Best Western Adds 2 Boutique Brands, Looks To Convert Warehouses, Lofts, Midscale Hotels

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has rolled out two new brands, Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel, which will be in the upscale segment and upper midscale segment, respectively. 

The company's goal is to entice existing properties into making the switch to one or the other of the brands, which count as boutiques. 

"Both Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel present the opportunity for independent hoteliers or developers with branded hotels to reposition their property in a unique way," Best Western President and CEO David Kong said in a statement.

As of yet there is no timetable for the first of either brand to open. The company announced the debut of its boutique Vib brand back in 2014, but didn’t open a Vib-branded property until 2017, Skift reports.

Potential conversion candidates include warehouses, lofts and midscale hotels, Hotel News Now reports.

One advantage of becoming a boutique hotel is that it will allow properties to charge more than a standard chain, because their unique features mean that boutiques don't compare easily to standard properties with standard price points.

Best Western stresses that both new brands will allow individualized design elements. For instance, Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel will both include local themes in their design schemes, achieved by retrofitting or rebranding existing properties.

Adding localized design elements to hotel properties is thought to be especially important in attracting younger travelers looking for novel experiences. Offering the kind of experiential hospitality that guests want is tricky, but it can work to increase customer loyalty, hotel experts say.

There will, however, be common aspects to the new Best Western brands. The focus of each hotel will be a multifunctional public area with either a café or a bar. Mobile check-in will be a feature at each property, which will also offer branded Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel items available for purchase.

With the launch of Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel, Best Western's portfolio includes 13 brands and about 4,200 properties worldwide. The company launched its SureStay Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection by Best Western in 2016, and now has over 100 of the properties.