Best Western Passes 500,000 Fans On Facebook Leads All Hotel Brand Pages

Direct booking capabilities, innovative promotions and 200 percent Facebook fan growth among the notable social media achievements for the brand in 2012

PHOENIX, Dec. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Best Western International announced today that the brand's Facebook page has surpassed 500,000 fans, further solidifying Best Western as the No. 1 hotel brand on the world's largest social network. Best Western now reaches more than 14,000,000 travelers each week through Facebook and has more likes of its official page than any other hotel brand.

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"We were one of the first lodging companies to embrace social media and since then we have made it a priority to involve a social layer in every major brand initiative at Best Western to better engage with our customers and travelers," said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president, marketing and sales for Best Western International. "We understand that social media platforms and Facebook in particular are where people discuss, research and plan their travel and being part of that conversation for more than half-a-million of our fans on Facebook is something we're extremely proud of."

Reaching the 500,000 fan milestone caps a remarkable year in social media growth for Best Western, which saw the brand increase its Facebook fans by more than 200 percent during the calendar year. Other notable social media achievements in 2012 include:

• Becoming the first major international hotel chain to allow customers to book a hotel room directly through the brand's Facebook page
• Launching the "Be a Travel Hero" campaign – a Facebook app allowing travelers to invite friends on a virtual dream vacation and earn points towards prizes and free hotel stays
• Holding the first ever Best Western Fan Awards, a Facebook contest allowing fans to vote for the most unique Best Western properties in the world
• Integrating TripAdvisor directly into the new Bestwestern.com – allowing travelers to view property reviews, rating and read guest comments without ever leaving the brand website

"Going into 2013, we will continue to invest in providing unique content and experiences through all our social media channels and ensure we are not only sharing but also listening to what our fans have to say and engaging with them in an authentic way," said Dowling. "Additionally, we'll be updating our popular 'Best Western to Go' mobile app with more features and ways for travelers to share their experiences through social media."

To learn more, please visit the following Best Western resources:

• For bookings: www.bestwestern.com, which now features fresh TripAdvisor reviews and opinions, enhanced hotel details, additional photos and a shorter booking process providing all travelers with a better online experience
• For Best Western's mobile offerings: http://www.bestwestern.com/mobileapps/
• Like Best Western on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BestWestern
• Read the Best Western blog: www.youmustbetrippin.com
• Follow Best Western on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebestwestern
• For rewards: www.bestwesternrewards.com
• For Best Western's Business Advantage: http://www.bestwestern.com/programs/businessadvantage

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 66 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 15 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, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western in 2011 was named AAA's and CAA's Hotel Partner of the Year and bestwestern.com was named the 2011 Compuware Best of the Web Gold award winner. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit bestwestern.com.

*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.

SOURCE: Best Western International

http://www.bestwestern.com

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