Best Western Rewards Guide | CreditCards.com (2023)

Best Western is a global hotel chain that includes 13 different brands with more than 4,500 hotels in over 100 countries.

While the name Best Western conjures up images of roadside motels in small towns, the hotel chain has many beautiful hotels around the world that offer a peaceful place to call home without the high price tag often associated with luxury hotels .

No matter which hotel you choose within the Best Western family, you can expect consistent, attentive customer service at very affordable prices: in 2017, J.D. Power has ranked Best Western as one of the top hotel chainsfor customer satisfaction.

What is the Best Western Rewards loyalty program?

Once you've enrolled as a member of the Best Western Rewards program, you can earn points every time you stay at a Best Western hotel or use your Best Western Rewards Mastercard. These points can be used to book free hotel stays for yourself or loved ones, or for a number of other redemption options which we'll detail below.

Overview of the Best Western Rewards program

How much are Best Western Rewards points worth?

You often hear people talking about the number of points or miles they have in their loyalty program accounts. But not all are created equal: the value of a point depends on the brand and the cash redemption value.

For example, with Best Western Rewards points, we divide the value of a point by comparing the number of points required to book a standard room versus the cash rate of the same room across multiple dates and locations.

Redemption amounts may vary slightly by location and may increase during peak travel periods to reflect the corresponding increase in cash room prices. But in general, our partner site The Points Guycurrently appreciates Best Western Rewards pointsat 0.6 cents each, based on the Points to Cash ratio required to book a standard room.

Most importantly, the true value of a point is subjective to each person depending on how much value each traveler is able to derive from that day. For example, there is little point in earning Best Western Rewards points if there are no branded hotels near where you live or travel.

Consider these questions as you evaluate your hotel options.

How would you like to redeem your points?

Are you planning to redeem your Best Western Rewards points for future hotel stays or interested in redeeming them for gift cards? Your points go even further when you redeem them for award nights at Best Western hotels.

What level of accommodation do you prefer?

Do you use hotels mainly during the work week to get from business meetings to business meetings? Or would you like to use your Best Western Rewards for a family weekend getaway in comfortable and affordable accommodation? While Best Western properties consistently provide solid customer service, nearly all of the brand's hotels offer budget- to mid-range accommodations. If you're hoping to welcome guests in style to your hotel suites, or treat a loved one to a luxurious experience on a special birthday, Best Western may not be the right program to invest in.

Where do you want to travel?

While Best Western has more than 4,000 hotels worldwide, they may not be located in the destinations you visit most often. Before betting on this brand, see if you like the hotel options in the regions you usually visit.

When do you want to travel?

Best Western hotel rates are generally low, so you're probably getting the best value for your points if you plan to use them to redeem awards during peak times like holidays. Otherwise, you could end up paying more points for a hotel room than its cash value.

Best Western Rewards Credit Cards

There are two co-branded Best Western Rewards credit cards that earn you points for every dollar spent.

	Best Western Rewards-Mastercard	Best Western Rewards Premium-Mastercard
annual fee	$ 0	59 $
sign-up bonus	Up to 32,000 points in total 16,000 points after the first purchase 16,000 additional points upon completion of a Best Western stay booked with a credit card	50,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles 20,000 additional points per year for cardholders spending $5,000 per 12 billing cycle
Premium and Benefit Rate	3 points per dollar on Best Western stays 2 points per dollar on all other purchases 10% discount on flexible Best Western rates when booking on bwrcarddiscount.com	10 points per dollar on Best Western stays 2 points per dollar on all other purchases 10% discount on flexible Best Western rates when booking on bwrcarddiscount.com
The status of elitist courtesy?	Automatic gold elite status	Automatic Elite Platinum status

The Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard offers better perks than its counterpart, but they come at a price. This credit card charges an annual fee of $59.

You'll get the best returns when you use this card to pay for stays at Best Western hotels: an impressive 20 points for every dollar spent at Best Western hotels. Earn 10 points per dollar spent at Best Western and pay with the card, while Best Western Rewards members earn 10 base points per dollar by joining the loyalty program. And you can earn 2 points for every dollar spent on all other purchases.

In addition, premium cardholders who spend $1,000 or more in the first three billing cycles will earn 50,000 bonus points. You can earn an additional 20,000 points each year by spending an additional $5,000 over 12 consecutive billing cycles.

