Throughout 2018, Best Western Hotels & Resorts expanded its footprint in key Asian markets, including Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. In total, Best Western now operates a portfolio of 56 hotels and resorts with more than 5,000 rooms across Southeast Asia and Japan.
Best Western has 37 hotels in its Asian pipeline, covering seven of the company’s 13 brands, and the regional inventory is set to more than double in the coming years, with more than 6,800 rooms set to open across Asia. .
Ron Pohl, SVP and COO for Best Western Hotels & Resorts, noted, "As a company, we are currently undertaking the most exciting period of expansion in our rich 72-year history, following the launch of a series of ground-breaking brand concepts. These include Vīb, our cutting-edge upper midscale concept, which will make its debut in Asia in January 2019, and our two newest brands, Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel.”
In 2018, the company added to its Indonesian portfolio with the openings of the Best Western Senayan Hotel in Jakarta and Best Western Kindai Hotel in Banjarmasin. In Japan, Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose and Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akihabara both opened this year, catering to the rising number of domestic and international travelers as the country prepares to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Vietnam is another strategic target market for Best Western, where this year the company signed new agreements for Best Western Premier Cam Ranh Seahorse Beach Resort, Best Western Premier Quang Binh, Best Western Premier Sapphire Ha Long and Best Western Plus Ha Long Bay, all of which are scheduled to open in 2020. The portfolio has a combined total of more than 2,200 rooms.
Best Western also continued its expansion in Thailand, signing Best Western Plus Speech Pattaya and The Title V Rawai Phuket, BW Premier Collection by Best Western, both of which are on track to open within the next two years. In the Philippines, Best Western signed its first SureStay hotel, SureStay Plus by Best Western Regency Angeles City Clark, which is scheduled to open in Q2 2019.
As Best Western looks ahead for its plans in Asia, 2019 will include several debuts: Vīb Sanampao in Bangkok, which will be Asia’s first Vīb hotel; the launch of SureStay Plus by Best Western Shin-Osaka, a first for the brand in Japan; the opening of Tawaravadee Resort, BW Signature Collection by Best Western, Asia’s first BW Signature Collection hotel; and the launch of Best Western Plus Osaka Kitahama and Best Western Plus The Beachfront Resort, which will become the first Best Western Plus hotels in Osaka and Phuket, respectively.
Best Western also will return to the Thai resort town of Pattaya in 2019 with the opening of Best Western Premier BayPhere Pattaya. This will complement the debut of BluPhere Pattaya, BW Premier Collection by Best Western in 2020.