Best Western International, Inc. is a global hospitality company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, founded in 1946 by M.K. Guertin. It operates as a leading global hospitality network under the umbrella of BWH Hotels, which also includes WorldHotels and SureStay Hotels. The company is privately held and functions as a nonprofit association of independently owned and operated hotels that license the Best Western Hotels & Resorts brand. As of December 2025, Best Western International, Inc. employs approximately 17,860 people worldwide. Its estimated annual revenue is around $8.1 billion.
Best Western's core business revolves around licensing its diverse portfolio of hotel brands and providing marketing, reservation, and operational support to its member hotels. The company's brand portfolio encompasses 19 distinct brands across various chain scale segments, ranging from economy to luxury, including Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier, Vīb, GLō, Aiden, Sadie, BW Premier Collection, BW Signature Collection, Executive Residency by Best Western, @HOME by BWH, and several SureStay and WorldHotels brands. It also offers online reservation services and partners with airline and car rental companies.
Best Western International, Inc. appears to be an operating company that defends against patent infringement suits. The company's patent litigation posture is characterized by its single appearance as a defendant and no appearances as a plaintiff in tracked cases.
The sole tracked case involving Best Western International, Inc. is VDPP, LLC v. Best Western International, Inc. et al., where Best Western is a defendant. The lawsuit, brought by VDPP, LLC, a non-practicing entity (NPE), has been filed across multiple jurisdictions including the District of Arizona, the Northern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of Texas. VDPP, LLC has also filed similar patent infringement lawsuits against other technology companies, often involving patents related to 3D viewing or image processing technology.