Best Western reflects on a decade of Asian success

BANGKOK - Best Western International (BWI) – the World’s Largest Hotel Chain – has celebrated more than a decade in Asia Pacific with a glittering event in Bangkok.

Taking place on March 28, 2013, the ‘Oriental Reflections: Passage to the Next Decade’ celebration has gathered Best Western’s management, staff, hotel owners, travel industry partners and members of the media for an evening of glitz and glamor, complete with entertainment from opera singing sensation, VIVA!

The evening event was held at Zense restaurant – the 17th floor gourmet deck and lounge which sits at the top of Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping mall and overlooks the city.

“The last 10 years has been an extraordinary period of growth for Best Western International,” commented Glenn de Souza, Best Western’s Vice President of International Operations – Asia & Middle East.

“When we opened our Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok in 2001, we had just a small handful of hotels. Now, 10 years later, we have more than 200 properties either operational or in the pipeline, from Bangkok to Beijing, Bali to Bahrain.

“We have forged some wonderful, deep-rooted partnership and relationships in the region, and this event is our chance to say “thank you”. We could not have achieved our Asian success without all of our partners, and look forward to developing these relationships further in the next ten years,” Mr. de Souza added.

Looking forward to the next decade, Best Western International is targeting an enormous increase in its regional portfolio, taking its portfolio to 350 hotels in Asia and the Middle East. In the next few years, the company plans to add at least 15 new hotels in Indonesia and 10 in Saudi Arabia, while doubling its portfolio in Malaysia and the Philippines, opening its first hotels in Nepal, Iraq, and Sri Lanka, and becoming the largest international hotel operator in Bangladesh.

Mr. de Souza also recently outlined plans to enter Myanmar, which would mean Best Western International is present in nine out of the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Commenting on the company’s progress, Mr. Khachorndej Harnsakda, General Manager of the BEST WESTERN Mayfair Suites in Bangkok, said he and his crews were proud to be part of such a successful brand.

“Comparing to our competitors around the area, we received higher occupancy through the years and a greater market share from Europe. This all comes down to the good name of the brand and the global distribution channels that the company offers,” Mr. Khachorndej said.

This optimism is also being felt in Indonesia, where Best Western will more than quadruple its hotel collection over the next few years. Mr. Iwanto Hartojo, Best Western’s Area Developer for Indonesia, said there was a feeling of optimism both within the country and from Best Western’s partners and investors.

“We are very confident in the Best Western brand. In the past, when the brand first came to Indonesia, it was quite difficult since we had to introduce people to our products. Nowadays, investors walk in with interest about our brand, because people know what to expect. We foresee great expansion in Indonesia this year and we will keep on growing,” Mr. Iwanto said.

Such confidence is apparent across the region, and Best Western International looks set for a glittering future in Asia Pacific.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews