| 1946 | Best Western Motels is founded by Guertin, a hotelier with 23 years of experience in the business. The chain is begun as an informal link between properties with each hotel recommending other lodging establishments to travelers. This "referral system" consists of phone calls from one front desk operator to another. |
| 1948 | Five million copies of the Best Western Motel (BWM) Guide were published. The 124-page book featured a four-color cover and was distributed through all of the major oil companies, by the 162 Western Motel members, 560 members of Quality Courts, affiliated east coast associations and Chamber of Commerce offices. |
| 1951 | The Best Western Round-Up was held Oct. 9-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and attended by 270 delegates. Major proposals included: · Encouraging closer cooperation with the affiliated organizations operating east of the Mississippi (Quality Courts) · Standardizing tourist court terms · Considering insurance for properties · Considering installation of laundries at properties · Considering expansion of the Best Western buying service |
| 1951 | In a guest editorial published in American Motel Magazine, Guertin spoke of the importance of advertising properties to the general traveling public. This was considered a very revolutionary approach in the industry. |
| 1960 | Requirements for Best Western membership asked that the motel be the "best" or "as good as the best" property in town. Each facility also had to have the following: fully carpeted floors, ceramic tile baths, the "best" of box springs and mattresses, good pillows, blankets and linens and matching furniture. Air conditioning was required in certain climates. The physical conditions of the property, as well as the owner and manager's reputation in the community, were considered before membership was granted. |
| 1960 | The Best Western Motel convention held in Las Vegas was attended by 750 members. Guertin was presented with the American Motel Magazine hall of fame award. |
| 1962 | Best Western had the only hospitality reservation service covering the entire United States and Canada. |
| 1962 | There were 670 Best Westerns in 25 western states and Canada. All of the properties offered free reservation service for their customers. |
| 1963 | Best Western was the largest motel chain in the industry with 699 member motels and 35,201 rooms. |
| 1964 | Best Western began using the crown logo with a rope border to identify member properties. |
| 1964 | The group of motels east of the Mississippi River was incorporated as Best Eastern, Inc. |
| 1965 | The Best Western Motel association was reformulated under the administrative structure of an executive secretary and a Headquarters staff. |
| 1966 | The entire membership, Best Western and Best Eastern, joined under the Best Western name. A seven person Board of Directors was elected by regional members to provide the leadership and make policy decisions. Guertin retires. |
| 1966 | The organization moved its headquarters from Long Beach, California, to Phoenix, Arizona. The Board decided to relocate because of the savings involved in centralizing operations and the potential of further expanding membership services. |
| 1966 | A major expansion of Best Western services was announced. Changes included: · Establishing a new reservation center offering one-step, toll-free service for business commuters, travel agents and vacationers through arrangements with American Express · Expanding into Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific · Increasing membership standards · Opening sales offices in Washing ton, Montreal, Phoenix and Seattle · Establishing tie-ins with airlines and representatives from other transportation industry members. · Investigating stronger infiltration of tour and business meeting markets. |
| 1967 | Best Western signed a contract with Phillips Petroleum Company making it possible for more than 15 million customers to use their credit cards at Best Western properties. |
| 1968 | A total of 80,647 duplicate reservation checks were received by Headquarters. This figure represented a 100 percent increase in business over the previous year. |
| 1968 | Best Western began investigating the WATS computer reservation plan for possible use in various phases of operations. |
| 1970 | The Quality Control program was begun to help monitor the condition of individual properties and encourage up-dating efforts. |
| 1971 | With the initiation of the new American Express Reservation System, Best Western members enjoyed the advantages of the industry's finest no-show program. Member properties would now receive reimbursement if customers failed to use their guaranteed reservations. |
| 1972 | Properties were required to accept six major credit cards. Reservations that were charged were considered "guaranteed" and rooms had to be held for the entire night. Properties had the right to bill for "no show" clients. |
| 1972 | An expansion of services offered through the Reservations Center enabled properties to list five categories of rooms and better assist customers in their choice of accommodations. |
| 1973 | Because of the surge in summer business, the Reservation Center began 24-hour operation. |
| 1974 | Best Western decided to drop its referral organization image, eliminate the word "motel" from its name and begin competing directly with other full-service lodging chains. |
| 1974 | Best Western opened its own Reservations Center at the Best Western Headquarters on Nov. 18. |
| 1975 | The Education and Training department was established at Headquarters to assist members in the operation of their properties and supervision and development of their employees. |
| 1976 | An agreement was signed with a group of properties in Mexico further expanding Best Western's international representation. |
| 1976 | Best Western began its push for foreign expansion. Affiliation agreements were signed with 411 properties in Australia and New Zealand. |
| 1977 | To meet the demands of rapid growth, a multi-million dollar Best Western International Headquarters complex was designed and built in northeast Phoenix. |
| 1977 | The Board voted to standardize the look of outdoor billboards. Adoption of firm graphic standards with precise specifications on color, type size, and size of logos provided a more defined look for the almost 15,000 Best Western outdoor billboards saturating the highways of the United States and Canada. |
| 1977 | Quality Control inspectors awarded up to 30 points on inspection reports for properties that met Best Western's new handicapped facility requirements. A company publication, Barrier-Free Design, was made available to members to help them adapt their lodging establishments for disabled travelers. |
