Best Western’s Parent Changes Its Name Again: From BWH to WorldHotels

Photo Credit: Image of the logos in the brand family of WorldHotels, which includes Best Western hotels. WorldHotels BWH Hotels, the parent of Best Western, is renaming itself WorldHotels after one of the smallest brands in its portfolio. The company told hotel owners about the change Tuesday at its annual convention in Phoenix. Its 18 brands keep their names, so a Best Western stays a Best Western. The change applies mainly to the parent company, though the group's two loyalty programs, Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards, will merge under the WorldHotels name on January 5. "We've evolved faster than public awareness," CEO Larry Cuculic said in an interview. The group has gone from one brand in 2010 to 18 spanning luxury, boutique, upscale, extended-stay, and economy. "Travelers only know us as a portion of our portfolio." That matters most to the people who own the company. BWH has been a one-hotel, one-vote cooperative, and three-quarters of its hotels carry the Best Western name in some way. Members didn't get a vote on the change. Members have