David Clarke, CEO of Best Western, went undercover in some of the brands’ UK hotels to see if their recently launched ‘hotels with personality’ campaign was successfully being implemented. Best Western is an international marketing company which sets a standard for those independent hotels under its banner (standards vary from country to country as with star ratings). UK membership benefits (guidelines) states that two quality assessments are made each year they are a member and if they persistently do not meet the standard then they will be removed. As the majority of Best Western hotels (90%) are in the 3* market with the remainder in the 4* bracket, services and amenities within these hotels should be to the AA 3* rating (AA ratings are downloadable from the AA or from our DesignClub Downloads area)which specifies all rooms being en-suite. Restaurants should open to residents and non-residents and the rooms should offer good quality furniture with good quality food served at breakfast.
The Best Western Atlantic Hotel in Chelmsford is a decent 3* representative of the average client for Best Western, and its design and housekeeping puts some local competitor 4* establishments to shame.
Despite opening 11 years ago, the hotel has certainly been given some TLC in its time. The carpets are clean, walls are painted regularly, upholstery on the furniture is almost perfect and whilst you may think this is all pretty standard stuff, there is a real sense of pride from the staff which makes this hotel an ambassador for the ‘hotels with personality’ campaign.
The lobby/ reception area has a ‘wow factor’ with two feature walls in dark wood panels, large floor-to-ceiling windows and contemporary artwork. This is one of the most impressive public areas of the hotel as the staircase leads up to an open first floor seating area and entrance to the guest room corridors. Reception provides information on the local area and more about Best Western Hotels. Furniture is contemporary and upholstered with bold colours to make a striking first impression.
