Best Western accesses Net via satellite

Best Western International said it will roll out satellite-based Internet access to 1,000 of its 2,300 hotels in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, with some locations getting free wireless connectivity. Best Western is a nonprofit membership organization of 4,100 independently owned hotels around the world.

Best Western plans to use Future Visions' Netlink satellite service and to complete its first round of installations by September, aiming to attract more business travelers, it said in a statement.

[waltermorales]

Best Western

In your report about Best Western, you had stated that Best Western was a nonprofit company. I have been in the travel business for 25 years and have worked with Best Western in the past. They have never been a nonprofit company. They are a franchise hotel company, but not a non profit organization.

Please correct this misinformation to your readers since this may say something of the credibility of your stories.

Best Western is non profit

I am sorry to disagree with you, but Best Western International, the parent company is non-profit. They receive a 7% commission on ALL sales at the member hotels and use it to pay for their international reservation system, property management software, technical support for Internet and phone systems, advertising and if they have any extra money left over in June of every year, they must give it back to the hotels. They used the bulk of the proceeds from october 1, 2003 thru Sept 30, 2004 to pay for their WiFi and Internet plans for each hotel. Unlike Cendant and Choice, BWI actually compensates the hotels a good deal of money to get this installed.

Each hotel is a member hotel, or franchise, and is profitable, or at least should be.

[George Cole]

never been a nonprofit company

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[uk-forum]

Best Western

I have worked with Best Western (Paris - France) in the past. They are a franchise hotel company, with great Internet access ( <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.highspeedsat.com/installsfrance.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.highspeedsat.com/installsfrance.htm</a> ) in all rooms.