26 TTG TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 SPECIAL EDITION
Hotel Chain
Awards
Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where
change can take place.
– Henri J M Nouwen
Best Global Hotel Chain AccorHotels
What does this award mean to you?
We are absolutely thrilled to win the award for
Best Global Hotel Chain at a time when
AccorHotels is undergoing a major trans-
formation to become a leading augmented
hospitality player and provide our guests
with so much more than a hotel experience.
AccorHotels has never been in a stronger posi-
tion than it is today and we are delighted the
industry has bestowed this prestigious award
on us.
How will you continue to outshine your competi-
tors in the marketplace next year and beyond?
Patrick Basset
COO, Upper South-east & North-east Asia & the Maldives,
AccorHotels
AccorHotels today is all about innovation,
transformation, agility and the pursuit of
excellence. We have reinvented our busi-
ness model, increased our presence in luxury
and upscale accommodation, entered new travel
verticals and enhanced our digital tools. We will
continually strive to surpass the expectations of
our guests and our partners every day by evolving
our business to meet their changing demands.
What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category?
We would like to sincerely thank all the travel
agents, TTG readers and industry partners who
voted for us. We are always humbled to be recog-
nised by our peers and honoured to be amongst
the other winners who have been acknowledged
this year. This is a success that must be shared with
every member of our hard-working team who go
out of their way each day to make our guests feel
welcome. – Michael Issenberg, chairman and
CEO, AccorHotels Asia-Pacific
Best Mid-Range Hotel Brand Best Western International
What does this award mean to you?
We are thrilled to win this award once again. We
have expanded our brand portfolio considerably
in recent years but we remain extremely proud of
our midscale roots. It is extremely gratifying to
know our travel trade partners still identify us as
the industry’s leading midscale hotel brand. It is
a great testament to the hard work of our entire
team. I would also like to share this award with
our owners, who create such superb properties.
How will you continue to outshine your competitors
in the marketplace next year and beyond?
Olivier Berrivin
Managing director of international operations, Asia,
Best Western International
Best Western is currently undergoing one of the
most exciting periods in the company’s 72-year
history. Already in Asia we operate five of our
brands, with two more – Vib and BW Signature
Collection by Best Western – due to launch by
the end of 2018. Our future development will
focus on high quality properties in key markets
including Thailand and Vietnam.
What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category?
Quite simply, thank you and keep up the good
work! Best Western has always appreciated the
travel trade. Our travel agency partners are the
best ambassadors a company could wish to have;
they understand our products, appreciate our
brands and promote us effectively to their clients.
We are delighted with their support.
Best Western has strong relationships with
travel agencies and understands the importance
of the B2B channel; we respect the work travel
agencies do and will continue to support them
in future.
Best Hotel Representation Company Preferred Hotels & Resorts
What does this award mean to you?
David Spooner
Executive vice president for Asia-Pacific,
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised
for the sixth time. We would like to share this
honour with all our associates in the 10 sales
offices across Asia-Pacific, as well as all of our
terrific hotel partners who have been with us
all these years and share our passion for the
independent hospitality experience. Thank you
also to TTG for this distinguished award as well
as your continual support. of growth for our company as we add more
members to our over 700 unique properties
worldwide. We will carry on championing the
independent hospitality experience and showcas-
ing #thePreferredlife as we improve engagement
with our valued hotel partners and customers
through I Prefer, our guest loyalty programme.
In addition, we are excited to launch our cutting
edge new Global Brand website and building on
the Preferred Residences collection.
How will you continue to outshine your competitors
in the marketplace next year and beyond? What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category?
2018 has been a milestone year for Preferred
Hotels & Resorts as we celebrate our 50th an-
niversary with hotel members, business partners
and our 300-plus associates located in 35 cities
around the world. As we look ahead into 2019,
Asia-Pacific will continue to be a major market We truly value our agency partners and deeply
appreciate their endorsement and support in
voting for us to win this wonderful award. As we
continue to evolve with the times, we look for-
ward to continue working hand in hand with our
travel partners for the next 50 years and beyond!