Reuters: Last Western hotel chain leaves Crimea

 “U.S. firm Best Western Hotels & Resorts, the last Western hotel chain still in Crimea, has pulled out because of sanctions imposed after Russia annexed the region from Ukraine,” Reuters reports with reference to hotel employees.

The hotel is still running but branding identifying it as a Best Western hotel has been removed from the building and is now identifying itself on booking sites under the name “Sevastopol Hotel and Spa.”

As noted, other major brands, among them McDonald’s Corp and Radisson Hotels, have already quit Crimea after it was annexed in 2014.

The general director of the Best Western Hotels & Resorts declined to comment and referred questions to the hotel’s owner or operator. Best Western does not own or operate hotels itself but has a franchising system under which hotel owners or operators can pay for the right to use the company’s brand, marketing and support services.

A member of the staff at the hotel told Reuters the franchise agreement with Best Western ended in October last year because of the sanctions.

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