Best Western Italia

What Best Western Italia does

Best Western Italia, legally constituted as BWH Hotels Italia S.c.p.A. - Società Benefit, is the Italian and South-East Europe franchisee for the BWH Hotels group, headquartered at Via Livraghi 1/B, Milan. Founded in 1982, the company manages over 170 affiliated hotel properties across Italy under three brand portfolios: Best Western Hotels & Resorts (midscale), the WorldHotels Collection (premium luxury, elite, distinctive, and crafted tiers), and SureStay (budget). It does not directly operate hotels; each property is independently owned and operated, with Best Western Italia providing brand affiliation, distribution, marketing support, and loyalty infrastructure.

The core technology is a traditional web-based booking platform (book.bestwestern.it) integrated with the multi-brand search experience on bestwestern.it, supporting eight languages and real-time availability across more than 4,000 Best Western properties globally and 4,300+ properties participating in the BW Rewards loyalty program. The company generates revenue through multiple streams: per-night transaction fees on hotel room bookings, licensing/royalty income from hotel affiliation, BW Rewards subscription-style loyalty engagement, B2B MICE and corporate services (Business Advantage, BWH Planners Advantage), and ancillary one-time sales of gift cards (€50 and €100 denominations), cofanetti soggiorno stay packages, and Be-Tak vouchers. Pricing ranges from approximately €62/night at budget properties to over €315/night at premium WorldHotels Luxury properties such as the 5-star Makedonia Palace in Thessaloniki.

Distribution combines direct online booking, a toll-free Italian reservations line (800 177 850), a dedicated corporate sales team for business and event clients, partnerships with travel agencies and OTAs, and post-sale engagement via the BW Rewards loyalty program. Customer segments span business travelers, leisure travelers, families, wellness, senior, pet, and luxury personas, with corporate MICE as a primary B2B use case. The company's go-to-market is hybrid, blending self-serve digital direct booking, inside/field sales for corporate accounts, and partner-channel distribution.

Name

Best Western Italia

Legal name

BWH Hotels Italia S.c.p.A. - Società Benefit

Website

https://bestwestern.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Best Western Italia (BWH Hotels Italia S.c.p.A. - Società Benefit) is the Italian and South-East Europe franchisee managing 170+ affiliated hotels under Best Western, WorldHotels, and SureStay brands. It serves business and leisure travelers through its booking platform, BW Rewards loyalty program, corporate MICE services, and ancillary products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Booking and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises (THAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE), Urban Luxury Hotels (City Luxury) (THAGACAE)

Keywords

• Hotel booking platform
• Hospitality franchising
• Loyalty programme services
• Corporate travel rates
• MICE event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Hotel Room Bookings: Primary revenue stream from hotel room reservations across the network of affiliated hotels in Italy and worldwide. Revenue generated through per-night accommodation fees with various rate types including flexible, non-refundable, and loyalty member rates.
2. BW Rewards Loyalty Program: The Best Western Rewards program drives customer retention and repeat bookings. Members earn points for stays that can be redeemed for free nights or converted to gift cards. The program creates switching costs and encourages brand loyalty.
3. Corporate MICE Services: Revenue from meeting rooms, conference facilities, and group bookings for corporate events. Includes dedicated services for meeting planners, corporate rate programs, and convention facilities.
4. Gift Cards and Vouchers: Sale of gift cards, gift boxes (cofanetti soggiorno), Be-Tak vouchers, and wedding registry services that provide upfront revenue and customer acquisition.
5. Hotel Affiliation and Franchise: Revenue model for individual hotel owners who affiliate with the Best Western brand, receiving access to the global reservation system, BW Rewards program, and marketing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Best Western Italia franchises and distributes a portfolio of Italian hotel properties under the Best Western, WorldHotels, and SureStay brands, providing a centralised booking platform for leisure and business travellers across Italy and worldwide. It monetises the network through room bookings, corporate travel rates, MICE services, gift products, and loyalty programme membership, while collecting affiliation fees from independently owned hotel properties joining the brand.

