First Vīb project in North America

Best Western International signs first Vīb project in North America

PHOENIX (April 24, 2015) Best Western International announced the first two deals signed in North America to develop its new urban boutique concept Vīb (as in Vibrant). In addition, the brand has announced the first international Vīb hotel will be developed in Seoul, South Korea. Best Western first announced Vīb, a chic, hip, urban boutique hotel concept focused on style, technology and guest engagement at the brand’s annual convention. 

“Since the launch of Vīb we have had tremendous interest from hotel developers, especially entrepreneurs who have not developed Best Western hotels previously,” said Mike Muir, vice president Best Western North American development. “Vīb is the only boutique concept designed for the upper midscale hotel segment and fills a niche that developers and customers want. What is so exciting for Best Western is that Vīb is no longer a concept but is now a reality. We are thrilled that our first two projects in North America are in such high visibility markets like Miami and Chicago.” 

Vīb Miami 
Rebuild Miami-Edgewater, LLC is developing Vīb as the cornerstone of a larger residential and retail project on 7.3 acres in Miami’s Arts and Entertainment District. Located three blocks from the water, near the Art Center and the new EXPO Center being constructed, Vīb is being developed as a 200 room, 10 story hotel expected to break ground in November 2015. 

“The site where we are developing Vīb is an eclectic neighborhood full of art studios, hip restaurants, and independent shops and is home to Miami’s famous festival, Art Basel. Our family has been involved in developing and investing in Miami for many years and we view this project as an example of our continued commitment to investing in our communities. This project will add to the Vibrancy of the Arts and Entertainment District and be a boost to the local economy,” said Richard Meruelo of Rebuild Miami-Edgewater. 

Vīb Chicago 
In Chicago, Vīb is being developed on Cicero Avenue across from the upscale, high traffic Midway Hotel Complex in the Chicago/Midway International Airport market, by entrepreneurs Balkrishna Patel and his sons Parth and Amit. With the unique size and shape of the site, this will be a very visible gateway three story, 74 room hotel. The area has seen a resurgence in commercial growth, with the city and local government spearheading the economic redevelopment of the area. 

“We have been looking for a hotel development opportunity in this area for many years,” said Amit Patel. “Once we had the site we wanted, we looked at the various hotel products that we could develop and felt that Vīb offered us the type of contemporary, stylish hotel that was unique to the market and would allow us to effectively compete. We are looking forward to breaking ground mid-to-late summer.” 

With several other projects under consideration, the development team continues to focus on opportunities in major markets including: New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. 

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC. 

Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,000+* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers six hotel products to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS®, BEST WESTERN PREMIER®, BEST WESTERN PLUS EXECUTIVE RESIDENCY^SM, Vîbs^SM and BW Premier Collection^SM. Now celebrating 69 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 22 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, Minor League Baseball, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western continues to set industry records and accolades, including Business Travel News top chain award for both BEST WESTERN and BEST WESTERN PLUS, three consecutive Compuware Best of the Web gold awards and six consecutive AAA/CAA Hotel Partner of the Year awards. Forty percent of Best Western-branded hotels worldwide won TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence awards for customer satisfaction. 

For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.bestwestern.com. 

*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.