Travelers familiar with Best Western will soon notice a new name when booking their next hotel stay.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced on Oct. 27 that it is bringing its more than 4,000 properties across 18 brands under the global umbrella of WorldHotels.
The brand transformation includes a redesigned website, a new mobile app and a unified loyalty program that will connect approximately 70 million existing members.
“Best Western is not getting replaced, and I want to be really clear about that,” Chief Marketing Officer of WorldHotels Joelle Park told USA TODAY. “It remains a core foundational brand.”
The company hopes to introduce travelers to properties they may not realize are part of its portfolio. “Our portfolio has expanded,” Park said.
“But the traveler perception didn’t evolve with it.”
Here’s what travelers should know.
What changes for customers?
The most visible change will be how travelers search for and book hotels.
WorldHotels will serve as the umbrella brand connecting properties across 18 brands, including Best Western, Best Western Plus, Aiden and SureStay. Individual hotel names, signage and branding will remain unchanged.
A new website is launching Oct. 27, followed by a redesigned mobile app in January.
The company is also introducing a digital discovery platform that combines artificial intelligence with recommendations from hotel employees to help travelers find local attractions, restaurants and experiences.
Park said the company spent more than 10,000 hours gathering local insights from hotel teams worldwide, collecting around 21,500 insider tips.
“We had to meet with them and spend some time with them to extract that,” Park said of employees’ local knowledge.
What changes for loyalty members?
Beginning Jan. 5, 2027, Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards will merge into one program under the WorldHotels Rewards name.
- The new program will have three membership tiers, replacing the existing structures. Park emphasized that current members will retain their points and benefits, including points that never expire.
- Members will also be able to earn and redeem points across the entire portfolio, including luxury properties, without blackout dates.
- New milestone rewards will give members 1,000 bonus points after 10 nights and 2,000 points after 20 nights, according to Park, in an effort to continue rewarding members even before they reach a certain tier.
- The company will also continue offering status matching for travelers enrolled in competing hotel loyalty programs.
- Existing co-branded Visa credit cards will also transition to WorldHotels Rewards, with current benefits transferring automatically.
“No existing loyalty members or cardholders have to do a thing. (They) don’t have to lift a finger,” Park said. “We’ll take care of it for them.”
Additional details about membership tiers and benefits will be announced Nov. 16 directly to members first.
How many WorldHotels are in the US? Where are they?
WorldHotels encompasses more than 4,000 properties across over 100 countries. The United States has 2,300 of those.
The portfolio includes roadside Best Western hotels, extended-stay accommodations, boutique properties and upscale hotels under WorldHotels Collection.
Existing Best Western locations will remain part of the network, meaning travelers won't necessarily see their neighborhood hotels change names.
Why should someone try a WorldHotel?
WorldHotels is betting that travelers are looking for authentic experiences rooted in their destinations.
Park said the company is targeting what it calls “emerging explorers,” travelers who are open to trying unfamiliar brands and value local recommendations.
“They want to try the local diner. They want the authentic local experience and recommendations,” Park said.
As an example, Park described a Best Western property in Glen Rose, Texas, where dinosaur fossils, decorations and toys reflect the area’s prehistoric attractions.
Hotel employees are also encouraged to recommend nearby restaurants and lesser-known experiences.
The company hopes that combining those personal touches with a broader loyalty program will encourage travelers to explore properties they might otherwise overlook.
“We didn’t have to manufacture something new to put out there in the world,” Park said. “We just had to package it up and tell the story.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This major hotel brand is getting a new identity. What you should know
