BWH Hotels Eyes a Bigger Hospitality Future as New Hotels and Traveller Demand Accelerate

Written By: Ananya Dey

Ananya Dey

I amAnanya Dey, a Journalism and Mass Communication postgraduate with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science (Honours). I am passionate about travel, writing, and research, with a strong interest in storytelling and content creation.

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August 17, 2026 10:41 PM |

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BWH Hotels Eyes a Bigger Hospitality Future as New Hotels and Traveller Demand Accelerate, and the reason is clear. The group is expanding its pipeline, opening more brands to different traveller segments and targeting stronger regional growth. BWH Hotels Eyes a Bigger Hospitality Future as New Hotels and Traveller Demand Accelerate because midscale, lifestyle, luxury and extended-stay demand is creating new opportunities. Saudi Arabia remains its largest Gulf and Middle East market, while Dubai adds an established operating base. With projects across major cities and a wider global network, BWH Hotels is positioning itself for faster hospitality growth over the coming years.

Saudi Arabia Becomes a Major BWH Hotels Growth Market

BWH Hotels has identified the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, as a high-priority expansion region. In its official May 2025 regional update, the company reported 19 hotels operating across the Middle East and another 22 properties in the pipeline. It also set a target of reaching 70 Middle East properties by 2027.

Saudi Arabia sits at the centre of this strategy. During 2025, BWH announced projects across Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, Makkah, Al Khobar and AlUla, covering luxury, upscale, midscale and extended-stay accommodation.

By October 2025, BWH Hotels said it had 11 new projects in Saudi Arabia, linking this development activity with the country’s Vision 2030 tourism ambitions.

Saudi Arabia Emerges as BWH Hotels’ Biggest Middle East Growth Market

At FHS Saudi Arabia, Wytze Van den Berg, President International Operations for BWH Hotels, told TTW interviewer Mohamad Ali that Saudi Arabia is the company’s biggest market in the Gulf and the Middle East. Including its pipeline, BWH Hotels has almost 30 hotels in Saudi Arabia and expects this number to grow to around 70 hotels over the next five years. Van den Berg explained that Saudi Arabia’s hotel market is not focused only on five-star luxury, with religious tourism, domestic tourism, international tourism and the growth of the midscale segment creating wider demand. He also highlighted opportunities in secondary cities and along new highways being developed across the country. Looking at the wider region, he said that when other markets such as Bahrain and Dubai are included, BWH Hotels expects its Middle East portfolio to reach around 100 hotels by 2030, while Egypt is also considered a major growth market. Van den Berg added that BWH Hotels has an 80-year hospitality history, operates in more than 100 countries worldwide and has almost 70 million people in its loyalty programme. This international reach gives the company information about what different travellers expect in service, brand standards, quality and technology, allowing its portfolio to serve upper-scale, economy, lifestyle, extended-stay and traditional hospitality segments.

Jeddah, Riyadh and Madinah Drive the Saudi Hotel Pipeline

Several confirmed signings show the geographic spread of BWH’s Saudi strategy. These include WorldHotels King Road in Jeddah, Best Western Premier in Riyadh, Best Western Centria Hotel in Riyadh and Best Western Premier Madinah Hotel.

Jeddah also features planned SureStay Studio properties and an Executive Residency project, showing how BWH is targeting different traveller segments rather than relying only on luxury accommodation.

The company’s Saudi portfolio also includes WorldHotels Crafted Sunflower Resort in AlUla and Aiden Shades Hotel in Jeddah. BWH had additionally announced Best Western Plus Hotel in Makkah and Executive Residency Al by Best Western Shafa Hotel in Jeddah in its development programme.

Dubai Gives BWH Hotels an Established UAE Presence

The United Arab Emirates adds another important Middle East market. BWH Hotels’ official UAE destination page currently lists three properties in Dubai: Best Western Plus Pearl Creek Dubai, Best Western Premier M Four Hotel Dubai and WorldHotels Crafted Media One Hotel Dubai.

This gives BWH exposure to different traveller groups, ranging from conventional Best Western guests to premium and lifestyle travellers using its WorldHotels portfolio.

BWH Hotels Middle East Expansion at a Glance

BWH Hotels’ Middle East expansion shows a clear focus on Saudi Arabia while maintaining an established presence in the United Arab Emirates. Official BWH data from May 2025 showed 19 operating hotels across the Middle East and another 22 properties in the pipeline, with the company targeting 70 properties in the region by 2027. Saudi Arabia is the main growth market. By October 2025, BWH Hotels reported 11 new projects across destinations including Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah, Makkah, Al Khobar and AlUla. These developments cover different accommodation segments, from luxury and upscale hotels to midscale and extended-stay properties, allowing the company to target leisure, business and longer-stay travellers. The United Arab Emirates provides a more established operating base, with BWH’s official website listing three properties in Dubai across Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier and WorldHotels Crafted brands. Globally, BWH Hotels operates approximately 4,300 hotels across more than 100 countries and territories through 18 brands. Together, the Saudi pipeline and Dubai portfolio show how BWH Hotels is using a multi-brand strategy to build a stronger Middle East presence while serving different traveller segments and supporting its wider international hospitality expansion.

BWH Hotels is looking towards a bigger hospitality future because its pipeline, brand diversity and traveller demand are growing together. Saudi Arabia is driving much of its regional expansion, with new projects planned across major cities and different hotel segments. Dubai provides an established base, while the wider Middle East remains central to future growth plans. The strategy goes beyond luxury. BWH Hotels is also targeting midscale, lifestyle, economy and extended-stay travellers. This broader approach gives the company more ways to meet changing travel needs. As new hotels move forward, BWH Hotels is building a larger and more flexible hospitality network.