The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting enters a new era this May, drawing tens of thousands to Omaha for the first gathering without Warren Buffett at the helm. Nearly 30,000 out-of-town attendees made the trip last year alone, according to Visit Omaha, and the numbers continue to climb.

Best Western isn't a brand most people associate with five-star stays, rooftop bars, or wellness retreats in the Mexican highlands. But the company behind that familiar roadside sign quietly built a hospitality portfolio that covers more ground than almost any brand in the industry. Four thousand hotels across 100 countries will do that.