'The status quo was no longer relevant': How Best Western is supporting its hotels through COVID-19
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'The status quo was no longer relevant': How Best Western is supporting its hotels through COVID-19
Best Western Australasia Managing Director Graham Perry says quick and immediate action has helped the brand adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 climate.
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Best WesternBest Western Australasia General Manager Graham Perry.
Best Western Australasia Managing Director Graham Perry was preparing to embark on a family holiday when everything changed.
Having just returned from regional meetings with the brand's hotels, he was due to flight out to Noosa for a week-long break.
But on that Friday night in mid-March as the COVID-19 situation deepened, he quickly came to realise his familly would have to go on without him.
"I instinctively understood that everything had changed and literally overnight," he said.
"My family went without me, and I worked with my senior team the whole weekend planning our response.
“The status quo was no longer relevant; we were no longer just Australia talking about recovery from bushfires, drought and floods.
"The whole world had changed.
“My family didn’t make the week and were home by Tuesday.”
In the following weeks, Best Western Australasia (BWA) would introduce a wide range of new initiatives designed to support its 100 hotels across Australia and New Zealand through the COVID 19 crisis.
This included providing significant fee relief funded by salary sacrifices of all BWA staff; delivering regular communications, recommendations and advice, including guidance on enhanced cleaning and operational procedures, timely information on government support programs, and updates on travel restrictions; unearthing innovative hyper local sales leads and opportunities for guests needing to self-isolate and those supporting essential services; and providing a Local Sales & Marketing toolkit specifically tailored to travel conditions within Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Perry, said the senior team had convened daily since mid-March to Best Western was able to adapt and take immediate action.
"We have been able to review the unfolding facts, debate the consequences and react as one by implementing a range of measures to sustain our hotels," he said.
"We’ve become a highly nimble and responsive group, delivering comprehensive and ongoing innovations and support as and when required to help our hotels remain open and perform as best they can.”
The Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn. Source: Best Western Hovell Tree Inn Facebook.
“In all cases, our sales and marketing team have unearthed multiple opportunities for our hotels to help them identify and win business.
"If opportunities existed, we found them.”
The efforts of the Best Western team have not gone unnoticed by its hotels.
Chris Inzitari, Director of INZ Group which operate Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn in Albury, said the brand has "had their back" throughout the pandemic.
“This has been, and continues to be, a very difficult time for us," he said.
"From the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel we have been kept informed and updated at every step, particularly with the various government lock-down measures and subsequent stimulus packages.
"This communication, together with ongoing support from the sales team, has enabled us to really focus on keeping our business afloat.”
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