Best Western Hotels & Resorts is celebrating two decades of professional excellence in Asia, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of its first regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, when it was an emerging travel destination.
This historic US-based hotel group anticipated the onset of the “Asian Century” as it embarked on an international strategy to serve the region’s most important and attractive markets. In 2001, the first Best Western Hotels & Resorts Asia office was established at All Seasons Place in the heart of Bangkok, overseeing an initial portfolio of six hotels in four countries: Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
In 20 successful years since this major milestone, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ expanded Bangkok office – which relocated to the prestigious Gaysorn Place in 2007 – now supports a regional portfolio of world-class hotels and resorts in eight countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, with additional hotels in the pipeline, covering a wide range of exciting urban centers, up-and-coming cities and idyllic leisure destinations.
This growth has been achieved through a strategic vision that has enabled Best Western Hotels & Resorts to evolve from a famous single-branded hotel company into a modern, multi-faceted hospitality group with a comprehensive collection of 18 industry-leading brands that cater to every sector of the market, from economy to luxury. This was completed in 2019 with the landmark acquisition of WorldHotels, a distinguished collection of the finest upscale, upper upscale and luxury independent hotels and resorts around the globe.
Eight of Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ innovative and intuitive brand concepts are now available in Southeast Asia and Japan – Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, BW Signature Collection® by Best Western, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, SureStay® Hotels by Best Western, and SureStay® Plus Hotels by Best Western – with more on track to arrive in the coming years.
Looking ahead, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ expansion will continue to focus on Asia’s most exciting established and emerging destinations. These include Vietnam, which is expected to become the group’s biggest market in the region within three years, in terms of room count. Key openings will include the 1,008-key Best Western Premier Sapphire Halong, which will become the biggest hotel in the group’s Asian portfolio.
“We are delighted to celebrate our 20th anniversary in Asia. In the last two decades, we have won many loyal customers and forged lasting relationships with our esteemed partners in the region. We remain completely confident in the underlying strength of the travel and hospitality industries in Asia, and we look forward to creating even more outstanding guest experiences all across the region in future,” said Olivier Berrivin, Managing Director of International Operations – Asia, BWH Hotel Group.
