Best Western Hotels & Resorts President and CEO David Kong is confident his company’s recent acquisition of WorldHotels Collection will leverage that company’s presence among its competitors, while giving Best Western exposure in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, along with better negotiating power that comes with a larger footprint.

WorldHotels, which bills itself as a “curated global offering” of 300 independent upper-upscale and luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, markets its member hotels to leisure and business guests who can book stays on the company’s website.