When the Spinnenwebers completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of their 1926-vintage Best Western Mariemont Inn in Cincinnati, they considered changing flags. They needed a name that reflected the luxuries found at the upscale, boutique property.

Some might argue Best Western didn’t have the caché.

The brand—and the Mariemont Inn—got the oomph needed in February when Best Western officially launched its North American Descriptor Program. The program gives member hotels the option to identify their properties as Best Western, Best Western Plus or Best Western Premier. Plus and Premier reflect higher levels of amenities and service.

The Premier descriptor best serves the Mariemont Inn. It identifies the 45-room hotel as one with top amenities and services. That made perfect sense to the Spinnenwebers, who are loyal to Best Western.

“I don’t know if we’d would be signing [the Best Western] agreement if the descriptors hadn’t come out,” says Bill Spinnenweber, general manager and third generation to run the inn. But, with the descriptors it made sense.

“We always liked Best Western because they give us the ability to be independent,” he says. “We need the company’s flexibility, especially being historic. We appreciate the company’s tremendous buying power.”

“Our rooms are the best physical product in the city,” claims Spinnenweber. Still, some people wouldn’t stay because it was a Best Western charging room rates from $169 to $229.

“It was getting hard to market,” he said. “The descriptors give us the ability to get into markets we’ve never been in before. I think they’re really helping the Best Western brand overall.”

Earning the Premier label has certain requirements. Among them updated, contemporary furnishings in comfortable and spacious rooms and common areas, premium linens and towels, deluxe bath amenities and 42-inch LCD or plasma TVs in guestrooms. They must also offer enhanced guest services, such as on-site dining, a concierge and turndown service.

Becoming Premier was easy for the Mariemont Inn because the property was committed to top furnishings, amenities and service. And, in fact, the renovation reduced the number of rooms from 60 to 45 to make rooms larger.

“It wasn’t too complicated because our renovation was mostly already above and beyond. The physical product was already there,” says Spinnenweber.

For example, the hotel had TempurPedic mattresses, high-quality linens, bath sheets, a pillow menu and the highest speed Internet service.

“There were a couple of things we needed to do,” he says. “We had to add free weights and an extra TV to the fitness room and add an extra computer to the business center.”

“We added artwork to the bathrooms,” he says. Not just any artwork. Photos were taken of buildings in historic Mariemont Village, where the hotel is located, and turned into oil paintings for continuity in ambiance.

Vending machines with canned sodas were changed out for bottled beverages. And, of course, new signage was put into place. Service touches were pumped up. For example, guests get a moist towelette at check in—cool in summer, warm in winter—to freshen up.

The changes have worked. Local companies that may have hesitated before booking a Best Western are lining up to book rooms. Spinnenweber tells a story about a man who told his employer he wouldn’t stay at a Best Western. After his reluctant first experience, the man now books all his stays at the inn.

“It’s really been a help for us. 2009 was our first full year. By 2010 we had probably close to a 20% increase in occupancy, 40% of that was business group driven,” says Spinnenweber. “We’re on track to have a 13% to 14% increase in occupancy over last year. I’m hoping the premier designation is driving up RevPAR.”

Spinnenweber cautiously encourages other hotels to strive for a descriptor. However, it’s not right for every hotel or every guest, he says.

“I wouldn’t suggest properties do it just to have a higher ADR. You have to be committed to it,” he says. “I think Premier is a descriptor people should look at and see if it fits them. It’s a commitment beyond getting physical product to certain guidelines, but also the service.”

Miami Nice
Owners of the Best Western Premier Miami International Airport Hotel & Suites liked the descriptor concept so much they built their new property to fall under the Premier label. In fact, the 144-room hotel is the first new-build Premier in the country, though others are in the works.

General Manager Edgar Sanchez drove the descriptor. “I spoke with ownership and talked to them about Premier. I told them it would be a great addition for their Best Western.”

The branding changes the playing field for marketing purposes as. The hotel now competes against Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton. In fact, Sanchez says, “We’ve been lucky enough to sign many companies [as customers] who used to stay at the Marriott. We made the right decision to go with Best Western Premier.”

Going for the upscale title wasn’t easy. They had a designer approve everything at the hotel. “Best Western was very strict on everything,” says Sanchez. “They looked at the quality, who made it, what brand, to decide. Every single detail had to be perfect. They were demanding and they wanted it to be successful.”

As a result, everything is upscaled, from the double-walled ice bucket to the carpet, furnishings and sheets. “When you stay in this hotel you realize this isn’t the core Best Western,” he says.

No insult to a standard Best Western. The descriptors merely identify the guest experience, like stars and diamonds identify the level of amenities, services and experience, he says.

