|
Best
Western International, Inc. is the world's largest hotel brand
with more than 4,100 independently owned and operated hotels
in 80 countries and territories throughout North America, South
America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the South
Pacific. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Best Western offers a solid
commitment of quality, service and value to its customers.
Best
Western was founded in 1946 by M.K. Guertin, a California-based
hotelier with 23 years of experience in the lodging industry.
It didn’t take long for the name Best Western to become
synonymous with excellent services, and the chain expanded fast.
By the end of 1963 there were 699 member hotels and 35,201 rooms,
making it the largest chain in the industry based on distribution
and number of locations. By 1976, Best Western had made its
presence felt even overseas with hotels in Canada, Mexico, Australia
and New Zealand. Expansion continued at a fast pace with more
hotels opening both in the U.S. and overseas. In just one year
in 2003, Best Western added 137 new hotels in North America
and 147 internationally.
Best
Western International is the most unique brand in the industry.
No other brand has hotels that were formerly castles built by
Napoleon or hotels that comprise part of a drive-in movie theater.
It is also one of the first lodging brands to provide booking
capabilities to Internet users around the world, having added
this service on Dec. 19, 1995.
|
