upscale and luxury segments . In addition , we have launched new brands that appeal to today ’ s travelers and developers , including four boutique offerings : Vīb , GLō , Sadie and Aiden . I ’ m extremely proud of our diverse and contemporary portfolio with 18 distinctive brands across every chain scale segment – from luxury to economy .
In terms of regional focus , and as the pandemic wanes internationally , North America will remain a strong growth market . Additionally , noting our strong international partners , our development strategy will continue to place an emphasis on key international markets in central Europe and Asia Pacific . Our pipeline is as strong as ever .
H : Are you looking to launch new brands ? LC : We are not looking to launch new brands right now ; however , we are always exploring the right avenues for scalability and development in key markets across the globe .
H : Are you satisfied with the growth of Best Western boutique brands ? What about WorldHotels ? What can be done better across the company to drive unit growth ? LC : We are experiencing tremendous success with our boutique brands , and they will continue to be a big player in our growth plans – hotels with a local flair are in demand from both developers and travelers . We know that our travelers are looking for great experiences with modern
28 hotelsmag . com July / August 2022