Product overview

Best Western Italia operates a multi-brand hospitality platform comprising the core Best Western Hotels & Resorts booking engine (www.bestwestern.it) serving over 4,000 hotels globally, supplemented by the WorldHotels Collection (premium boutique and luxury properties) and the budget-oriented SureStay brand. The platform integrates several complementary services including the Best Western Rewards loyalty program, corporate travel solutions (Business Advantage, SmartWorking Rooms, myWO coworking spaces), MICE services for meetings and events, and gift products (Gift Cards and Stay Packages). The booking system supports multi-language access across Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, with real-time availability and dynamic pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorldHotels Collection: Luxury hotel collection featuring boutique hotels, exclusive resorts and unique design properties across Italy and Mediterranean destinations
• Best Western Business Advantage
• BW Rewards
• myWO Coworking Space

Products and services

• Best Western Hotels & Resorts booking platform The primary online hotel search and booking platform providing access to 4,000+ affiliated hotels across 100 countries, with real-time availability, flexible and non-refundable rate options, dynamic pricing, mobile-friendly booking, and loyalty integration. Targeted at leisure and business travellers.
• WorldHotels Collection A premium brand segment featuring boutique hotels, luxury resorts, and distinctive properties across Italy and the Mediterranean, organised into Luxury, Elite, Distinctive, and Crafted tiers for travellers seeking high-end accommodation.
• Best Western Rewards (BW Rewards / BWR) International loyalty programme offering points accumulation and redemption across 4,300+ Best Western and WorldHotels properties worldwide, with tiered membership benefits and exclusive member rates. Points can be redeemed for free nights or converted to gift cards.
• Best Western Business Advantage Corporate travel programme providing negotiated rates, centralised billing, and reporting tools for partner companies' business travellers, with corporate ID codes and dedicated account support.
• SureStay Hotel Group Budget-friendly hotel sub-brand within the BWH Hotels portfolio offering affordable accommodation options across Italy for cost-conscious travellers.
• MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) Services Meeting, incentive, conference, and event services delivered at affiliated hotel properties, including meeting rooms, congress centres, and event planning support, with the BWH Planners Advantage programme for event organisers.
• Gift Card BWR Prepaid gift cards available in €50 and €100 denominations redeemable across the Best Western and WorldHotels network for hotel stays, experiences, and related services.
• Cofanetti Soggiorno (Be-Tak stay packages) Prepaid gift-box packages offering 1-2 night hotel stays at Best Western properties in Italy, including the Be-Tak voucher format and wedding-list variant for couples.
• myWO Coworking Space Coworking space service offered at select Best Western hotels, providing flexible workspaces for business travellers, remote workers, and visiting professionals.
• SmartWorking Room Dedicated in-hotel workspace solutions equipped with business amenities for remote work and virtual meetings, marketed to business travellers and remote workers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to over 4,000 hotels in 100+ countries worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WorldHotelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldHotels is a premium brand within the BWH Hotels Group representing the luxury and boutique segment of the portfolio. WorldHotels properties in Italy and the Mediterranean include handpicked boutique hotels, exclusive resorts, and distinctive properties positioned at the upper end of the market. The partnership provides access to the WorldHotels Rewards loyalty program and joint marketing initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hilton Worldwide: Global multi-brand hotel group with a meaningful Italian portfolio across Hilton, Conrad, Hampton, and Curio Collection. Competes across business and leisure segments.
• Marriott International: World's largest hotel company with extensive Italian presence across luxury (St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton), premium, and select-service tiers — a broad incumbent for both corporate and leisure travelers.
• Accor SA: Global hotel group operating multiple tiers (ibis, Novotel, Sofitel, MGallery, Fairmont) with a very large Italian footprint. A broad incumbent across all the segments Best Western Italia addresses.

Direct peers

• Choice Hotels International: Franchise-driven midscale and economy hotel company (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn). Most structurally similar peer as a franchise model targeting similar midscale demand.
• NH Hotel Group: Major European midscale-and-upscale hotel chain with deep presence in Italy, Spain, and the Benelux. Operates a comparable multi-brand portfolio and competes directly for Italian corporate and leisure demand.
• Starhotels: Italian-owned luxury and upscale hotel group operating in Italy's top cities. Competes with Best Western's WorldHotels Collection and core Italian leisure/corporate bookings.
• TH Resorts: Italian hotel chain with a broad portfolio of resort and city properties, competing for leisure travelers and family segments across Italian destinations.
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Largest franchised hotel company by number of properties globally, focused on economy and midscale segments. Closely comparable franchise model and tier mix to Best Western.
• Italian Hospitality Collection: Italian luxury resort and hotel collection (formerly the Ragosta family portfolio). Competes with WorldHotels' premium tier for high-end leisure travelers in Italy.

Others

• Booking Holdings (Booking.com): Largest OTA in Europe and a critical distribution channel and competitor for direct bookings. Relevant as the dominant indirect channel shaping Italian hotel demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BestWestern.Italia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/best-western-italia
• Instagraminstagram.com/bestwesternItalia

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Best Western Italia