BWH® Hotels Unveils Enterprise Transformation, Uniting Global Portfolio Under WorldHotels™

The strategic evolution brings together more than 4,000 hotels across 100 countries and introduces WorldHotels Rewards™, a unified loyalty program launching Jan. 5, 2027

PHOENIX, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global hospitality enterprise BWH Hotels today announced a comprehensive transformation, bringing more than 4,000 hotels and 18 brands under a single loyalty program and global masterbrand, WorldHotels. The move is designed to strengthen portfolio awareness, create greater clarity for travelers and hotel owners and accelerate growth through a unified platform and enhanced digital capabilities, while delivering a guest experience that's powered by local expertise.

Welcome to the new WorldHotels

Grounded in rigorous consumer research and guest feedback, this strategic evolution reflects how today's travelers discover, evaluate and book hotels, while preserving the local character of each independent property.

"We have a hotel for virtually every travel occasion, but many travelers only know a portion of our portfolio," said Larry Cuculic, President and Chief Executive Officer, WorldHotels. "WorldHotels gives us a clearer way to tell our story. By connecting our brands, loyalty program and digital capabilities under one masterbrand, we're making it easier for travelers to understand who we are today, while enabling our hoteliers to better compete on a global scale and preserving the independence and individuality of our 4,000 hotels."

Though the company's portfolio has expanded across luxury, boutique, upscale, extended-stay and economy segments, research indicates many travelers are aware of only part of its offerings. The move to WorldHotels is intended to create greater clarity and awareness, while preserving the distinct identities of its brands and properties. Unifying under WorldHotels bridges this gap, giving guests a seamless way to navigate its full spectrum of hospitality options.

Local Expertise at Global Scale
Unlike many large hospitality companies built around standardized experiences, WorldHotels is building its platform around local expertise. The transformation is designed to scale the knowledge of thousands of independent hoteliers throughout the global network—surfacing neighborhood insights from on-the-ground hotel teams and making those local experiences easier for travelers to discover across the portfolio.

While individual property identities, signage and iconic flags will remain unchanged, the WorldHotels platform will expand cross-portfolio discovery, strengthen direct relationships with guests and increase visibility for hotel owners worldwide.

By combining local expertise with the scale of a global hospitality company, WorldHotels will offer travelers both the confidence of a trusted network and the authenticity of destination-driven experiences.

WorldHotels Rewards: A Unified Loyalty Program for 70 Million Members
Central to the transformation is WorldHotels Rewards, a new, unified loyalty program that consolidates Best Western Rewards® and WorldHotels Rewards with 70 million existing members combined. Simple, transparent and rewarding, the new program introduces three streamlined membership tiers, while protecting all current benefits such as status matching, member rates and points that never expire. Members will retain their existing points value and enjoy additional opportunities to earn points, while gaining access to a more connected global portfolio and simplified rewards experience.

Additional details about the new loyalty program will be announced on Nov. 16, 2026. 

"WorldHotels Rewards was designed with our guests at the heart of every decision. Through extensive consumer research and member feedback, we learned travelers want a loyalty program that feels intuitive and transparent, that recognizes them wherever they travel," said Joelle Park, Chief Marketing Officer, WorldHotels. "By bringing our loyalty program together under WorldHotels Rewards, we're making it easier for guests to discover the full breadth of our portfolio, find the right hotel for every journey and feel welcomed wherever they stay."

Enhanced Digital Platform Designed to Scale Local Hospitality
To power this new rewards program and modernize guest engagement, WorldHotels has invested heavily in its digital infrastructure, launching a new website and redesigned mobile app. At the core of the experience is a proprietary discovery platform built from more than 10,000 hours of insights gathered from hotel teams around the world.

These insights will help travelers discover hotels, neighborhoods and experiences across the portfolio, alongside a user experience that makes it easy to manage booking and loyalty activity. By connecting local expertise, loyalty and digital discovery on a single platform, WorldHotels is helping travelers explore more of its portfolio while increasing visibility and direct-booking opportunities for hotel owners.

WorldHotels Collection™: Independent, Character-Rich Hotels
As part of this transformation, the portfolio's upscale and luxury hotels will now be unified under WorldHotels Collection, a global platform for independent properties that preserves the individuality that increasingly drives traveler choice. WorldHotels Collection comprises six categories: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive, WorldHotels Crafted, WorldHotels Backdrop™ and WorldHotels Residences™.

