BWH Hotels officially adopts the name WorldHotels, effective 27 October 2026.
The decision concerns the corporate identity of the organisation encompassing the Best Western Hotels & Resorts, WorldHotels and SureStay Hotels brand portfolios.
The group currently represents approximately 4,000 hotels across 18 brands, operating in more than 100 countries and territories.
In an interview with CoStar News Hotels, Larry Cuculic, President & CEO of WorldHotels, explains that the transformation aims to better reflect the current diversity of the portfolio, which remains insufficiently recognised by travellers.
According to Cuculic, the historical perception of Best Western, often associated with the midscale hotel segment, no longer reflects the group’s presence across the full range of market segments.
Adopting WorldHotels as the corporate identity is intended to move beyond this perception and establish a more international positioning.
This is a change to the name of the parent organisation, not an announcement that the Best Western or SureStay brands will disappear.
A transformation underway since the acquisition of WorldHotels in 2019
The decision forms part of the group’s gradual transformation.
In 2019, Best Western Hotels & Resorts acquired WorldHotels Collection, a network then comprising approximately 300 independent hotels and resorts.
Following the acquisition, the organisation adopted the name BWH Hotel Group, bringing together the Best Western, WorldHotels and SureStay brand families.
In 2023, BWH Hotel Group became BWH Hotels.
Three years later, the group has taken another step by selecting WorldHotels as its corporate identity.
According to Larry Cuculic, the decision followed a research process initiated approximately three years ago, with the support of an external partner.
Research conducted among travellers reportedly highlighted a gap between perceptions of Best Western and the actual breadth of the group’s offering.
The WorldHotels name was ultimately selected after several alternatives had been considered.
WorldHotels Rewards: 70 million members brought together from January 2027
One of the principal changes concerns customer loyalty.
On 5 January 2027, WorldHotels plans to launch WorldHotels Rewards, a unified programme intended to replace the current structure based on Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards.
The new platform will bring together an existing membership base of approximately 70 million members.
The programme will be organised around three membership tiers.
Several existing benefits will be retained, including:
- Status recognition;
- Exclusive member rates;
- Loyalty points that do not expire.
The objective is to simplify the customer experience while enabling travellers to use their benefits across a broader hotel portfolio.
For the group, this convergence also represents an opportunity to strengthen direct distribution and customer loyalty internationally.
A new website and application designed around changing search behaviour
The transformation also includes the introduction of a new website and a completely redesigned mobile application.
The application will include a dedicated area where members can view their points balances, redemption opportunities and progress towards the programme’s different membership tiers.
WorldHotels also intends to change how its properties are presented in response to evolving traveller search behaviour.
According to Larry Cuculic, customers are increasingly searching for an experience or type of stay rather than simply a geographical destination.
This shift is becoming particularly important with the development of artificial intelligence-powered assistants and search engines.
The group says it has used an AI-assisted research platform to produce content describing the distinctive characteristics of the destinations and neighbourhoods in which its hotels are located.
This information was subsequently reviewed with local hoteliers to select the restaurants, activities and experiences to be highlighted.
WorldHotels estimates that it devoted more than 10,000 hours of discussions with its hoteliers to the selection and validation of this content.
Performance objectives measured at property level
Beyond its new identity, WorldHotels intends to measure the results of its transformation using several performance indicators.
Larry Cuculic specifically identifies:
- Growth in hotel revenue;
- Changes in properties’ RevPAR index;
- Growth in loyalty programme membership;
- Traffic to the new website and mobile application.
The strategy is based on a growth model combining the quality of the guest experience, customer loyalty, brand visibility and the commercial performance of individual properties.
The group has not disclosed quantified forecasts for additional revenue or targets for acquiring new loyalty members as a result of the transformation.
LTH Analysis | A new brand architecture designed to strengthen direct distribution
The renaming of BWH Hotels has strategic implications extending beyond corporate communications.
By adopting WorldHotels as its common identity, the group is seeking to address a challenge faced by multi-brand hotel portfolios: making travellers aware of the full range of available accommodation, beyond the brands with which they are historically most familiar.
This development could facilitate commercial cross-selling between different hotel categories and types of stay.
However, the transformation’s principal operational significance lies in the integration of distribution and loyalty platforms.
With a reported membership base of 70 million, WorldHotels has an opportunity to strengthen direct relationships with travellers, increase booking frequency and improve the visibility of its properties.
The integration of richer local content, adapted to new search behaviour, represents a second strategic priority.
It reflects an intention to anticipate changes in hotel discovery in the era of conversational assistants and AI-powered search engines.
For affiliated owners and operators, the success of this transformation will ultimately need to be measured by its ability to generate more bookings, increase the contribution of direct channels and support RevPAR.
The launch of the unified loyalty programme, scheduled for 5 January 2027, will provide an initial practical opportunity to assess this strategy.
At a Glance
Group: WorldHotels, formerly BWH Hotels.
Effective date: 27 October 2026.
Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
President & CEO: Larry Cuculic.
Global portfolio: Approximately 4,000 hotels.
Brands: 18.
Geographic presence: More than 100 countries and territories.
Brand families: WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels.
Historical milestone: Acquisition of WorldHotels Collection in 2019.
Previous corporate identities: BWH Hotel Group, then BWH Hotels in 2023.
New loyalty programme: WorldHotels Rewards.
Launch date: 5 January 2027.
Combined loyalty membership: Approximately 70 million existing members.
Membership structure: Three tiers.
Digital transformation: New website and redesigned mobile application.
AI strategy: Destination and neighbourhood content supported by AI-assisted research and hotelier validation.
LTH perspective: Corporate brand consolidation and loyalty integration designed to improve awareness, direct distribution and hotel performance.
