Brand relationships
Best Western
Best Western’s house now sits under WorldHotels, the masterbrand announced in October 2026. It runs from WorldHotels Collection and Aiden down to SureStay, with Best Western, Best Western Plus, and Best Western Premier in the middle. A sale means a change-of-ownership process with the brand and, often, a PIP.
Founded
1946, by M.K. GuertinHeadquarters
Phoenix, ArizonaWorldHotels masterbrand
October 2026A referral network run over the front-desk phone.
M.K. Guertin, a hotelier with 23 years in the business, founded Best Western Motels in 1946. It started as an informal link between properties. One front desk called the next to recommend a place to stay down the road.
In 1966 the Best Western and Best Eastern members came together under the Best Western name, and the headquarters moved from Long Beach, California, to Phoenix. The company bought WorldHotels in 2019 to reach upscale and luxury, built out SureStay at the value end, and operated as BWH Hotels.
On October 27, 2026, the company announced WorldHotels as its global masterbrand: 18 brands under one name, with Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards combining into WorldHotels Rewards on January 5, 2027. Hotel signs and flags stay the same. For owners and buyers, the flag on the building still sets the standards and the PIP.
What guests and buyers already associate with Best Western
A network of independent owners
Best Western grew up as owners recommending owners. Many hotels still read that way: owner-run and local, under a flag travelers trust. That shapes the brand conversation when one changes hands.
A new masterbrand, not new signs
The WorldHotels change touches the parent name and the loyalty program. It does not change the flag on the building. For a buyer, that flag and the PIP behind it are still what get underwritten.
Collections at the top
WorldHotels Collection now groups the upscale and luxury independents into six categories, from Luxury to Crafted, plus Backdrop and Residences. Owners keep their identity and pick up global distribution.
Best Western’s brands, by segment
This is the Best Western and WorldHotels brand house, read top to bottom in the groups WorldHotels published in October 2026: luxury and lifestyle, upscale, everyday travel, value, and longer stays. Each card notes who the brand is built for and how the hotel runs.
Luxury & lifestyle
WorldHotels Collection and its six categories, plus Aiden. Independents that keep their name.
WorldHotels Collection
Umbrella for the portfolio’s upscale and luxury independents
CollectionWorldHotels Luxury
Luxury independent hotels
Luxury collectionWorldHotels Elite
Upper-tier independent hotels
Upscale collectionWorldHotels Distinctive
Upscale independents with their own character
Upscale collectionWorldHotels Crafted
Smaller boutique independents
Boutique collectionWorldHotels Backdrop
Hotels where the natural setting is the draw
Resort collectionWorldHotels Residences
Branded residences with hotel services
Branded residences
Aiden
Boutique hotels with a local point of view
BoutiqueUpscale
The top of the Best Western name.
Best Western Premier
Upscale hotels at the top of the Best Western name
Full / select service
BW Premier Collection
Upscale independents under the BW name
Soft brandEveryday travel
The core of the system. The Best Western flags most travelers know.
Best Western Plus
Upper midscale with more amenities
Select service
BW Signature Collection
Upper-midscale independents that keep their name
Soft brand
GLō
New-build boutique select service
Select service
Vīb
Urban boutique hotels with a social lobby
Boutique
Best Western
The original midscale flag
Limited serviceValue
SureStay, the portfolio’s economy and conversion brands.
SureStay Hotels
Economy conversion brand
Limited service
SureStay Collection
Independent hotels at the value end
Soft brand
SureStay Plus
Former SureStay tier. No longer offered to franchisees.
No longer in operationLonger stays
Extended stay, from suites inside Best Western hotels to dedicated long-stay brands.
Executive Residency by Best Western
Extended-stay suites inside Best Western hotels
Extended stay@HOME by Best Western
Extended-stay brand launched in 2022
Extended stay
SureStay Studio
Premium-economy extended stay
Economy extended stayA Best Western flag is part of the deal. We know who to call.
Selling or buying a Best Western-flagged hotel means a conversation with the brand: change of ownership, the franchise application, and often a PIP. The Kohler Team and Hospitality Sales Group help owners and buyers get through those steps, without sending you off to find a brand representative on your own.