BEST Western International has announced the launch of two hotel brands – a boutique hotel concept and a soft brand – to meet growing demand for new hospitality offerings in urban and primary markets.
Vib (pronounced Vibe), which is short for vibrant, is a stylish and technology-centric hotel concept created to meet the needs of today’s connected traveller. A hotel prototype designed for urban markets, Vib’s high-density concept will be cost-effective to build and operate, making it an attractive option for owners and developers.
The boutique Vib concept features modern design with a focus on convenience, technology and social engagement. Vib hotels will have large, interactive lobbies that incorporate the local flavour of their individual markets, as well as comfortable and chic guest rooms. Guests will find ample USB and power ports for electronics, a media wall with custom content in the lobby, smart TVs in the rooms to stream on-demand content and LED mood lighting throughout the hotel.
The BW Premier Collection – Best Western’s first soft brand offering – will consist of carefully selected high-quality hotels in primary markets. All the soft-brand properties will be required to maintain a TripAdvisor rating of four or above and AAA/CAA rating of three Diamond or above.
Hotels within the BW Premier Collection will not be part of the official Best Western membership but they will be listed and booked on the Best Western website. Guests will be able to earn and redeem Best Western Rewards points at all BW Premier Collection hotels. BW Premier Collection hotels will also have the option of purchasing additional Best Western brand services such as design and sales support.
“We recognise that travellers’ preferences are evolving and it’s our job to keep up. The launch of Vib and the BW Premier Collection represents a major move by our brand to meet the growing and shifting needs of our customers and travellers in general,” said David Kong, Best Western president and CEO.
Both Vib and the BW Premier Collection will be global offerings, targeted at urban and destination markets around the world.