"The future of luxury hospitality isn't about standardization. It's about helping exceptional independent properties compete and grow on a global stage, while remaining true to their identity," said Ron Pohl, President,  WorldHotels Collection. "WorldHotels Collection sits at the intersection of independence and scale, giving owners access to the commercial power, technology and demand drivers of a major hospitality network while maintaining the tailored, local experiences today's travelers are seeking."

WorldHotels Collection is expanding in some of the hospitality industry's fastest-growing categories: WorldHotels Residences combines private homeownership with luxury hospitality services and brand affiliation, while WorldHotels Backdrop connects travelers with distinctive destinations where immersive natural settings and elevated accommodations converge. Together, these platforms broaden growth opportunities for developers, owners and independent operators seeking access to global distribution and brand recognition.

For more information, please visit WorldHotels.com. New WorldHotels logos, high-resolution images and b-roll are available here.

About WorldHotels™
WorldHotels™ is a global hospitality portfolio with more than 4,000 hotels and resorts across 18 brands in over 100 countries. From luxury and boutique stays to value-driven travel, WorldHotels pairs global scale with local expertise, serving the needs of leisure and business travelers as well as hoteliers worldwide. Guided by a commitment to make travel more welcoming, WorldHotels connects guests to the neighborhoods and experiences that make each destination unique.

Through WorldHotels Rewards™, 70 million members can enjoy simplified benefits across the portfolio with points that never expire, exclusive member rates and flexible redemption opportunities. For more information, visit WorldHotels.com and follow WorldHotels on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About WorldHotels Rewards™
WorldHotels Rewards is the global loyalty program of the WorldHotels™ portfolio, connecting 70 million members to rewarding travel experiences across more than 4,000 hotels worldwide. Designed around simplicity, the program features points that never expire, exclusive member rates and flexible redemption opportunities. Members can manage bookings, track rewards and redeem points through the WorldHotels Rewards app and online.

WorldHotels Rewards members can earn and redeem rewards across a portfolio of brands, including:

• Luxury & Lifestyle: WorldHotels Collection™, WorldHotels Backdrop™, Aiden®
• Upscale: Best Western Premier®, BW Premier Collection®
• Everyday Travel: BW Signature Collection®, Best Western Plus®, GLō®, Best Western®
• Value: SureStay® Hotels, SureStay Collection®
• Longer Stays: Executive Residency®, @HOME by Best Western®, SureStay Studio®

Learn more or enroll for free at WorldHotels.com/RewardsOverview.

MEDIA CONTACT
Praytell
worldhotels@praytellagency.com

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BWH® Hotels Unveils Enterprise Transformation, Uniting Global Portfolio Under WorldHotels™

• Consolidated revenues for the first nine months of 2026 reached AED 57.6 billion, an increase of 10.0 per cent YoY
• Consolidated net profit for the first nine months of 2026 reached AED 17.2 billion, up 45.9 per cent YoY
• Group subscriber base reached 254.8 million
• Group marks 50 years by taking the etisalat name forward into a new era of growth

ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- etisalat today announced its Q3 2026 consolidated financial results, reporting consolidated revenue of AED 19.5 billion, growing 6.9 per cent year-over-year (YoY). Consolidated revenues for the first nine months of 2026 reached AED 57.6 billion, up 10.0 per cent YoY. Consolidated net profit in Q3 reached 11.2 billion, while consolidated net profit for the first nine months of 2026 reached AED 17.2 billion, up 45.9 per cent YoY, reinforced by continued progress in building higher-value capabilities across connectivity, sovereign digital infrastructure and AI and by disciplined portfolio management.

In Q3, EBITDA rose by 5.1 per cent YoY, reaching AED 9.0 billion with a margin of 46.1 per cent. For the first nine months of 2026, EBITDA reached AED 26.7 billion, a growth of 10.3 per cent YoY, with a margin of 46.4 per cent.

etisalat's total subscriber base reached 254.8 million in Q3 2026, representing 29.4 per cent YoY growth. In the UAE, subscribers rose 5.2 per cent YoY to 16.5 million, driven by strong demand for advanced digital services and intelligent connectivity. 

