Why BWH Hotels got into the glamping game

INTERNATIONAL REPORT — BWH Hotels has become the latest major brand company to enter the glamping arena with the recent addition of Backdrop to its WorldHotels collection.

Larry Cucilic, CEO of Phoenix-based BWH Hotels, which has more than 4,000 hotels across 18 brands, explained the catalyst for the new flag to Hotel Investment Today.

“We always look at what the next BWH guest or consumer will be looking for, and as a result, we had an opportunity that presented itself to us with these two properties. There was no brand [within BWH] really to put them in,” he said.

A collection of upscale glamping retreats and outdoor escapes, the Backdrop portfolio will include canvas-tented accommodations, riverside cabins and lodges located in mountains, coastal and national park gateway destinations.

We always look at what the next BWH guest or consumer will be looking for, and as a result, we had an opportunity that presented itself to us with these two properties. There was no brand [within BWH] really to put them in.

Larry Cuculic

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The portfolio initially includes Zion Wildflower Resort near Zion National Park — which joined WorldHotels last year — as well as Asheville River Cabins along the French Broad River in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Cucilic talked about the nascent brand from the perspective of investors, noting, “you have to think out-of-the-box about where you’re putting them, but there are other considerations as well.”

He added, “It’s probably less capital-intensive at launch, but at the same time, you have the permitting and zoning challenges, which are non-traditional. So it takes someone who has kind of an innovative spirit to do it and find the right location.”

Cucilic added of the name, “it’s awesome…you’re staying with the Backdrop of the wilderness and the forests.” He further described the brand as a “global concept,” outlining its growth potential.

“There are opportunities in Africa around safaris, as well as South America, where you have undeveloped, but beautifully curated lands. In Australia, you’ve got the Outback, where these types of camps already exist. It’s now making sure that they can have global connectivity, as well as ensuring some level of brand experience,” he noted.

Cucilic, meanwhile, pointed to other growth initiatives within the WorldHotels portfolio, specifically its expansion into branded residences. The luxury independent brand also recently forged a partnership with De Historiske, a network of more than 102 hotels, restaurants and historic ships in Norway. In the initial phase of the partnership, 25 hotels will join the WorldHotels Crafted collection. 

“It’s the diversity of WorldHotels that’s going to continue to make it successful. You’ve got Backdrop; you’ve got wellness [focused product]; you have the more traditional but experiential WorldHotels properties; and now we’re extending into Residences to literally leverage the goodwill of the name,” said Cucilic.

The CEO also touted the recent opening of the company’s first @Home by Best Western in the U.S., in St. George, Utah, earlier this month. Designed to blend apartment-style living with hotel convenience, the four-story, 92-key property was developed in partnership with Prime Hospitality.

The St. George development builds on the recent opening of the extended-stay brand’s first hotel in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada. Another @HOME by Best Western is slated to debut near Atlanta in late 2026. Cucilic noted the brand is projected to reach 34 hotels in development by the end of the year.

“The pipeline’s pretty strong and we offer an owner-based fee structure for those as a development incentive program,” he noted.

BWH Hotels recently opened @HOME by Best Western Walkerton in Ontario, Canada. (BWH)

More BWH initiatives

Another key BWH initiative this year involves finally bringing together its WorldHotels and Best Western Rewards loyalty programs, according to Cucilic.

“The unification of those two loyalty programs just makes sense; it’s time that we do that. We have over 66 million rewards members, but they’re in two different programs and while those points transfer across programs, we believe it could be more welcoming by being one,” he noted.

The unification of those two loyalty programs just makes sense; it’s time that we do that. We have over 66 million rewards members, but they’re in two different programs and while those points transfer across programs, we believe it could be more welcoming by being one.

Larry Cuculic

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Meanwhile, the company continues to advance a couple of its key technology initiatives and partnerships, including the Canary Guest Management system. There are more than 1,200 hotels currently using the system, primarily in North America. BWH is now expanding the offering internationally to hotels in LATAM, Australia and Europe.

“We’ve launched it on a voluntary basis to our hoteliers and more than 50 percent have adopted it in the first year-and-a-half,” he said.

The company is also engaging new Best Western Rewards (BWR) members through the mobile check‑in experience, driving approximately 10,000 new BWR enrollments per month. Cucilic further outlined some of the system's benefits.

“Canary allows guests to check in remotely, and it allows the hotels to communicate with them throughout the stay and make sure that we’re exceeding their expectations. It allows us to make sure that we can offer them amenities that the system can manage for the hotel. It takes pressure off the front desk staff. It’s not just for guest convenience—although of course that’s always objective number one—but it also makes the hotels more efficient,” he asserted.

Cucilic also charted the progress of the company’s brand-owned property management systems (PMS) known as Autoclerk, which launched in October of 2025. Powered by Hotel Key, AutoClerk Atlas is a global platform that offers one-day onboarding for hotel staff, intuitive workflows and built-in training modules designed to streamline the front desk experience.

The company launched its first pilot hotel on the AutoClerk platform this week and expects hundreds more to join before the end of the year.

“It’s a partnership that allows us to be more efficient and more effective at the brand level and it’s a very advanced PMS system that has quick training capabilities. Hotel Key is very focused on the training modules associated with it,” he noted.

Cucilic noted that the company is gearing up for its annual convention in Phoenix this October, where BWH will celebrate its 80th anniversary and the 55th anniversary of its WorldHotels brand.

“It’s an exciting year for us as we execute on those strategies that we’ll announce at convention and take the next step with regard to the future of the brand,” he said.