What is the definition of an Independent Hotel?

Answer 1

Independent Hotels are the hotels that are run and managed by itself. It may have many other hotels by same name at different locations. Also it does not allows any other proprietor use that brand name.

Where as chain hotels are those that allows its brand name to be shared by many proprietors in return for fixed payment according to terms and condition of the contract.

However, quite a lot of independent hotels sign up to "voluntary chains" such as Best Western; by doing so, they remain independent, but have to adhere to the standards and requirements of the brand. Hotels that sign up to this kind of chain benefit from the marketing power of a big brand that can help them compete with the hotel chains. BW is the biggest "chain" of independents, but there are many others, many of them just in one country