A magazine so good, it's stolen by guests.

Best Western Hotels: Postcard Magazine

  • 375,000+ print readership per issue
  • 6+ award-winning writers per issue
  • 1,250,000 cross platform video views

"We didn’t want just another hotel magazine. We wanted something beautiful that captured the experience of travel in the UK and showcased our stories. UNTOLD has given us just that. POSTCARD is not only driving bookings but guests are stealing it from their rooms."

Andrew Denton MBE,
Head of Communications,
Best Western.

Our challenge

Best Western, the UK’s largest hotel network, needed a flagship publication that would anchor a change in brand perception and establish a unique and identifiable voice.

This couldn’t be *just another hotel magazine*. We had to break the mould. This would be a 70,000 print-run, best-in-class title to compete against glossies like Conde Nast Traveller; something so inspiring that guests would steal it from their hotel rooms.

In short: the best hotel magazine in the world.

Our solution

We created the bi-annual POSTCARD travel magazine - blending beautiful photography, typography and art direction with award-winning writing drawn from an unrivalled network of journalists and authors. The typography, design and imagery put stories centre-stage, taking its cues from the independent magazine scene and classic travel journals.

And with every issue, UNTOLD created a series of films that explored the written features, plugging POSTCARD into the brand’s digital world and generating reach and engagement that drove bookings.

A stunning gateway to the brand

POSTCARD became a completely new access point to the Best Western brand, one that felt fresh, modern and exciting and that spotlit incredible stories both about and around the brand in locations all over the UK. Conceived by the UNTOLD team, these were brought to life by great storytellers, including some of the UK’s best travel writers: Benjamin Myers, Sophie Haydock, Joe Minihane, Stephen Moss and Dominick Tyler.

Stories eschewed sales patter. They powerfully spoke to why people might be staying in the hotel’s locations and what was fascinating about the local area and the histories of the buildings themselves, positioning Best Western as a gateway to - and credible publisher of - the best in British nature, culture, history and lifestyle stories.

Transforming reputation

POSTCARD fundamentally altered the reputation and concept of Best Western among media, journalists and guests. It created advocacy and loyalty, increased membership buy-in, and dramatically changed perception among broadsheet media, delivering incredible PR results and establishing long-term value and ROI.

The strength of stories saw the magazine become potent fuel for social and the basis for hugely successful press campaigns, informing press trips and earning valuable coverage in media like The Sun, The Telegraph and The Independent.

  • POSTCARD won numerous awards, including the prestigious “Best Magazine” category at the Prolific North Awards.


    "The best example of a branded magazine I’ve ever seen. Fascinating features, amazing storytelling and beautiful design. It’s absolutely gorgeous."


    Julia Buckley, Head of Travel, The Independent.

On film

  • Sky Dancers

    Partnering a lead feature in POSTCARD magazine, the story of starling murmurations over the Somerset Levels, shot on location with bestselling author and naturalist, Stephen Moss.

  • Star Man

    Winter is the best time to view the heavens and with 26 Dark Sky Discovery Sites, the Isle of Man is a true stargazer’s paradise. Astronomer and future astronaut, Nigel Henbest, finds himself star-struck.

  • A Time Traveller's Christmas

    Shot on location at Beamish Museum, a film that explores the ghosts of Christmases past, looking at how we have celebrated the season over the years - from the Victorian period to the Second World War.

In Print