IT'S a big hotel brand, generating big business in a big way and it is entering the Large Business Of The Year category in The Press Business Awards 2006.

It is Best Western, the York-based umbrella organisation for 300 hotels throughout England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands.

All of them benefit from national and international marketing, sales and renovation, purchasing, training and IT support and a reputation which grows year on year.

Best Western has 90 staff working at Consort House in Lysander Way, Clifton Moor, plus 15 people in an office in Leamington Spa and 40 non office-based staff.

Not only did Best Western become the second most improved brand since 2005, but now ranks fifth overall for the Hotel Brand Ranking Index 200 in the British Hotel Guest Survey.

What is more, Best Western's 18 person marketing team took the Leisure Marketing Award for Brand Campaign and took runner-up prize in the recent Catey Awards for Best Group Marketing Campaign, based around a two-for-one promotion with the Association of Train Operating Companies to encourage people to take two-night breaks at Best Western hotels.

Its marketing team consists of 18 staff, covering aspects of leisure, corporate, loyalty, partnerships, promotions, PR and e-business.

Other Best Western departments include First Place, a dedicated conference and booking service, GCCI, the group's "loyalty" programme and its purchasing arm, Beacon (whose IT department, incidentally took silver and bronze accolades in the recent Servicemark awards for excellence in customer service.) Best Western's central reservations office at Clifton Moor consistently tops Call Centre Publication's monthly leading industry benchmark league table for customer service, beating the likes of Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and First Direct contact centres.

Corporate social responsibility is a high priority for the organisation which holds a week-long Best Western for a Better World initiative, including an hilarious "cross dress for charity" day which raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support A series of events this year have raised more than £2,000 for a variety of local charities nominated by staff.