BEST Western Hotels and Consort Hotels board members have recommended the two consortia merge and sent out voting papers to the membership on the issue.
This is the third time the two independent hotel consortia have considered a merger but the first time it has got to the voting stage. Previous merger attempts were made in 1994 and 1996.
If the move goes ahead, the new company, retaining the Best Western branding, will be based at Consort Hotels’ headquarters in Clifton Moor, York, and will consist of almost 400 hotels.
Consort chairman Jeremy Willcock said the reasons why the mergers couldn’t go ahead before were no longer valid.