Best Western Australia
Best Western Australasia is looking forward to big changes in 2011 – a new descriptor strategy will involve introducing the Best Western Plus and Premier brands into the sector, refreshed websites for Australia and New Zealand will launch with their own booking engines and the brand is planning its expansion throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Kimi Anderson, general manager of sales and marketing for Best Western Australasia said, “The new descriptor strategy will offer guests a way to find the right Best Western hotel across the midmarket for their needs. We have over 200 hotels, motels, resorts and apartments across Australia and New Zealand of varying sizes and styles. We’re going to help guests choose the right hotel for their holiday or business trip, building guest satisfaction and loyalty.
“The descriptor strategy involves introducing Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier properties into our brand that offers guests a more upscale experience of our brand. Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotels will feature modern furnishings and higher quality facilities and amenities. All Best Western properties, regardless of their branding will continue to offer quality accommodation and warm, friendly hospitality,” she continued.
In 2011, Best Western’s growth from a development point of view will see new hotels open in across Australasia with a renewed focus in New Zealand, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland – key tourism areas for both business and leisure travel.
Internationally, Best Western is planning strategic expansion in the Middle East, Asia and Africa – highly attractive markets which promise great return as the new “hot spots” for tourism in 2011.
A unique entity in the franchise world, Best Western operates as a non-profit membership association, with each independent franchisee acting and voting as a member. Best Western Australasia is a unique organisation – a collection of over 200 independent hotels in Australia and New Zealand, working together as part of the World’s Largest Hotel Chain.
The Motel Federation of Australia (trading as Best Western Australasia) has been operating successfully for more than 50 years and was the first accommodation organisation to promote minimum guest standards and services to improve the then struggling industry. In 1975, they joined forces with Best Western in the United States, to create Best Western International. Since then, the group has grown to more than 4000 properties in over 80 countries and is one of the most recognised hotel brands in the world.
Member hoteliers are proud to be part of the Best Western family, in which they receive greater brand recognition, industry-leading training, a loyal customer base and a range of benefits that comes with being a part of the world’s largest and most recognised hotel chains. Every Best Western property, however, remains individually owned and operated, giving property owners the freedom to retain their property’s own individual charm and character. Some are regional or highway motor inns, others are 200-room CBD hotels – yet they all share some key Best Western qualities – the promise of warm and friendly service, international quality standards and competitive rates.
Best Western Australasia is an organisation owned by its members. Operating as a co-operative, collected revenue is spent on developing and enhancing the Best Western brand, promoting individualproperties and providing valuable services to members – not on generating a profit for external shareholders. The goal of the organisation is to create business for its members.
This unique business model sets Best Western apart from other brands, as they provide business services and a level of care other hotel groups cannot match.
By coming together under the Best Western brand, these independent properties retain their unique personality and charm, while benefiting from a range of products and services not readily available to independent properties such as global brand recognition, national and international sales and marketing, an online presence, worldwide reservations centres, loyalty programs, operational support, group purchasing solutions and the advice, support and referrals provided by fellow members.
One of the reasons for Best Western’s ongoing success is the global Quality Assurance program, unrivalled amongst competitor brands. The QA program ensures guests know what they can expect from every Best Western they visit, anywhere in the world, in relation to quality and amenities. At least once a year, each and every Best Western undergoes a rigorous quality evaluation test to ensure Best Western’s stringent quality assurance standards are upheld. All properties are also required to offer BestRequests – standard features such as non-smoking rooms available and breakfast (high speed Internet in all guest rooms, bottled water available and complimentary toiletries available.)
Best Western also offers a revenue management service for member properties, helping owners monitor and adjust rates, inventory, restrictions, as well as forecasting occupancy, researching competitors, and formulating a plan to yield the most revenue each day.
