The addition to the site, created by Vicinity Corporation, incorporates several features to help plan a trip across a state or country.  This new enhancement is available for trips in the United States, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and Wales, with plans to add Canada by the end of the year.

To begin, travelers enter a starting point and an ending destination and the site will plot a driving route and display the Best Westerns located along the way.  The site also provides estimated drive times, mileage and an option to select from Best Westerns located 0.5, 1, 3 or 5 miles off the planned route.

�This new mapping feature gives Best Western a competitive advantage and satisfies the traveler�s desire for enhanced mapping capabilities on our site.  It allows online guests to map out their trip and find routes and Best Westerns along the way,� says Judy Sprott, manager of Internet Marketing.  �It�s a powerful tool for professional travel planners, yet very user friendly and easy for first-time visitors to navigate when planning their vacations.�

In addition, the Trip Planner also provides links to each Best Western property along the route providing information on hotel amenities, local attractions, additional maps and weather information.  Links to each individual property also gives travelers the opportunity to book their stay online, immediately.

Best Western International is the world�s largest hotel chain with more than 4,000 hotels in 84 countries and territories.  It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its member hotels.