Phuket (Thailand) – January 4, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts organized an exclusive media trip to Phuket this month, inviting a number of influential and emerging bloggers to the island for a diverse three-day program.

Two well-known bloggers and a journalist from travel and lifestyle publications, as well as the winners of a Facebook Live competition organized by KTC and Chillpainai, were invited to Phuket from December 14th to 16th, 2017. They were accompanied by members of the Best Western Asia marketing team.

The media representatives stayed in two hotels, allowing them to experience the different offerings of Best Western in Phuket. The Best Western Patong Beach is a modern mid-range hotel in the tourist center of Patong, while the Best Western Premier Bangtao Beach Resort & Spa offers a luxurious beachfront resort experience on the island's idyllic west coast.

The activities on the study trip program included a tour of Phuket Town with its classic Sino-Portuguese architecture, tastings of local food, and a trip to Mai Ton Island, a beautiful tropical paradise just off the east coast of Phuket.

Media representatives were also introduced to Best Western Rewards®, the company's award-winning guest loyalty program.

“Phuket is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, attracting increasing numbers of domestic and international visitors to its pristine beaches every year. But Phuket has much more to offer than sun, sea, and sand. Our intensive press trip was designed to introduce our media partners to the cultural experiences that make Phuket such a fascinating travel destination,” said Olivier Berrivin, Managing Director International Operations – Asia at Best Western.

“Best Western offers an excellent selection of hotels in Phuket, suitable for all types of travelers – from couples seeking a romantic beach getaway to groups of friends and families who want to be in the heart of the action. This press trip will help raise awareness of this enchanting island and its diverse activities and attractions,” Olivier added.

The fact-finding trip is part of Best Western's ongoing efforts to engage with the media and travel industry in Asia for the benefit of the entire travel industry.

Journalists, bloggers and other media professionals who would like to experience Best Western hotels and resorts in Asia can contact our Marketing Communications Department: Tel.: +66 2 656 1260 or [email protected] and [email protected].

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Best Western Hotels & Resorts is a privately owned hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers eleven hotel brands designed to meet the needs of hoteliers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western, as well as the recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western, and SureStay CollectionSM by Best Western. Celebrating over 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers worldwide with operational, sales, and marketing support, along with award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to break industry records for awards and accolades. For example, in 2017, 64 percent of the brand's North American hotels received the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. Business Travel News® ranked Best Western Plus and Best Western as the number one hotel brands in the upper-midrange and midrange segments. Best Western also won the Dynatrace® Best of the Web Award for its leading hotel website seven times in a row. Best Western was also named AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year nine times in a row, recognizing the brand's commitment to providing exceptional service and value to the nearly 58 million AAA/CAA members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western hotels achieved top rankings in the 2017 JD Power North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study: first place for breakfast (food and beverage category) in the midrange segment and second place for overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the award-winning Best Western Rewards® loyalty program, one of the few programs where points have no expiration date and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western's partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® offer travelers exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and reach to introduce a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and revolutionizing how guests experience hotels. – All Best Western and SureStay branded hotels are independently operated. – Figures are estimates, subject to change, and include hotels currently under development.

Contact information: Marketing Communications Department Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia Tel.: +66 2 656 1260 Sirimanas Maungrod Email: [email protected] Orapan Sornnuwat Email: [email protected]