Best Western adds to Gulf's mid-market offerings

The American hotel chain announced from its headquarters in Istanbul that its Middle East operations will expand with 13 new hotels in the pipeline, including one in Kuwait, two in Qatar and a whopping 10 in Saudi Arabia.

Best Western is currently operating eight hotels in the Middle East and plans to build more in major destinations in the region.

The brand is also adding two Best Western Premier properties to it’s Gulf portfolio – both set to open in KSA in 2016. The other two brands are Best Western Plus and Best Western hotels – in total adding 1800 new rooms in the region.

In a region that is awash with luxurious hotels and plenty of five-star properties with $$$ price tags, the addition of such mid-market brands is welcome, particularly for family travellers.

In addition to the new properties, Best Western has made some strategic changes, moving its HQ in the region to Istanbul, where it has 18 hotels. Additionally, they have hired a new Managing Director and Development Director for the region.

Senior vice president of International Operations Suzi Yoder said: “Hiring a managing director and development director also signifies a new focus from the brand concerning our future footprint in the Middle East. We already have a strong pipeline of exciting projects and we want to continue to expand in the Middle East and have made the necessary investment to do so. We expect to continue to add to the product we have in the Middle East and take advantage of the already rapid development in the tourism taking place in the region.”

Best Western will attend the Arabian Travel Market 2015 (stand HC 6870).