US: WorldHotels announced the creation of a new boutique brand at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit yesterday.
The new brand, named the Crafted Collection, is designed to be a curated collection of independent hotels featuring cutting edge design.
WorldHotels hopes to use this brand to let independent hoteliers tap into their local community’s energy, with the backing of WorldHotels’ marketing and rewards resources. The hotels will have minimal branding requirements, instead focusing on unique, creative looks.
The company hope to promote a spirit of creativity and a drive towards immersive experiences within the industry. With emphasis on authenticity, the only requirement laid out at the moment, is maintenance of a 4.5 average score on TripAdvisor.
WorldHotels CEO Kristin Ingress said of the development: “The announcement of this new collection perfectly showcases the tremendous future that lies ahead for WorldHotels and our family of creative, innovative and independent hoteliers…. With bold style and strategically designed social spaces, travellers will be pulled from their rooms to experience something more than the status quo.”
This is continuing a year of improvement and growth for WorldHotels. The company appointed Ingress as their new CEO, announced a merger with Best Western (BWH) at IHIF 2019, and started their Affinity Program, a travel support program partnered with Forbes.
For BWH, this represents a significant expansion in offerings, with 18 distinct offerings available across multiple market segments. BWH CEO David Kong said in a press release: “I am thrilled to see WorldHotels flourish under the BWH Hotel Group umbrella.”
“The WorldHotels Crafted Collection is set to become one of the most authentic, daring and brave collections of independent hotels around the globe.”
