“Our new brands, more specifically SureStay, are fitting into both the economy and midscale segments very well; that’s clearly where the volume of business is and where we made our reputation as an international hotel operator.”
– Olivier Berrivin, managing director, international operations – Asia Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
Olivier Berrivin, managing director, international operations – Asia Best Western Hotels & Resorts, talks about the strong growth of the brand. Across Asia, Best Western opened nine new hotels last year in Myanmar, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, including two brands new to the region - BW Premier Collection and SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western. The company also signed another eight in Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
What are Best Western’s development priorities in terms of: a) brands b) locations in Asia?
Our three core brands (midscale Best Western, upper-midscale Best Western Plus and upscale Best Western Premier) are still the most requested brands, thanks to our established reputation for delivering one of the best midscale concepts in the industry.
Today, we offer 11 brands and our development focus is on selling our recently-launched soft brands (SureStay and BW Premier Collection). These concepts will allow us to increase our regional footprint and stay ahead of the competition by offering products that give flexibility to owners when it comes to partnering with an international brand.
In terms of locations, Thailand remains a clear priority. Our regional office is based here, so featuring all of our brands in the same market is key. Vietnam and Japan also have strong potential, especially following the development progress we made in these two countries in 2017.
The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are also clearly on our roadmap; there are many secondary locations (including Palawan, Bohol etc.) that are showing real potential.
What is your current portfolio mix and how do you see that changing in the next few years?
Our core brand, Best Western, is still the most widely represented (60%) in the region as it fits a very specific business model. This is followed by Best Western Plus in the midscale segment, and finally our upscale brand Best Western Premier.
Together with Vīb and SureStay, these are generating strong interest from developers and owners. Our short- and mid-term objectives are focused on the development of SureStay as we see opportunities to sign conversions and attract standalone independent properties.
Owners increasingly understand the need to join a recognised brand to maximise sales and marketing support and training, while retaining control over day-to-day operations.
What are some emerging opportunities that are shaping your hospitality management/operating strategy?
More than ever, owners are focused on bottomline and want solutions that will reduce their dependencies on OTAs while leveraging brand support and increasing brand contribution.
Our new brands, more specifically SureStay, fit into both the economy and midscale segments very well; that’s clearly where the volume of business is and where we made our reputation.
Competition is growing stronger and our experience in these two segments allows us to show prospective clients positive figures from our managed properties in the region.