Best Western Unveils New Vib Prototype

Five years after the first Vib hotel opened in Antalya, Turkey, Best Western Hotels & Resorts is relaunching the urban, upscale boutique brand with a new prototype in Tempe, Ariz., the company announced Wednesday.

The Tempe hotel is expected to serve as a model for future Vib properties. It will also be the franchisor’s first corporate-owned and -managed property. The Vib Tempe offers a lobby that the company said is designed for collaboration and can be extended to host larger events. The property also includes a Cousins Maine Lobster restaurant in Arizona.

Vib, which has locations in Bangkok, Antalya and Springfield, Mo., has 10 properties in its global pipeline, in destinations like Cape Town, South Africa; Denver and the Greek island of Crete. The brand is designed for “urban and dense suburban” areas, according to the company.

Terri Hardin  www.businesstravelnews.com