“Anyone who stays in my room is like, ‘Wow,’” says Sanchez. And that makes it possible to charge a higher rate. “More clientele understand the rate difference and know what they’re going to see.”

Room rates aren’t higher “just because.” They reflect money put into the physical space and daily service. “It costs more money, but we see the return on investment,” says Sanchez. For starters room charges can sweep as high as $249, and the hotel will likely reach 90% occupancy in cruise high season. Cruise travelers are a big part of the hotel’s target business.

“We’re very happy with the product. The training facet was very good. Now guests are getting more service on a higher level,” he says. The property has become a model for others. “Other hotels have contacted me,” he says. “We recommend it to them.”

The hotel owners are in process of building a new hotel in Miami. They will pursue the Best Western Plus descriptor because the real estate lacks space for a restaurant, an amenity required with Premier branding.

Plus Sized
While the Best Westerns Mariemont Inn and Miami International Airport Hotel are early adopters of the Premier descriptor, the Best Western Duncanville/Dallas is an early adopter of the Plus descriptor.

Whereas Premier properties are upscale, Plus properties are upper midscale, the equivalent to Forbes (AAA) three-diamond-rated hotels. They offer all of the amenities of Best Western hotels, along with updated furnishings, high-quality bedding, upgraded bath amenities and select sundry items. Thus, Plus.

Best Western has been a family tradition for Pankaj Lad’s family. His father ran a property for 25 years. When Lad, his wife and parents opened the Duncanville/Dallas property in 2007, it was designed to compete with hotels like Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn.

“When the descriptor launch came out, Plus was a natural fit,” says Lad, owner and acting general manager. Other than property identification and signage, the hotel had little to change.

“We upgraded our pillows, but we were meaning to anyway,” he says. “One of the requirements was to have four pillows per bed. We put two firm and two soft on each bed.”

Lad liked Best Western’s support making changes. “They dispatched a regional service manager to do a descriptor assessment to be sure there wasn’t anything we’d overlooked,” he said.

It’s too early to measure financial gain from the brand change because as Lad says, “It’s very difficult to separate and measure because we’re so intertwined with the economy,” he says. “If I were to look simply at the numbers, we’re showing a slight uptick, but the same with our competitors. They’re starting to see business come back.”

“I think this [descriptor] has better positioned us for the uptick in the market,” says Lad. “As travel increases we’ll sees even more of an uptick in our business. I think the public is starting to notice Best Western is making big changes.”

And, of course, fellow hoteliers want to know how it’s going. “They ask the difference,” says Lad. “I think the consensus is they’ll look at Best Western more seriously than in the past because descriptors give the consumer more confidence in knowing what they’re buying. It’s nothing but positive going forward.”

While he cheerleads the differentiation, he says changing descriptors could actually weaken some properties. “It all comes down to, not just your physical attributes, but how you want to compete with in the marketplace,” Lad explains. “Maybe the Plus isn’t a good fit if you’re getting a different clientele, if you’re in a market that’s already crowded at Plus-equivalent properties.”

For Lad, the three levels make sense. They give hoteliers more control of their property’s destiny. “This is very unique,” he says. “It gives the ultimate control to the property owner to look at the surrounding area and say this is my market, if I make these changes and adopt the descriptor I can go after this market. No other brand lets you do this. It’s an interesting power the owners have now.”

Best Western Descriptor Strategy Gains Traction

In the seven months since Best Western launched its descriptor strategy, the concept has gained acceptance by both existing members and developers and owners looking to join the membership chain. According to Mark Williams, vice president of North American development, 776 Best Western Plus properties are online with another 40-plus in the process of converting to the descriptor. Nearly 30 hotels have accepted the Premier designation: 13 are live and 16 more are waiting to convert.

“About all new properties coming into the group are most likely a Plus with some Premiers,” he says. “For the past five years, our requirements for new hotels joining Best Western have coincided with the Plus standards. There are a few properties in tertiary markets where it may not make sense to do all the things required to be a Plus property.”

Conversions dominate the list of properties joining the system. Williams says some have been Comfort Inns, Holiday Inn Expresses, Hampton Inns and similar brands, plus quite a few independents.

“We’ve also had some hotels that were renovations of existing hotels or some other kind of facility, such as an office building,” he says. “Often, these properties become Premiers because of the money involved in the project and the locations—often in center city of primary markets. In the past, we have difficulty penetrating these locations, but now developers and owners recognize the value of the Premier descriptor and particularly its ability to attract travelers from Europe and Asia who already know the product.”

About 25% of North American properties joining Best Western are new-construction hotels. Williams says many of them are in Canada where financing is more readily available. And the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are especially ripe for hotel development due to the ongoing boom in the oil and gas industries.—Ed Watkins