A co-worker has asked for some hotel advice for Italy. My family typically travels more modestly than my co-worker travels.

So before I tell him to simply 'Look for a Best Western hotel', has anyone on this website ever experienced a major problems in a Best Western hotel in Italy (or Europe)?
We had a great experience in the one that we stayed at and at euro140-150, it wasn't too expensive.

Thanks

no bad experiences of Best western anywhere.
I have stayed in many Best Western Hotels over many years and always thought they were good value for money.my most recent experince at the end of May was in the Best Western Hotel Pav in Prague and it was an excellent choice.
One thing I have found with Italian hotels is that their star ratings tend to be on the generous side.
so i would alway take a 1/2 star of most ratings quoted.don't know why this is ,and don't know if anyone else feels this but it is just my experience of many of the Italian hotels I have stayed in.

Hi BR,

Almost all European BWs are individually owned.

If you had a good stay at one, tell your friend "We enjoyed our stay at xxxxx".

You are not giving a guarantee of satisfaction or a seal of approval.

The star ratings in Italy and I think all of Europe only indicate services available at a hotel - they do not indicate quality! It is different than in the US.

Your friend can check out reviews of any Best Western he might be interested in on Tripadvisor. As another poster stated, they are individually owned, usually in old / historic buildings. Not a uniform entity like here in US. All that being sid, they are usually a decent value and fairly comfortable accomodations.

Surely ALL Best Westerns - in America, just like everywhere else - are independently owned?

The only difference between the US and Europe is that in North America the buildings are a lot more similar to each other. But they're virtually all owned by different people.

yes, I think all BW everywhere are individually owned -- well, mostly. I am not sure but I think I read somewhere that there are/were some BWs in the US that were owned by BW, but not sure. Most are not.

There is a bigger difference than all buildings are similar in the US. I don't know why, but the difference is that in the US, regular hotels are not often Best Westerns, they are usually smaller motels. I think there are a few large BWs in some big cities in the US, but there isn't nearly as many regular hotels or medium sized ones as in Europe. I have never seen a medium-sized or "boutique" hotel as a BW in the US in a city. They are always huge modern things that are lower-end. SO it isn't just the stle of buildings in the US vs. Europe, don't agree with that.

Best Western is not a chain like Sheraton or Westin or Hyatt. They are all individually owned hotels. So one good experience may or may not have anything to do with the next.

Very true Suze - we found that out in teh Us. My husband has a BW frequent sleeper card, or whatever it's called, so we used a few BW's but the quality varied. Never grim, occasionally fantastic, but not the constant level you would get from a chain.

an old boyfriend cheated on me at a BW once, I havent been to one since....

Christina, I have not had your experience with BW's in the US: "They are always huge modern things that are lower-end. "

A quick look at the BW site for US hotels shows many small hotels throughout the country.

I have stayed at many BW hotels in both the USA and Europe. I believe they are ALL individually owned. That said, IME the quality of BW hotels in Europe has always been superior to that of BW hotels in the USA. HOWEVER, the BW hotels I've stayed at in the USA were always in big cities. In Europe, I've mostly stayed at ones outside of big cities, usually in towns or out in the countryside. I stayed at one outside Colmar many years ago (wish I could remember the name) that was one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever been to. I consider them to be quite a bargain in Europe; in the USA, not so much.

We stayed at a Best Western in Spain (El Escorial) and it was the worst hotel of our trip.

Our room, on check-in had an ashtray and reeked of smoke....we requested a non-smoking room. When we asked the front desk whether it was a smoking or non-smoking room, the receptionist asked, "What did you request?" When we told her our preference, she said, indeed it was non-smoking but couldn't explain the ashtray and odor.

There were other problems as well....none of which I thought reflected on Best Western.....just on the individual hotel management.

Most Best WEsterns are franchises and the quality can vary tremendously - as can the location and the rates.

For europe you definitely need to research each city for yourself, balancing cost, location, amenities etc - unless you're in the position to just to just wander from one Mandarin Oriental to Ritz Carlton to the next - and even then you have to check locations.

Thanks everyone,

No one came up with any horror stories so I feel okay with what I say to my co-worker. If he wants the 'perfect' hotel then he can do the research. The exact situation is Venice, and there are several Best Westerns and he has to do the research anyway.

We all know that some people think the hotel star rating is similar to the ratings typically used for restaurants and we all know that this not how it works.

Again Thanks

Best Western is not a hotel company - and they are not franchises in the traditional sense. They are individually owned members of a non-profit assn. that provides marketing and reservations support.

One cannot generalize about BWs anywhere - including the USA. There are posh, high end, expensive BW's, and small, Mom & Pop motels in off the beaten path locations.

So how good or bad any specific BW is depends almost 100% on its owners. Some are great - some not.

When I book a place - I look for something that fits my budget w/ the amenities I want in the location I want -- and don't give a fig if it is a Best Western or not.

Hi J,

>an old boyfriend cheated on me at a BW once...<

Go out with older men. They are less likely to cheat.