PHOENIX, Arizona (January 3, 2019) – Best Western® Hotels & Resorts today announced that it has assumed direct responsibility for the Best Western brand in Mexico & Central America and surrounding countries (collectively, “Mexico”). Best Western will now operate on a property direct relationship (“PDR”) with Best Western branded hotels in Mexico, all of which remain independently owned and operated. The transition to direct responsibility of the brand in Mexico will result in focused brand-level efforts and increased synergy and efficiency across Mexico, South America, and Central America.
“Best Western has experienced a period of tremendous evolution and innovation in recent years, and as a result, hotels in PDR territories have benefitted from direct service and support,” said Suzi Yoder, Senior Vice President, International Operations of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We are committed to ensuring that all Best Western branded hotels in Mexico experience a smooth transition. The goal is to have a more cost-efficient and effective organization which unifies and leverages the existing staff in Mexico with the regional and global team to drive superior revenue, service and support for Best Western branded hotels.”
There are currently 70 hotels and resorts operating under the Best Western brand in Mexico, and the newly appointed Managing Director of Best Western Hotels & Resorts – Mexico & Central America, Elizabeth Becerra, has been tasked with ensuring a successful and smooth transition for all properties. A hospitality industry veteran, Becerra moves into the Managing Director role with over a decade of industry experience. Her extensive experience in the region, coupled with her impressive eight-year tenure as general manager of a Best Western Plus property in Colombia, perfectly positions Becerra to lead the transition in Mexico.
“It is a truly exciting time to join the international Best Western Hotels & Resorts team,” commented Elizabeth Becerra, Managing Director of Best Western Hotels & Resorts – Mexico & Central America. “I have been part of the Best Western family for almost a decade and am honored to take the reigns as we transition hotels in Mexico under our global brand umbrella. Mexico has one of the most developed hospitality markets in Latin American and I am confident that our hoteliers and guests will only benefit from the wealth of resources newly available to them as a result of the transition.”
Best Western branded properties in Mexico will now operate in a PDR with Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ South American division, bringing direct support to the 100 Best Western branded properties across Mexico, South America and Central America.
About Best Western® Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of over 4,200 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide*. Best Western offers 13 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best
Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, Sadie HotelSM, Aiden HotelSM, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western, as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western**. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands respectively for two consecutive years, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won 10 consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 60 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in breakfast (food and beverage category) by J.D. Power’s 2018 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first for midscale; and second for upper midscale. Over 37 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
**All Best Western and SureStay branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
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