Quality Trumps Quantity

David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts tells Vinita Bhatia that when you have quality, you have a solid foundation. That explains why the brand has stuck to 4,100 hotels since a decade; it is a demonstration of their commitment to quality.

- Vinita Bhatia

There are two things that David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts does not shy away from. The first is speaking his mind. The second is dealing with challenges with simplicity. His philosophy is, if you can’t beat them, join them.

At a time when most hospitality chains are wondering how to deal with the onslaught of online travel agencies (OTAs), Kong’s was the first US brand to feature Trip Advisor’s user reviews on their company website. With this one sweeping move, he reassured customers that they can go through user-generated feedback on Best Western’s site before choosing to book a room, whilst giving them the flexibility to directly book rooms from the OTA’s page instantly, showing that his brand is happy to be transparent.

These are few ways in which Kong is making the 70-year old brand relevant in a digitally empowered world. And it looks like he is succeeding.

Which are the brands in your portfolio currently?

We have Best Western, our flagship brand, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier. Three years ago, we launched four other brands. Vib is an urban location boutique hotel brand aimed at tech-savvy, contemporary travellers. We also have Glo for the secondary market. Executive Residency is a extended stay product for business and leisure travellers.

We launched BW Premier Collection recently because some guests want to enjoy a lot of respective brand standards with the freedom of flexibility and have advantageous business terms with online travel agent (OTAs). Today, we have about 20 BW Premier Collection in North America alone and 20 worldwide.

Given this diverse portfolio, why did you choose to launch only the Best Western brand in India?