Bwh Hotels becomes Worldhotels

A new global identity and a single loyalty programme. This is the new challenge facing BWH Hotels, which has announced a comprehensive strategic transformation by 2027, bringing together over 4,000 hotels and 18 brands ‘under a single global master brand, WorldHotels’. The group states that the aim is ‘is to strengthen the positioning of the entire portfolio – which is now diversified and spans all market segments – to offer greater clarity to travellers and owners, and to accelerate growth through a unified platform and advanced digital tools, whilst maintaining an authentic guest experience and showcasing the local expertise of each destination”.

“At this juncture, we are drawing on our history to evolve our vision, using the changes we have introduced to affirm the global reach of a Group with a diverse range of brands and equipped with new tools to win over the travellers of tomorrow,” says Sara Digiesi, CEO of WorldHotels Italy & South-East Europe. “ “For our hoteliers, the benefits are manifold: greater appeal on international markets, a unique loyalty programme and advanced digital tools. What remains is the very reason travellers have chosen our beloved and well-known brands to date; what is changing is the way we introduce them to travellers around the world.” That’s not all. “Best Western continues to maintain the great significance associated with an iconic and highly recognisable brand,” adds Digiesi; “the hotels in the WorldHotels Collection are winning over the mainstream in a context that recognises their exclusive character and allows them to express themselves, involving them more closely in the Group’s growth”. For guests, this offers a range of options and experiences that are “simple and intuitive to explore”.

“We have a hotel for virtually every type of trip, but many travellers are only familiar with part of our portfolio,” says Larry Cuculic, Chairman and CEO of WorldHotels. “WorldHotels offers us a clearer and more immediate way to convey who we are today. By bringing our brands, loyalty programme and digital capabilities together under a single master brand, we make it easier for travellers to understand our identity, whilst enabling our hoteliers to compete more effectively on a global scale and preserving the independence and uniqueness of our 4,000 hotels.”

The WorldHotels masterbrand draws on local expertise: the platform showcases the know-how of thousands of independent hoteliers and their knowledge of the local area. A key element of the transformation is WorldHotels Rewards, the new unified loyalty programme that combines Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards, bringing together a total of around 70 million members.

As part of this transformation, the hotels in the luxury and upper-upscale segments of the portfolio will be brought together under WorldHotels Collection, an exclusive global selection reserved for independent properties that preserve the uniqueness and refined character increasingly sought after by travellers when choosing where to stay. WorldHotels Collection comprises six brands: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive, WorldHotels Crafted, WorldHotels Backdrop™ and WorldHotels Residences