Best Western Hotels GB chooses Atos for its first Payment Card

Atos, an international IT services company, today announced that it has signed a five year contract with Best Western Hotels, Great Britain’s largest group of independent hotels to run its first ever payment card for business travellers. The card is free to all British businesses and is set to simplify business travel across the country.

The payment card solution developed by Atos for Best Western GB is also the first in the country to combine hotel accommodation with discounted train travel, making it even easier for businesses to book and pay without the need for time consuming expense claims, receipts and petty cash.

Keith Pope, Managing Director of Best Western GB said, “Business travel is a key part of the industry and our member hotels and a real focus for Best Western GB in 2012. We are really impressed with the payment card solution from Atos and believe it will ease booking and paying for our business guests and eliminate the need for claiming expenses on hotel and train travel.

“By launching the Best Western Business Account we are making our guests lives easier and more enjoyable, with more time to spend enjoying life rather than worrying about expense payments.”

Iain Kingsley Senior Vice President for Hi-Tech Transactional Services at Atos, said: “We are delighted to add Best Western Hotels GB to our client list. We have developed an excellent offering in payment services which can be adapted and tailored to meet the needs of different hotels to help them attract business customers and gain competitive advantage.”

From today, account holders can use the payment card for hotels stays, room service, restaurant spend, bar bills, newspapers, phone calls, leisure activities such as golf and spa treatments, as well as other hotel expenses at any of the groups 278 British hotels – all with no fees. What’s more, a full breakdown of all travel and hotel spend is available through an online centralised billing and reporting facility with regular email updates sent to the account holder.

Further benefits include up to six weeks interest free credit, VAT reporting and Best Western Rewards points for employees.

Best Western GB has 278 hotels across Great Britain in key city locations and all with free internet access and the modern facilities business guests require.

For more information about Best Western and the Business Account, please visit www.bestwestern.co.uk/businessaccount or call 08453300415.

About Atos

Atos is an international information technology services company with annual revenues of €8.6 billion and 74,000 employees in 42 countries. Serving a global client base, it delivers hi-tech transactional services, consulting and technology services, systems integration and managed services. Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. It is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting & Technology Services, Atos Worldline and Atos Worldgrid.