Keith Meyers, senior revenue manager for Best Western Australasia said his advice to accommodation owners would be simple: look at ways to increase revenue per available room or RevPAR. “This is achieved by a range of strategies, including historical analysis, competitor analysis and forecasting demand with the aim to increase the properties fair share of revenue from its market” he said.
While the revenue management team at Best Western help increase profits, the sales team ensures high occupancy. Kimi Anderson said, “Best Western members benefit from retaining their independence while receiving the benefits of a global brand. Being the World’s Largest Hotel Chain, Best Western has a strong presence around the world and an extensive network of relationships with leisure and corporate travel providers. These affiliations increase Best Western’s penetration in the corporate travel market and provide greater access to the decision makers in large corporate accounts. We also have a team of sales professionals based in Australia and New Zealand. Together, this team works to solicit new business for our members, helps them develop and implement effective sales plans, and works to represent Best Western hotels and increase our exposure to key markets.”
Other ways in which members benefit include a dedicated sales and marketing team, who work to continuously increase market exposure for Best Western properties. Working from a cohesive marketing plan, the team maximises revenue delivery and new customer leads for both corporate and leisure accounts. The marketing plan includes partnerships and promotions, print advertising and brochures, a guest loyalty program, a quarterly in-room magazine, public relations support and copywriting services.
With the increasing importance of the web in delivering hotel business, Best Western gives member properties extensive online presence by way of placement on Best Western websites and top positioning on Internet search engines such as Google. Best Western International spends $12 million on Internet marketing and search engine optimisation, while Best Western Australasia purchases 60,000 local search terms every month to ensure Best Western properties are ranked high on Internet search engines.
Best Western also offers member properties a microsite optimisation service, creates regular viral campaigns, online advertising and partnerships with companies including Travelocity, Zuji, Virgin Blue Holidays and roamfree.com.
To ensure members are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in hotel management, revenue management, sales and marketing and travel trends, Best Western Australasia offers a range of first-rate industry training programs provided free to members. These courses and programs provide members and their staff with applied knowledge, valuable skills and opportunities to network with fellow Best Western members and head office staff.
Kimi Anderson finished, “The changes we are making to the brand this year will strengthen the brand domestically and internationally. It’s an exciting time for us”.
Best Western Portobello Resort Apartments
The Best Western Portobello Resort Apartments are located in the heart of the Gold Coast – a central location that is perfect for families and corporate travellers. Close to the beaches, shops, restaurants and bars of Broadbeach, guests enjoy convenient access to the Pacific Fair shopping centre, Jupiter’s Casino, and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Best Western Portobello Resort Apartments offers well-appointed and spacious accommodation. The one and two bedroom fully self-contained apartments boast private balconies, cable TV, wireless Internet access and a fully equipped kitchen and laundry, making it a cost effective option for families and larger groups. The two-bedroom apartments are all split level penthouses, located on the top floor, featuring a private rooftop courtyard and spa bath.
The apartment complex also features an outdoor heated pool, spa, BBQ entertainment area, games room and secure undercover parking.
Gerard Wilkinson from the Best Western Portobello Resort Apartments said, “We chose Best Western to improve our exposure to the market and to be a part of the world’s largest hotel chain. Being owner-operated, advertising is a hit and miss affair so in joining Best Western we wanted to align ourselves with a marketing and advertising machine that takes the hard work out of getting it right.”
Best Western’s unique and unrivalled Quality Assurance program ensures that each hotel and motel upholds the stringent quality standards that are expected of each member property, another reason that attracted Mr Wilkinson to the organisation.
He continued, “We also considered the quality assurance program implemented by Best Western would provide us with guidelines to work with our owners and bring each apartment up to the required level. Lastly, being a Best Western member would also attract more apartments in our building back into the holiday rental pool because of the brand and the increased income for each owner.”
Are you interested in lifting your industry profile?
Email [email protected] or call (07) 5440 5322
AccomNews is not affiliated with any government agency, body or political party. We are an independently owned, family-operated magazine.
