Best Western Hotels Showcases Phuket’s Stunning South Coast with Media Fam Trip

Phuket (Thailand) – September 10, 2019 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts has hosted an exclusive familiarization (fam) trip to Phuket, giving members of the media the opportunity to experience this popular Thai island’s tranquil south coast and stay at its brand new resort, Best Western Plus The Beachfront, Rawai.

The three-day, two-night fam trip invited leading editors, journalists and bloggers to discover the “real” Phuket, away from the bright lights and lively streets of the west coast. While Phuket is one of the world’s most popular beach resort destinations, the south coast retains an authentic and enchanting ambience that sets it apart from other parts of the island.

Nestled directly on Rawai Beach, overlooking the azure Andaman Sea, this stunning seafront hotel comprises 179 rooms and suites, all featuring modern amenities, kitchenettes, and private balconies or terraces, and some with direct access to the resort’s outdoor swimming pool. Other facilities include The Quest, an all-day dining restaurant, a stylish beachfront bar, children’s pool and fitness center.

On the first day, the guests were given the chance to experience the amazing flavors of southern Phuket. Firstly, a cooking class was hosted by the hotel’s expert chef to introduce the fresh local ingredients, followed by lunch at The Quest, which demonstrated the area’s most delectable dishes. Having enjoyed an afternoon at leisure, the group was treated to a memorable evening meal at a nearby seafood restaurant.

Day two allowed the guests to learn more about the landscape and attractions of southern Phuket. Following lunch at another excellent local eatery, the media delegates were taken to two of southern Phuket’s most picturesque places: Karon viewpoint, which offers spectacular vistas of the west coast, and Promthep Cape, the southern peninsula which is reputed to provide the most dramatic sunrise and sunset views.

The group was then able to explore the area’s rich Buddhist traditions at Wat Chalong, one of Phuket’s most important and impressive temples, which is only 5-minute drive away from the hotel, before returning to Best Western Plus The Beachfront for an unforgettable beachfront dinner at The Beach.

On the third and final day, the guests enjoyed a city tour of Phuket’s Old Town, a charming destination where colorful 19th Century shophouses and distinctive Sino-Portuguese architecture sits side-by-side with bustling markets and street food stalls before being transferred to the airport for their departure flight back to Bangkok.

“Phuket is visited by more than nine million* international visitors each year, and many more domestic guests, but how many travelers gain a real insight into the cultural heritage of the island? With its unique location on Phuket’s peaceful south coast, Best Western Plus The Beachfront surrounds guests with local treasures, including fishing villages, seafood markets and secluded stretches of sandy beach. This fam trip provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase this idyllic area of the island to our media friends. I look forward to presenting the wonders of southern Phuket to even more guests in the future,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia.

Best Western Plus The Beachfront is one of four Best Western hotels in Phuket, along with Best Western Premier Bangtao Beach Resort & Spa, Best Western Patong Beach, and Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort.

Journalists, bloggers and other members of the media who wish to experience Best Western’s hotels and resorts in Asia can contact our Marketing Communications Department by emailing sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com and phanintorn.tangtrongjit@bestwestern.com or dialing +66 (0) 2 656 1260.

About Best Western Hotels and Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of approximately 4,500 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide*. Best Western offers 16 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market. Best Western branded hotels include Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, Vīb®, GLō®, Aiden®, Sadie®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature Collection®. Through recent acquisition, Best Western now also offers WorldHotels® Luxury, WorldHotels Elite and WorldHotels Distinctive brands. Completing its portfolio, Best Western offers SureStay®, SureStay Plus®, and SureStay Collection® franchises**. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-midscale and midscale hotel brands respectively for two consecutive years, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won 10 consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 60 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in breakfast (food and beverage category) by J.D. Power’s 2018 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first for midscale; and second for upper midscale. Nearly 40 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-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
**All Best Western, WorldHotels and SureStay branded hotels are independently owned and operated.

Contact information:
Sirimanas Maungrod (Cake) | Senior Regional Marketing Communications Manager | Asia
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com

Phanintorn Tangtrongjit (Dream) | Assistant Marketing Communications Manager | Asia
Email: phanintorn.tangtrongjit@bestwestern.com