What is the most impressive achievement for your company this year?

Our acquisition of the WorldHotels Group in February 2019 gave Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWH) the opportunity to enter the upscale and luxury segments, thus expanding our collection to a full range of 16 brands covering every sector of the market, from economy all the way up to luxury.

It is often said that an organisation is only as strong as its people. What investments have your company made in talent development this year?

We pride ourselves on providing world-class service, so our team is a key component of our success. BWH’s most significant investment this year is in Covey, a global leadership training programme that will allow us to instil our team with a consistent set of leadership values and competencies. Another strong element of our HR and training programme is ICARE, which focuses on empowering hotel teams to deliver service excellence.

BWIU is our global online training programme with courses for team members in all departments. Last but not least, we constantly invite our senior leaders from around the globe to our conventions and international meetings each year, a large component of which is education- and training-focused so we can also benefit from outsiders’ input and improve accordingly.

What can your trade partners and customers look forward to in doing business with you in 2020?

We expect to have a much stronger presence in Asia-Pacific following the WorldHotels acquisition, which will translate into a larger team and a new office in Singapore.

Our regional focus remains on brand development, strengthening our position in the midscale segment, providing stronger sales and marketing support to our managed and franchised properties, forging new alliances with global partners and continuing to innovate in order to meet the expectations of today’s customers.

Credits to Olivier Berrivin, Managing director, international operations – Asia, Best Western Hotels & Resorts