How to Earn Best Western Rewards

Unlike some hotel loyalty programs, Best Western does notshopping portalThis allows you to earn additional miles for your online purchases. However, there are a few ways to earn Best Western Rewards points, including:

• Book direct with the hotel brand –As with most hotel chains, you only earn Best Western Rewards points and qualifying nights when you pay for your hotel stay directly with Best Western, either online, in person, or by calling customer service.
• Sign up for one of the Best Western credit cards –You can earn a lot of Best Western Rewards points simply by signing up for one of the credit cards. Plus, you get extra points for every dollar you spend on the card.
• Participation in the Best Western Green Housekeeping program –This option gives you bonus points for staying two or more nights at the hotel, only forto be eco-friendly.
• Rental cars at Best Western partner agencies –Best Western works with several car rental companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt. Your earning potential varies by company, but you can earn anywhere from 3 points per dollar up to 1,000 Best Western Rewards points per rental completed.
• Purchase of Best Western Rewards points –When you're just a few points away from your next stay, Best Western Rewards memberscan buy points worth 1,000 pointsfor $10. You can buy a maximum of 20,000 points per transaction and this is only available to US and Canadian residents.

Redeem Best Western Rewards

Did you know there are multiple ways to redeem your Best Western Rewards points? The most obvious way is to book free award nights. This is also the typical way to make the most of your hard-earned points. However, there are some exceptions that might make sense to the right consumer.

Free hotel nights

Award Nights at Best Western hotels are dynamic in nature, which means their value varies from location to location during peak and off-peak seasons. However, award nights currently range from a minimum of 5,000 points per night up to 70,000 points per night.

Since redemption rates can be difficult to find on Best Western's website, click Redeem Points under My Account to find the best value for the number of points you have. Select the dates and destination for which you need a hotel and click "Search" to open your options.

Convert to airline miles

If you have an easy way to earn Best Western Rewards points but don't want to redeem them with this hotel chain, consider transferring your points to the airline of your choice. Best Western works with the following airlines:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Asian
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific

But just because you can transfer your points doesn't mean you should. Transfer points are converted at a 5:1 ratio for select airline programs including Alaska Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage or British Airways Avios. This means your 5,000 Best Western points would only be worth 1,000 points with any of the above airlines.

Other redemption options

There are a few other ways to redeem your Best Western Rewards points. These options include redeeming for rental cars, merchandise, gas station gift cards, and even as a charitable donation. Similar to the airline miles comparison above, they generally don't offer the best value for your hard-earned points.

Every traveler's situation is different, so we can't tell you the best way to collect and burn your points. Just make sure you do the math for yourself and your own situation to ensure you're getting the best possible value for your points.

Status de Elite tun Best Western Rewards

If you think you'll be staying at a Best Western hotel in the near future, it's probably a good idea to sign up for the free Best Western Rewards program.

As a Rewards member, you'll instantly earn 10 points per dollar spent staying at Best Western hotels. Plus, these points never expire - which is a fantastic perk. This means you can earn Best Western points on small purchases here and there without thinking twice, and slowly build up your balance without worrying about an enforced redemption date.

Best Western members also have access to an exclusive toll-free reservation hotline. Members may request early check-in as well as late check-out based on availability.

Unfortunately, the Best Western Rewards loyalty program benefits more or less reach mid-level Gold status, unlike most loyalty programs which offer better benefits the longer you stay. After Gold, the only additional benefit you receive at higher tiers is an incremental bonus to Best Western Rewards points.

Keep in mind that most stays booked through an outside travel agency like Expedia or Hotels.com do not qualify for elite status. If you are looking to achieve elite status with Best Western Rewards, it is recommended that you book your stays directly with the hotel whenever possible.

Here's a quick rundown of the benefits Best Western Rewards members can enjoy at each elite status level. You will find that Best Western Rewards Gold benefits are limited.

Is the Best Western Rewards loyalty program worth it?

Ultimately, the Best Western Rewards program has a lot to offer the right traveler. However, the loyalty program has a limit when it comes to luxury, and the cap can be low.

If you've done your research and think you can use Best Western's rewards program a few times a year, the easiest way to achieve elite status is probably to apply for the Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard. For just $59 per year, you can take full advantage of the included credit card's Platinum Elite status, which gives you early check-in and late check-out, a thank you or bonus points, and a 15% boost on every booking you make.