PRNewswire PHOENIX Nov. 4 :

Best Western added 64 hotels to the brand during the company`s third
fiscal quarter ending Aug. 31, 2003. Thirty-one of the new additions were
North American hotels while the remaining 33 were international properties
catapulting the brand`s total number of hotels past the 4,100 mark with a
total of 4,105 properties and 312,329 rooms worldwide.

In North America, six hotels were new construction projects. The remaining
32 were formerly independent properties or conversions from other brands.

Notable North American additions in the second quarter include: Best
Western Yankee Drummer Inn in Auburn, Mass., 159 rooms; Best Western
Maingate East in Kissimmee, Fla., 221 rooms and the Best Western Big Bear
Chateau in Big Bear Lake, Calif. with 80 rooms.

“Best Western continues to see steady growth throughout the United States
and Canada,” according to Mark Williams, vice president of North American
Development for Best Western. “During the third quarter we added three
hotels each in several states including Florida, Texas, Tennessee and
California. We also added two each in Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky.”

“Our development team continues to look for opportunities to grow our
brand strategically and in a diverse range of markets as evidenced by
these latest additions,” Williams added.

Internationally, Best Western continued development efforts with new
properties in Europe and the South Pacific.

The United Kingdom portfolio grew with the addition of seven new hotels,
followed by four in Australia and three each in Finland, Germany and New
Zealand.

“According to a recent HVS International Franchise Fees Analysis Guide,
Best Western was the mid-rate brand with the lowest franchising fees,”
said David Kong, senior vice president, global strategy and development
for Best Western. “When compared to our competitive set, our owners
benefit from significantly lower fees backed by global brand recognition
and global quality standards making Best Western a better brand
affiliation.”

“This value resonates across the globe and allows Best Western to build a
brand presence far superior to that of any other,” Kong added.

Best Western International is THE WORLD`S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN(R) with more
than 4,100 hotels in 80 countries and territories. Best Western is a
membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that
provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members.

For more information about Best Western, visit the Best Western Newsroom at
http://www.bestwestern.com/newsroom.
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