Best Western’s Dorothy Dowling Receives Alumni Achievement Award for Contributions to the Hospitality Industry
PHOENIX (August 1, 2016) – Dorothy Dowling, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President for Best Western Hotels & Resorts has been awarded the prestigious 2016 Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award from her esteemed alma mater, the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada.
A 30-year hotel industry veteran, Dowling’s contributions to the hospitality field are significant. She currently directs all marketing and sales strategies, overseeing the brand’s loyalty program, consumer and field marketing activities, advertising and public relations. Her passion for marketing, dynamic leadership skills and profound dedication to her profession helped distinguish her in the field and continues to earn her honorable, industry-wide recognition.
The Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award recognizes University of Waterloo’s alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of society through their professional accomplishments, public service, and/or academic excellence.
“Dorothy is a valuable member of Best Western’s executive leadership team, and has been instrumental in the growth and success of our company,” said President and CEO for Best Western, David Kong. “We are fortunate to have Dorothy leading our marketing and sales efforts, and appreciate her extraordinary work ethic, valuable intellect and unparalleled commitment that help position Best Western as a leader in hospitality.”
This award is a welcomed addition to her impressive list of industry recognitions, including her title as the 18th Most Influential Chief Marketing Officer as named by Forbes Magazine, her receipt of the prestigious American Hotel Foundation Award for Best Practices in Guest Loyalty Programs, and being named twice in Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing.
“To be recognized by the University of Waterloo is a tremendous honor, as it not only helped jumpstart my profession, but fostered special memories that I will always treasure,” said Dowling. “As Best Western celebrates its iconic brand refresh and its 70th birthday, I reflect on the valuable education and lessons learned that have led me to this point in my career.”
Since joining Best Western in 2004, Dowling has had a revolutionary impact on Best Western, spearheading initiatives that were critical to the success of the brand. Most recently, Dowling served a critical role in helping Best Western achieve its historic brand refresh. Best Western’s brand refresh marked a monumental milestone for the hospitality leader, introducing an updated masterbrand name, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and unique logos for all seven distinct brands in its portfolio. The brand refresh is also accompanied by an investment of over $2 billion in property improvements and renovations by North American hotels, which align with Best Western’s new contemporary, energetic and relevant look.
During her tenure, she also introduced a number of measures to increase market share and contemporize the iconic Best Western brand. She re-branded the company’s loyalty program to Best Western Rewards®, increased its membership by 13 million and more than doubled its revenue contribution percentage to hotels.
Dowling has also overseen critical user experience improvements to the bestwestern.com booking channel, as well as the launch of multiple mobile initiatives, including the iPhone and Android application, Best Western to Go®. Under her leadership, Best Western has become a leading hotel player in digital marketing through innovative partnerships with TripAdvisor, Facebook and Google, among others.
About Best Western Hotels & Resorts
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,100* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers seven hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Executive Residency by Best Western℠, Vīb ®, BW Premier Collection® and GLō℠. Now celebrating 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 26 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, Minor League Baseball, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including Business Travel News naming Best Western as the best midscale hotel brand in 2014 and Best Western Plus as the best upper mid-price hotel brand in 2014 and 2015, four consecutive Compuware Best of the Web gold awards for best hotel website, and seven consecutive AAA/CAA Hotel Partner of the Year awards. Nearly sixty percent of Best Western branded hotels earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award in 2015.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
