Best Western Parent CEO Pushes Global Growth to Challenge Bigger Rivals

BWH Group, the folks who run Best Western and 17 other brands, added nearly 100 hotels in the first half of 2025. CEO Larry Cuculic argues that not being a public company gives the group an edge.

BWH Hotels, the company behind Best Western and other brands, added nearly 100 hotels in the first half of this year, with much of that growth coming from international markets. The challenge? Its major competitors are also making aggressive pushes worldwide.

The Phoenix-based group is targeting high-demand regions including Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific as it works toward expanding its footprint by 16% to 5,000 hotels worldwide within five years.

"We're not just meeting the steady demand for travel, we're anticipating it," said Larry Cuculic, BWH's president and CEO.

Globally, BWH's development pipeline includes more than 200 hotels, representing 15,000 rooms, the company said this week. The company has signed eight new Middle East properties this year alone and aims to reach 70 hotels in that region by 2027. In India, it has 50 hotels open and in the pipeline.

Recent additions span from luxury properties like the Soul Spring Sanctuary in Mexico to the group's first glamping resort (Zion Wildflower Resort) near Zion National Park in Utah.

BWH operates as a membership organization rather than a traditional franchise com