| 1977 | The phrase, "world's largest lodging chain" became a part of Best Western's corporate identification and advertising theme. |
| 1978 | Best Western experienced further international expansion into the European market with the addition of Best Western Interchange Hotels, a network of 108 hotels and country inns in England, Scotland and Wales. Shortly after this move, Best Western signed an affiliation agreement with Ireland's Irish Welcome Hotels. |
| 1979 | Best Western was accommodating 15 million guests and generating $1 billion in room sales. |
| 1979 | The Board of Directors authorized the design of a multi-million dollar, wholly-owned computerized reservations systems. The new system featured instantly retrievable guest records and reduced errors while improving the speed of service. |
| 1979 | More than 800 STAR terminals were in use at Best Western properties and were generating $787,249 worth a property-to-property reservations. |
| 1980 | Agreements were signed bringing 19 properties in Denmark, 120 properties in France, 19 properties in Finland, 23 properties in Spain, 19 properties in Sweden and 93 properties in Switzerland into the chain. By this time, Best Western's 903 international affiliates comprised 34 percent of the chain's total membership. |
| 1980 | Best Western membership rose to 2,654 hoteliers worldwide. |
| 1981 | By Dec., the Phoenix reservation center had handled six million calls. |
| 1981 | A new corporate communications program was implemented at Headquarters to better communicate with the members and external public. New publications included Best Western Quarterly Magazine, Trade Notes, Innteract, Best Western Reports and What's News. |
| 1981 | The Eastern Reservations Center was opened in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to handle travel agent reservations. The new center was expected to generate $90,000,000 per year in sales. |
| 1981 | The European Reservations Network linking 11 major cities in continental Europe to the main computer in Phoenix was established to provide an easier way for foreign travelers to stay Best Western. |
| 1981 | In Aug., a satellite reservations center was established inside the Arizona Center for Women (ACW), a minimum-security correctional facility in Phoenix. This innovative venture, employing inmates as reservations sales agents, answered the chain's business need for a flexible work force. The program brought numerous awards and worldwide attention to Best Western. |
| 1981 | Best Western was now known as the world's largest chain of independently-own hotels. |
| 1984 | Best Western saw a moderate but steady expansion with the addition of 139 domestic properties and 35 foreign properties. The chain had grown to include 3,000 properties in 28 countries. |
| 1984 | Best Western was named Employer of the Year by the Southwest Project With Industry. The award recognized Headquarter's continuing efforts to provide equal employment opportunities for the handicapped. |
| 1985 | A tele-training program for members was started through Headquarters, making Best Western the first in the hospitality industry to employ the new technology. This new training concept enabled Best Western to bring classroom training, transmitted over telephone lines, directly to members. |
| 1986 | Best Western was honored by President Ronald Reagan for its support of a summer youth work program. |
| 1987 | The Eastern Reservations Center was relocated to Wichita, Kansas, and the Winston-Salem facility closed. |
| 1987 | Best Western's worldwide expansion continued with the addition of Israel, Norway and Portugal to its affiliate membership. |
| 1988 | STAR III, billed as the most advanced property management system in the industry, made its debut at the International Convention. |
| 1988 | The Gold Crown Club for frequent travelers was launched in Sept.. Within a year, it would report more than 200,000 members and sales of more than $40 million. |
| 1989 | Best Western announced plans to build a new operations center in northwest Phoenix to accommodate the growth in services. |
| 1990 | The International Operations Center opened in northwest Phoenix and all reservations operations at the Headquarters building were moved. |
| 1992 | Best Western announced plans to develop consolidated reservations offices (CROs) in Europe. The first, in Frankfurt, opened in Jan. 1992. A month later, a similar center opened in Milan. Another, to be located in Dublin, was scheduled to begin operation in 1994. |
| 1992 | The Arizona Center for Women satellite reservations center closed. |
| 1993 | The brand identity study, now complete, recommended the adoption of a new Best Western logo and identity. On Nov. 30, the members approved the adoption of a new logo and officially retired the Gold Crown logo. |
| 1993 | Worldwide growth continued with new affiliate members in Russia, Lithuania and Japan. |
| 1995 | Best Western announced its first listings on the Internet. Full information on 150 member properties, including photographs, became instantly available via personal home computer. |
| 1996 | At the 1996 Governors' Conference, governors were introduced to LYNX, the new reservations system, and NOVA, the new property system--all tied together by VSAT (very small aperture terminal) satellite system. |
| 1996 | The Reservations Center at Northern Arizona University opened. The partnership with the Schools of Hotel and Restaurant Management positioned Best Western to handle an additional 1 million calls a year. |
| 1996 | BW opens door to new hotels in China and Vietnam. BW named official hotel of Six Flags theme parks. BW Launches call for vintage postcard memorabilia. George Bush to speak at '96 Convention. |
| 1997 | Snuggle float wins Kachina award at Fiesta Bowl parade. Gold Crown joins logos of the past. New look website launches. Site is a hit with travelers; industry. New Orleans convention sets new record for attendance. |
| 1998 | Tests start on new Web site. Electronic locks required by Jan 1, 1999. BW and NAACP form partnership. |
| 1999 | Mike Scholz named board chairman. James P. Evans named president and CEO. New Web site launched. Budget reduced $8.5 million with minimal member impact. Consort Hotels merges with BW Great Britain. Critical BW systems ready for Y2K. BW airline program adds TWA. |
| 2000 | BW launches diversity marketing campaign. Cindy Binkele elected 2000-2001 board chairwoman, the first woman to hold the position in company history. |
| 2001 | Customer appreciation day scores huge success. BWI sales hit $140 million in record year. The World's Largest Hotel Chain™ launched as new positioning strategy. |
| 2002 | Best Western members implement BestRequests™, a uniform worldwide package of amenities and services. |
