BWH Hotels, the company behind Best Western, plans to add independent hotels in smaller cities in India as it brings its worldwide portfolio under one name, WorldHotels. The company is privately held and based in Phoenix, Arizona. Business Standard reported that it operates thirty-four hotels in India and has twenty-six more in development.
BWH Hotels will unite more than 4,000 hotels and eighteen brands in over 100 countries under WorldHotels. Individual hotels keep their own names and signs. A single loyalty program, WorldHotels Rewards, merges Best Western Rewards with the earlier WorldHotels program. It has more than 70 million members and launches January 5, 2027.
Larry Cuculic, president and chief executive officer of WorldHotels, said in the company’s news release: “We have a hotel for virtually every travel occasion, but many travelers only know a portion of our portfolio.”
The India plan. Whalesbook reported that BWH Hotels targets 100 hotels in India by the fiscal year ending March 2030. Growth will shift to smaller cities, mainly by converting existing independent hotels rather than building new ones. Under franchise or management contracts, owners keep their properties. BWH Hotels supplies the brand, marketing and operating standards in return for fees. The report credits better road, rail and air links to smaller towns with creating demand for branded rooms.
Ranjan Bhattacharya, chairman of WorldHotels India and South Asia, said the company’s commitment to India reflects confidence in the country’s potential, according to media reports. He said the company will combine global standards with local character.
Why this matters. For American hospitality and franchise companies weighing India, the plan shows one route: sign owners who already have hotels, supply the brand and the standards, and let the owner carry the cost of the property.
