"I'm talking to a few people, though nothing has been committed to yet. As I tell everybody, the one thing I'm really bad at is retirement," Higgins tells GlobeSt.com. "My contract came to a point where action needed to be taken and my wife and I felt that achange might be able to help us achieve our personal goals."
Higgins took over Best Western in October 2002. He cites a three-year, $10-million sponsorship deal making Best Western the official hotel of Nascar as a particularly major goal met during his tenure. The company also began installing high-speed Internet access in some 2,300 hotels during his tenure.
"I think you could say that there was the beginning of a change in a culture from what I label an entitlement mentality to a performance-results mentality while I've been here, and I think we've made some significant strides to member value," Higgins adds.
Best Western's competitiveness in non-US markets has been a key goal in recent years as it boosted advertising and added upscale destinations abroad. The brand flags about 4,000 independently owned and operated hotels worldwide. In 2003, revenues tallied $7.4 billion.
Higgins' announcement has sparked a nationwide search for Best Western's next CEO. David Kong, the hotelier's executive vice president of international operations, will serve as acting CEO.
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