Identity
BWH Hotels Italy is a Cooperative Joint Stock Company established by member hotel keepers. Today, it counts 170 facilities in 100 leisure and business destinations all over Italy.
Set up in 1982, the Italian Cooperative represents Best Western International (based in Phoenix, Arizona) in Italy. BWI, which has been operating since 1946, is an independent brand with a global network of about 4500 hotels in over 100 countries all over the world.
The particular form of company chosen allows each member to own a share of the Cooperative and participate in the strategic decisions of the company by choosing the board directors and by expressing their vote during the general meetings. As provided for in the law of Cooperative Societies, the primary aim is to achieve the greatest benefit for the members.
The activities proposed are structured in order to generate benefits for the member hotels, through promotion and marketing campaigns of the brand and of member facilities, and to support the individual managements by offering centralised services and know-how, as well as leveraging on the costs.
Each hotel has an independent management and acts autonomously, whilst respecting the commitment taken with the network.
Since 2024 BWH Hotels Italia has officially become a Benefit Corporation, incorporating in its company by-laws the commitment to pursue six common-benefit purposes that reinforce the duty to operate responsibly, sustainably, and transparently towards people, communities, territories and the environment, cultural and social activities, entities and associations, and any other stakeholder on which the Company directly or indirectly generates an impact.
Institutional bodies
The company is administered by a Board of Directors composed of 10 members, 4 of whom are women.
The Board elects the President among its members, who is the legal representative of the company.
The headquarters in Italy consists of a staff of 90 people, 66% of whom are women, and is led by a CEO. The managerial roles are covered by women for 61%, including the CEO.
The governance of the group promotes models of inclusion and equality at all levels, from the Board to the hotel staff, and is based on principles of transparency and responsibility towards all the stakeholders.
The actions are guided by an ethical code.
Business Ethics
Security, innovation, sustainability and training are the keywords that BWH Hotels Italy puts at the service of the hotel keepers of the network.
Security
Privacy policy: BWH adopts standard operational, political procedures and guidelines that regulate the collection, handling, spread, transfer, filing and keeping of personal data of clients.
Cybersecurity: BWH has an IT office dedicated to the security of information networks and uses various technologies and processes to protect systems and data of clients.
Transparency: in order to ensure fairness and transparency in the management of business in accordance with the provisions of the law and to discourage unethical conduct in the performance of its company activities, BWH adopts an Organisation, Management and Control Model, ex D.Lgs. 231/2001 (c.d. MOG).
Innovation
Digitalisation: BWH steadily promotes digitalisation in the hotels with targeted projects: web check-in and check-out, digital payment, and virtual concierge. The pandemic has given a strong acceleration towards digital innovation, redefining new styles of hospitality, and aiming at the personalisation of the staying experience.
Energy efficiency: BWH supports hotels in reducing their environmental footprint seizing the opportunities offered by the European Union’s Recovery Plan and with collaborations that facilitate access to fundings for energy efficiency, with the aim of identifying all the possible incentives, contributions and allowances to minimize or zero the investment costs.
Sustainability
Equality and inclusion: BWH is engaged in creating a fair and inclusive workplace, where each employee can express their own talent and seize growth and career opportunities.
Environment: The protection of environment is one of the top priorities of BWH. Through the many projects and collaborations, the group has the aim of reducing its environmental footprint in terms of energy, water consumption footprint and CO2 emissions.
Procurement: BWH is engaged in collaborating with suppliers who adopt environmental and social practices, facilitating a programme of responsible and sustainable procurement.
Training
Training: BWH offers hotels a rich portfolio of training and webinars that guarantees high-level professional development and learning opportunities at all levels.
BWH complies with UNI EN ISO 9001:2005 for the “Design and delivery of hotel training courses in traditional and webinar mode”.
Collaborations: BWH has established long-standing strategic collaborations with leading universities and training institutes with the aim of developing projects with a high impact on brand awareness. These include Bocconi, IULM and Politecnico di Milano.
In 2024 BWH Hotels signed a partnership with Hospitality Innovation Academy (HIA) – the International Academy of Higher Education in Hospitality and Tourism with the aim of creating the first hotel-based Hotel Academy in Italy, at the WorldHotels Crafted Mulino in Florence, to offer training courses dedicated to the new resources and staff of BWH hotels.
Development of innovation in partnership
The innovation projects are carried on in partnership with selected players with the shared intention of creating value for the network and for the community of current and potential clients. The partnerships are developed and consolidated in the world of hotel procurement, technology or scientific research and personal services, according to the specific project. Among the partners: Bocconi University, Tesla, Porsche, LifeGate, l’Abilità, LifeTech, CityFriend.
Our initiatives meet the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs)
