How to Have a ‘Premier’ Stay with Best Western

Sometimes it’s critical to take it up a notch. Just ask world famous chef Emeril Lagasse who has spent his entire career doing just that. And in the world of travel, some of us guests crave doing just that. That is, adding more pizzazz to our travel experiences, or staying in a more upscale hotel that creates the right impression for that big meeting you’re hosting.

An alternative way to impress potential or existing clients, use the word pizzazz. It’s guaranteed to impress, but must be used alongside jazz hands for full effect. I’ve closed many deals this way. Ok, I haven’t, not even one, but I keep trying. One more great word: penumbra. But I haven’t figured out how to use it in a sentence. Or have I?

One company adding many hotels classifiable as taking it up several notches is Best Western Hotels & Resorts. Sure, we’re all familiar with Best Western’s clean, comfortable rooms we depend on for a quality stay experience. However, the company’s fast-growing collection of upscale hotels under the moniker of BW Premier Collection are most definitely notched up. (Not actually sure if that’s a legit phrase, but I’m going with it).

Here’s why: With more than 114 hotels in the eclectic collection and growing, these aren’t the typical branded hotels to which we’ve grown accustomed. Instead, these carefully curated hotels are actually independently owned and operated boutique hotels. See, the BW Premier Collection is actually what’s called a soft brand: incredibly upscale, design-forward hotels that connect to guests through the powerful Best Western reservation system. This way guests have access to amazing properties they can feel confident staying in, which also gives boutique hotel owners the edge. It’s a win-win for hoteliers and guests. As a business traveler, that’s something I can appreciate.

Take the Blake Hotel New Orleans, BW Premier Collection in New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s located right where everyone wants to be when visiting the Big Easy. It’s walking distance to Bourbon Street, Harrah’s Casino New Orleans, the convention center, and more important of all, Cafe du Monde, which is my essential stop for beignets and coffee.

More important, the Blake Hotel New Orleans has a contemporary design that honors the spirit of New Orleans. Plus, when I host one of those aforementioned meetings there, it’ll make me appear like a big shot, something I’m extremely desperate to feel. Wait, I suddenly realized I’m not at my psychotherapists’ office.

Anyways, these hotels have cocktail bars and restaurants too, in which I can hold my meetings while enjoying locally inspired food and drinks.

Best Western has these hotels in amazing places, such as Paris; Bucharest, Romania; Capri, Italy; Nagasaki, Japan; Melbourne, Australia and Vancouver, British Columbia. Plus, more are arriving every month as the company sees an incredible expansion of the BW Premier Collection. And each one features thoughtful design relevant and endemic of that specific location.

So, when I’m looking to be in the heart of a city and want to immerse myself within that vibe and culture of the neighborhood, I go local by staying in a BW Premier Collection hotel. It’s a great way to set the right tone for my meetings while also pampering myself that much more. Or — cue jazz hands — is that adding pizzazz to my life.