PHOENIX (January 22, 2013) – Best Western International expects to strengthen its North American development pipeline in 2013 with 110 to 120 properties either constructed or converted, with more than 80 percent of these hotels expected to be a BEST WESTERN PREMIER or BEST WESTERN PLUS.

More than 40 percent of Best Western’s 2013 development pipeline will be new construction projects, up from 35 percent in 2012 and will add more than 10,800 guestrooms to the Best Western system. In addition, Best Western hoteliers in North America are expected to invest approximately $70 million in property upgrades this year.

Ten to 15 of these projects will include the hotel brand’s new extended-stay prototype, which is being introduced in response to growing interest from existing Best Western owners and developer interest. These new accommodations will offer flexible guestrooms designed for longer stays, making up 20 to 100 percent of each property’s room mix.

“A resurgence in confidence from developers coupled with strong demand for rooms in gateway cities and an elevated interest in developing within the midscale market will translate to a successful year for the Best Western brand,” said Mark Williams, vice president of North American development for Best Western International. “Our priority is to develop compelling hotels across all three Best Western descriptors that deliver strong revenue for hoteliers by attracting a strong mix of business and leisure travelers.”

Best Western is currently developing new hotels in cities across North America including Oakland, Calif., Houston and Cincinnati, as well as oil-rich markets in Texas and Alberta, Canada. The hotel brand plans to introduce in early 2013 its first PREMIER hotel in Manhattan, the BEST WESTERN PREMIER New York City Herald Square.

The World’s Largest Hotel Chain also plans to unveil several properties in the Caribbean this year, including the BEST WESTERN PLUS Condado Palm Inn & Suites in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a vibrant 151-room hotel complete with a restaurant, nightlife offerings, outdoor pool and free breakfast, and its first hotel in Haiti, the BEST WESTERN PREMIER Petion-Ville,. Overlooking Port-au-Prince, the 106-room luxury hotel will offer fine dining, a full-service spa, pool and meeting and event space. Additionally, in 2014 a BEST WESTERN PREMIER property will open in Gazcue, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

To preview other Best Western development plans, please visit bestwesterndevelopers.com , or to research existing properties in the system please visit bestwestern.com.

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 67 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 15 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 hotel worldwide. The brand’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. In 2012, Best Western won a record number of awards, including AAA’s Hotel Partner of the Year, CAA’s Partner of the Year and Compuware’s Best of the Web Gold awards.

For more information or to make a reservation, please www.bestwestern.com.

*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.