Best Western has unveiled what it calls a revolutionary new ‘white label’ franchise model for hotel owners.
Called SureStay, it will operate as a separate entity while being integrated within the company’s infrastructure and distribution channels.
SureStay will comprise three brands – SureStay Hotels for premium economy, SureStay Plus Hotel in the lower midscale category and a midscale soft brand called SureStay Signature Collection.
"In North America, there are currently 17,000 branded hotels, and another 12,000 unbranded, in the economy and midscale segments. The white label approach allows Best Western to tap into this tremendous potential without compromising its brand image," said David Kong, CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
"Currently, many of these hotels have little to no consumer relevance. Their brands have very little potential to drive superior revenue, and the owners are incurring high franchise fees from brands that don’t provide the necessary support, service or value."
All hotels will be marketed exclusively as SureStay properties with no reference to Best Western.
However hotel owners will gain from BW’s preferred OTA commission rates and global distribution, backoffice technology, and consulting services.
Hotels which attain and maintain a TripAdvisor score of 3.5 or higher will qualify for SureStay.
Best Western is offering incentives to the first 100 hotels to join including waived royalty fees for five years.
"With SureStay, we are seeking to create a core group of hotels that will differentiate themselves from others in the market, focusing on delivering high quality and outstanding service," said Kong.
