announced! - Business Traveller

tries and in the vicinity of the polar circle.
You won’t fi nd such diversity in any
other hotel chain. And so, we are keen on
maintaining high quality of service and
all the mod cons we have, when we welcome
new guests. That is why we monitor
all of our four thousand hotels. When
it turns out that a�given hotel does not
meet all our requirements, we don’t delete
it from the list of Best Western hotel
immediately. We prefer to sit down
with the owner and work on a�solution,
so that the hotel could still provide our
guests with accommodation to their
satisfaction.
Let’s get back to the last two years for
a�moment. Is the recession – the word,
which evoked fear in the hotel industry
– over yet?
Yes, until another slump in the economy
occurs. The end of the crisis is already
seen on the Polish market, where
the number of accommodation places is
growing – the forecasts say even about
a�10% growth. Similarly, the market in
Finland is also doing good – at the beginning
of�2011, they had�30% growth in
the number of hotel room bookings. The
forecasts are optimistic and�I�strongly
believe they will come true. Although�I�know�I�could
win a�lot of money
if only�I�knew for sure what would
happen in the hotel industry within the
next two or three years.
And what do�you think about the
Polish market – is it easer, or more diffi
cult to do�business here, than in other
parts of Europe?
What really impressed me here, was the
fact that hotel owners and managers are
very passionate about what they do, and
set themselves clear goals they want to
achieve. Besides,�I�still admire the professionalism�I�see
when working here.
Most of my experience�I�got from working
in Finland.�I�think we are a�bit more
relaxed, while you care much about details.
Naturally, there were cases, when
a�hotel owner knew everything about the
industry, and didn’t need any guidance,
and consequently – wasn’t interested in
cooperation. But such people can be
found anywhere, so there is nothing to
worry about.�I�can’t complain,�I�really
enjoy cooperating with Polish people.
You have great potential and a�large ac-
commodation base in the so called hotel
industry – although numerous accommodation
places are not really hotels.
You travel more and more, and large
hotel chains have entered the country
to realize their projects here. So, development
is inevitable.�I�hope that together
with Best Western, we will be a�part
of this process.
Before the Euro Cup�2012, the hotel industry
in Poland is indeed likely to expand
– what are your plans for the upcoming
years?
Our primary goal is to open�10 Best
Western hotels in Poland by the end of
this year. And we will do�it. We’ve just
opened the fi rst Best Western hotel in
Warsaw in the Praga Południe district.
Felix is managed by the PUHiT company.
It is a�very special place for us –
Warsaw is a�huge city, and naturally we
dream about opening a�second property
on the other bank of the river. The next
hotel, Symfonia was opened in Osjaków,
on the way to Wrocław. We already have
hotels in Białystok, Rzeszów, Katowice,
Cracow and Wrocław, but there aren’t
any in two other big cities: Poznań and
Łódź.
But still, it is far too few, considering
the potential of the Polish market.
In Finland, where there are fi ve million
people, Best Western already has�19 hotels.
In Poland, the population amounts
to�38 million, but the number of hotels
is still under�10. It basic arithmetic – we
should open here a�lot more hotels than
that.
Especially, that we already have three
brands to offer: Best Western, Best
Western Premier —�a�higher quality
brand, and only recently introduced in
Europe – Best Western Plus. That leaves
our clients with even greater choice, and
makes it easier for them to fi nd the very
hotel they need.
I�need to ask you about business clients
– what can they expect in your
hotels?
We provide them with unlimited and
free access to the Internet, which is
one of our priorities now, and not only
for business clients, but also for regular
guests and tourists. Another thing
they can expect when staying with us, is
a�substantial breakfast – we believe this
BT INTERVIEWS
BEST WESTERN CHAIN
Founded in�1946, the hotel chain was already
over�4 thousand properties in�80
countries. The founder,�M. K. Guertin,
had an original idea to form an association
consisting of independent hotels and its owners,
which would provide necessary support in promotion and
sales.
Each Best Western hotel has a�right to use the international
brand, distribution systems and BW-operated activity
in specifi ed areas. Despite the membership, each Best
Western hotels maintains administrative and fi nancial independence.
Thus, the hotels – although they must use Best
Western signage – can welcome their guests in their own
way, for instance by referring to the local traditions. Each
contract with Best Western is signed for at least�2 years,
and the membership fee is dependent on such factors as
fi xed revenue or operating costs. Currently, the hotel owners
considering Best Western membership, can actually
choose between the three brands they can be associated
with: Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western
Premier. The brands differ when it comes to the quality of
service and the requirements each hotel has to meet.
In Poland, there are�8 Best Western hotels at the moment,
and the total number of their rooms is�877.
is vitally important. Besides, we offer the
Best Western Rewards loyalty scheme,
which functions reliably for over twenty
years and provides the clients who frequently
stay in BW hotels with various
facilities. Naturally, we also guarantee
appropriate quality of service provided
by highly-trained hotel staff in all Best
Western properties. ■
MAY 2011 | 55