Best Western and India's Sorrel Hospitality Sign Master Franchise Agreement for Future Development Across India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka
PHOENIX, AZ. March 23, 2016 - Best Western® Hotels & Resorts today announced that it has inked a master franchise agreement with Delhi-based Sorrel Hospitality. Led by a team of seasoned hospitality industry veterans with extensive experience building and managing hotel portfolios, Sorrel will be responsible for Best Western's future positioning, growth and development across India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka.
“We see tremendous potential right now in India and we are delighted to have aligned with a company like Sorrel Hospitality, which has an outstanding track record of success, as we work to expand our footprint in India,” said Ron Pohl Senior Vice President, Brand Management, Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “We are confident that Sorrel is the right partner to help us move closer to our very ambitious international expansion goals, and we look forward to working with their team.”
Sorrel has put together a team of leading experts to guide Best Western's efforts in India, including Gurmeet Singh Uberai, Promoter Director, Atul Jain, Chief Operating Officer and Tajinder Singh, Vice President Sales & Marketing. Together, the team will execute a multi-pronged, multi-year development initiative.
Sorrel has already begun an analysis of the Best Western portfolio in India, which currently includes 22 properties. The company will work to identify and retain only those that are most stable and profitable, ensuring the system embodies Best Western's core values and brand standards. The Sorrel team will focus on enhancing Best Western's image in India, driving quality and steady, consistent growth for developers and investors. An emphasis will also be placed on improving the guest experience and service culture.
Moving forward, Sorrel will begin aggressively pursuing the development of GLo℠ and Vîb® properties, capitalizing on India's thriving millennial market (more than half of the Indian population is under the age of 25). The company will also officially introduce the Best Western Premier Collection® brand to the market, offering an appealing, owner-friendly soft brand to India's large number of heritage hotels and palaces.
“Sorrel Hospitality is pleased to be working with Best Western and we look forward to leveraging our experience in the Indian market in a variety of ways,” said Atul Jain. “This will include the rollout of a management model, we feel it will better retain the brand's identity and optimize for success. We look forward to partnering with Best Western to capitalize on the opportunities that exist in this region.”
About Best Western
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 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®, Executive Residency by Best Western℠, Vîb®, BW Premier Collection® and GLo℠. Now celebrating 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 26 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 regarding awards and accolades, including Business Travel News naming Best Western as the best midscale hotel brand in 2014 and Best Western Plus as the best upper mid-price hotel brand in 2014 and 2015, four consecutive Compuware Best of the Web gold awards for best hotel website, and seven consecutive AAA/CAA Hotel Partner of the Year awards. Nearly sixty percent of Best Western branded hotels earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award in 2015. * Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
Contact:
Samantha Jacobs or Kristin Soto
Hemsworth Communications
[email protected]
954-716-7614
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
