Is Best Western Plus publicly traded?

No. Its parent is a nonprofit member-owned cooperative, so neither the brand nor the group is listed on any stock exchange.

What is the difference between Best Western and Best Western Plus?

Best Western Plus is the upper-midscale tier with enhanced amenities and standards above the core Best Western flag. Premier sits above Plus for upper-upscale.

When was Best Western Plus launched?

The brand tier launched in 2003 as an upgraded option for member hotels above the base Best Western flag, which itself dates to the cooperative's 1946 founding.

How does the cooperative model work?

Each member hotel is independently owned, holds one vote in the cooperative, and pays fees for the brand, reservations, and loyalty. Profits stay with member owners rather than a for-profit franchisor.

Travel & Hospitality

Who Owns Best Western Plus?

Q: Who owns Best Western Plus?

Best Western Plus is owned by WorldHotels, formerly BWH Hotels, a member-owned cooperative headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Individual hotels are independently owned by member hoteliers who use the flag.

Best Western Plus is an upper-midscale hotel brand owned by WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels), a member-owned cooperative. Launched in 2003 as the upgraded tier of Best Western, it is the largest and fastest-growing flag in the Best Western Hotels & Resorts family, with hundreds of hotels across North America and worldwide.

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Parent Company

WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)

Founded

2003

Status

Private

Headquarters

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Best Western Plus Timeline

1946

WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)

Parent company established in Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Company Founded

2003

Best Western Plus

Founded by Best Western International

Founded

mid rangeleaderGlobalOfficial Website

Who Owns Best Western Plus?

Parent Company: WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Company Type: Privately Held

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Best Western Plus	WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)	Wholly owned

History of Best Western Plus

Founded: 2003
Founders: Best Western International

Best Western Plus launched in 2003 as the upper-midscale tier above the core Best Western flag, created to give member hotels a higher-positioned option as consumer expectations rose and competitors such as Hampton and Holiday Inn Express pulled the segment upward. The tier carried enhanced amenities and property standards above the base brand.

The introduction of a tiered flag reflected the cooperative's answer to brand segmentation at competing chains. Where the original Best Western brand covered a broad mid-market range, Plus provided a consistent upper-midscale identity for members investing in upgraded properties, and later Best Western Premier was added for upper-upscale.

Through the 2000s and 2010s Best Western Plus became the fastest-growing and largest flag in the family, as members upgraded core Best Western properties to the Plus standard and new franchisees chose it over the base flag. It grew into the primary volume brand of the system by property count.

The 2019 acquisition of WorldHotels and the 2021 renaming of the parent to BWH Hotels set up a structure where Best Western Plus sat as the upper-midscale flagship of the Best Western Hotels & Resorts collection, distinct from the luxury WorldHotels Collection. The October 2026 WorldHotels masterbrand change leaves the flag's name and positioning unchanged.

As of 2026 Best Western Plus remains the largest single flag in the group's portfolio by properties and the primary engine of the cooperative's North American mid-market presence.

About WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)

Who owns WorldHotels?
WorldHotels is owned by its member hotels through a nonprofit cooperative structure. There are no public shareholders. Each member property holds one vote, and the company reinvests fees in brand services rather than paying dividends.

What happened to BWH Hotels and Best Western?
BWH Hotels renamed itself WorldHotels on October 27, 2026. The 18 individual hotel brands, including Best Western and Best Western Plus, keep their names. The change applies to the parent masterbrand and the unified WorldHotels Rewards loyalty program launching January 5, 2027.

Is WorldHotels publicly traded?
No. It is a member-owned cooperative and cannot be bought on any stock exchange. It is one of the few major hotel groups without public shareholders.

How many hotels does WorldHotels have?
The group reports more than 4,000 hotels across 18 brands in over 100 countries and territories, with roughly 3,920 operating properties as of 2026 and a pipeline of more than 400.

When was the company founded?
The cooperative began in 1946 as Best Western, a referral network of independent motels founded by Merrill K. Guertin. It incorporated as Best Western International in 1966, renamed itself BWH Hotels in 2021, and adopted the WorldHotels name in October 2026.

What is WorldHotels Rewards?
WorldHotels Rewards is the unified loyalty program launching January 5, 2027, merging Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards. It consolidates the group's roughly 62 million loyalty members into a single program with three tiers.

Founded: 1946
Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Company Type: Privately Held
Revenue: Not publicly disclosed (member-owned cooperative)
Employees: Approximately 1,000 corporate staff

Visit WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels) website

View full company profile for WorldHotels (formerly BWH Hotels)

Where Is Best Western Plus Made / Based?

Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Best Western Plus Categories & Tags

Hotels Upper Midscale Hospitality Franchise Travel Lodging

Best Western Plus Recalls & Controversies

The October 2026 renaming of the parent to WorldHotels drew member criticism because three quarters of the cooperative's member hotels carry a Best Western flag, and some owners objected that they were not given a vote on adopting the new masterbrand name. Management has stressed that individual brand names, including Best Western Plus, are unchanged.

The cooperative's governance structure has periodically produced member friction over fees and brand standards, a structural feature of a one-hotel, one-vote system where owners push back on required property investments.

Like other large chains, the brand faces standard hospitality scrutiny over loyalty program terms and property compliance at independently owned hotels. No major systemic controversies specific to Best Western Plus have been reported as of November 2026.

Best Western Plus Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Largest flag in a 4,000-plus hotel cooperative network
+Cooperative economics keep profits with member hoteliers
+Established upper-midscale positioning with broad US distribution
+62 million loyalty members feeding the reservation system
+Consistent brand standards with upgrade path from base Best Western

Considerations

-Best Western name carries mid-market familiarity but limited premium cachet
-Faces intense upper-midscale competition from Hilton and Marriott flags
-Cooperative governance produced member friction over the 2026 rebrand
-Property quality varies across independently owned member hotels
-Brand strength concentrated in North America versus global rivals

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Western Plus

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Best Western Plus

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson	Choice Hotels	USA	1987	Mid market	North america	All Genders
Wyndham Garden	Wyndham Hotels	USA	1993	Mid market	Global	All Genders
Airbnb	Airbnb	USA	2008	Mass market	Global	All Genders
Canopy by Hilton	Hilton Worldwide	USA	2014	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Conrad Hotels & Resorts	Hilton Worldwide	USA	1985	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Courtyard by Marriott	Marriott International	USA	1983	Mass market	Global	All Genders