Financial Highlights

	Q3 2025	Q3 2026	%Change	9M 2025	9M 2026	%Change
Consolidated Revenues	AED 18.2bn	AED 19.5bn	6.9 %	AED 52.4bn	AED 57.6bn	10.0 %
Consolidated Net Profit*	AED 3.0bn	AED 11.2bn	276.2 %	AED 11.8bn	AED 17.2bn	45.9 %
EBITDA	AED 8.5bn	AED 9.0bn	5.1 %	AED 24.2bn	AED 26.7bn	10.3 %
Earnings per Share	AED 0.34	AED 1.29	276.2 %	AED 1.36	AED 1.98	45.9 %
Total Group Subscribers	197.0 million	254.8 million	29.4 %	197.0 million	254.8 million	29.4 %
etisalat UAE Subscribers	15.7 million	16.5 million	5.2 %	15.7 million	16.5 million	5.2 %

Q3 2025

Q3 2026

%Change

9M 2025

9M 2026

%Change

Consolidated Revenues

AED 18.2bn

AED 19.5bn

6.9 %

AED 52.4bn

AED 57.6bn

10.0 %

Consolidated Net Profit*

AED 3.0bn

AED 11.2bn

276.2 %

AED 11.8bn

AED 17.2bn

45.9 %

EBITDA

AED 8.5bn

AED 9.0bn

5.1 %

AED 24.2bn

AED 26.7bn

10.3 %

Earnings per Share

AED 0.34

AED 1.29

276.2 %

AED 1.36

AED 1.98

45.9 %

Total Group Subscribers

197.0 million

254.8 million

29.4 %

197.0 million

254.8 million

29.4 %

etisalat UAE Subscribers

15.7 million

16.5 million

5.2 %

15.7 million

16.5 million

5.2 %

• Net Profit adjusted for Vodafone gain in Q3 2026 is AED 3.2bn and EPS AED 0.37
• Net Profit adjusted for Vodafone gain in 9M 2026 is AED 9.2bn and EPS 1.06

The quarter also saw the completion of etisalat's sale of its entire stake in Vodafone Group, generating total consideration of AED 21.9 billion, including the final dividend and gain of approximately AED 8.0 billion. The transaction contributed to the group's financial performance during the quarter, providing additional financial flexibility.

As etisalat marks its 50^th anniversary, it has set out a new vision to become a leading AI-powered and enabling telco and moved forward under the etisalat name, symbolising the central role of connectivity in the AI era. This ambition builds on the capabilities developed across digital services, cloud, cybersecurity, AI, infrastructure and fintech, bringing them into sharper focus around our strong telecommunications foundation with AI at its core.

Building on UAE's ambition to become a global hub for advanced technology and AI, etisalat plans to expand its international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2030, an increase of over twenty-five times of the current capacity, in addition to developing diverse routes designed to enhance connectivity efficiency and reliability, delivering advanced, low-latency performance. This reiterates the importance of the digital infrastructure as a fundamental pillar for supporting emerging technologies and enabling a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Group CEO of etisalat, said: "Our performance in Q3 2026 underscores the resilience of our business model and the discipline with which we are turning growth opportunities into tangible results. Consolidated revenue reached AED 19.5 billion, an increase of 6.9 per cent YoY, while EBITDA reached AED 9.0 billion, up 5.1 per cent, with an EBITDA margin of 46.1 per cent. These results reflect the strength of our core connectivity business and the discipline of our execution. Combined with our focus, these strengths underpin our confidence in our ability to excel and create long-term value to our stakeholders"

Masood added: "Over the past several years, etisalat has built an integrated portfolio of broad range of advanced capabilities across AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital services, and fintech. Today, as AI is integrated more deeply into core enterprise and government operations, the foundational connectivity, compute, and secure infrastructure powering it become more critical. With the group firmly establishing itself as a key enabler, we will continue to provide the secure digital infrastructure and ultra-fast connectivity that power this wide-reaching transformation."

He continued: "This gives the etisalat brand, which means 'communications', a renewed purpose with a new and deeper meaning. Connectivity is no longer just about moving data, for us. It is about enabling the modern digital economy by building and operating the infrastructure and intelligent platforms that will define the future."

Masood concluded: "etisalat has proven its ability to create sustainable value and to translate technological progress into direct, tangible commercial and economic impact. Building on decades of strategic achievements, enduring customer relationships, strong operational efficiency and infrastructure designed for maximum readiness and reliability, we remain focused on enabling the networks of the future, anchoring the region's digital economies, and cementing the UAE's position at the heart of the global digital economy.  As etisalat embarks on its next fifty years journey, we renew our commitment to build on the UAE leadership's forward-looking vision and to continue investing with full confidence to compete and lead on the global scale."

Contact
Nancy Sudheer
nsudheer@etisalat.ae 

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

etisalat achieves record 9M 2026 performance as consolidated net profit rises 46% YoY to AED 17.2 billion

etisalat achieves record 9M 2026 performance as consolidated net profit rises 46% YoY to AED 17.2 billion