Despite difficult trading conditions across hotel sector in the last couple of years, like-for-like, bookings at Best Western's 270 individual hotels were up 20.3 per cent on the same period last year.
Best Western hotels in Bristol and Birmingham saw the biggest jump with reservations up 48 per cent and 40 per cent respectively while the Lake District, Bournemouth and London also performed well.
Regionally, Best Western hotels in the South East experienced the biggest rise, with bookings across properties in that region rising 29 per cent. The North East and the South West were close behind with bookings up 21 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Bookings rose 17 per cent in the North West and 13 per cent in Scotland.
Value for money
Keith Pope, director of Best Western, attributed the group's success to 'providing great value for money and an individual hotels with personality customer experience'
He said: “It is a great positive message for the British hospitality industry as a whole. Our early indications show that the summer will also be busy one due to the number of people predicted to stay in the UK rather than travelling abroad for a traditional two weeks break."
Earlier this month Best Western announced it had signed up another nine hotels as members. All Best Western hotels are individually run but sign up to an agreement to uphold Best Western's values and standards.
Best Western's most popular areas for bookings in the past six months were:
- Bristol – 47.6 per cent
- Birmingham – 40.4 per cent
- Lake District -34.4 per cent
- Bournemouth – 29.8 per cent
- London – 28.9 per cent
- Bath – 24.6 per cent
- Edinburgh – 15.4 per cent
- York – 10 per cent