Best Western’s New Suburban Boutique Brand Will Change the Competitive Landscape in the Midscale Segment
Honolulu (PRWEB) September 30, 2015 -- Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced at its annual convention the launch of its seventh brand GLō. GLō is a broad-midscale new construction brand that offers a hip, boutique-style experience for savvy travelers who expect the best in value, design and comfort.
The boutique hotel segment is hot and here to stay. The opportunity? Boutique brands currently are all designed for the luxury, upper-upscale and upscale segments; Best Western Vīb® being one of only two brands in the upper-midscale segment.
“We looked at the segmentation of boutique hotels and realized GLō would fill a void because of the lack of a boutique product in the broad midscale segment,” said David Kong, president and CEO Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Developers are expressing interest in a boutique brand for secondary markets with a high density population. With the demand to build a hotel product that is fresh, chic and contemporary, we see tremendous opportunity for GLō to change the development landscape in the midscale segment.”
To view multi-media assets associated with this release, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzf_eRs6StA
As the name implies, the brand glows in many ways. GLō’s architecture and design have elements that speak to the name with the use of signature LED elements. LED lighting is articulated on the side of the building and in the glowing blue scarf, providing an unmistakable beacon at night, while the “Lite Brite” wall greets guest outside and extends inside behind the glowing welcome desk. During the day, the alternating blue and gold window panes bring the building to life.
With an innovative design strategy, GLō had been engineered to be cost effective to build. For example, the floor plan is designed so that the adjacent guest room baths are center-loaded, saving about 40-50 square feet in construction costs.
Form and function are carried throughout the design in the thoughtful approach to signature furniture elements and durable but stylish finishes in the guest rooms and lobby. Furniture pieces maximize space and are multi-functional. Finishes add to the warmth of GLō’s chic and contemporary design and create an ambience that is both energetic and comfortable for guests to relax and hang out.
“With the demand we are seeing for this broad-midscale boutique brand, coupled with the lower barrier to entry costs of secondary and suburban markets, we expect GLō development to ramp up very quickly,” added Ron Pohl, senior vice president brand management.
Designed as a four-story, 70 room new construction hotel, GLō is forecast to cost $65,000 per key and depending on the market, generate a healthy average daily rate of approximately $90 in the U.S.
GLō is the latest addition to Best Western Hotels & Resorts growing family of brands. Each brand is positioned to serve the varying needs of today’s business and leisure travelers. The family of brands is comprised of Best Western Premier®, BW Premier Collection®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Plus Executive Residency®, Vīb, GLō and Best Western®.
For more information on development opportunities with Best Western Hotels & Resorts visit bestwesterndevelopers.com.
About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of more than 4,100* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS®, BEST WESTERN PREMIER®, BEST WESTERN PLUS EXECUTIVE RESIDENCY®, Vīb®, BW Premier Collection® and GLō. Now celebrating 69 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 25 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, Minor League Baseball, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western continues to set industry records and accolades, including Business Travel News naming BEST WESTERN and BEST WESTERN PLUS as the best mid-price and upper mid-price hotel chains, four consecutive Compuware Best of the Web gold awards for best hotel website and six consecutive AAA/CAA Hotel Partner of the Year awards. More than half of all Best Western branded hotels have earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award.
*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.
Laura Cherry, Best Western International, Inc., +1 (602) 957-5668, [email protected]
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