Best Western Rewards: Fast Track to Elite Status
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Best Western Hotels & Resorts boasts over 4,700 properties worldwide, and the Best Western Rewards program offers good value for budget travelers seeking affordable accommodations.
We put the average value of a Best Western point at 0.7 cents each when redeeming for hotel stays. However, points tend to be worth more when redeemed at inexpensive hotels, and you can also turn them into airline miles. It's simple to earn and redeem points, so the BW rewards program is a good bet for anyone who stays frequently at Best Western brand hotels.
Table of contents
- Is Best Western Rewards worth it?
- Best Western Rewards quick facts
- How much are Best Western points worth?
- What hotels are under Best Western Rewards?
- Is Best Western Rewards a good program?
- How to earn Best Western Rewards points
- How to redeem Best Western points
- Best Western Elite status
- Best Western Rewards member benefits
- Fast tracks to Best Western Rewards elite status
- Best Western Rewards FAQs
Is Best Western Rewards worth it?
It's definitely worth joining the Best Western Rewards program if you ever stay at any of the Best Western brand hotels — especially if you're a frugal traveler. The program is free to join, and every business trip, road trip or vacation can earn you points toward free stays in the future. With thousands of hotels around the world, you're likely to find Best Western brand options wherever you travel.
Best Western Rewards quick facts
| Best Western points needed for a free night | 5,000-70,000 |
| Number of redemption options | 6 (free nights, pay for a room with points and cash, transfer to airline partners, transfer to car rental partners, Amazon e-vouchers, donations) |
| Point value | 0.7 |
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
How much are Best Western points worth?
On average, we find that each Best Western point is worth about 0.7 cents.
Best Western points value is lower than some other major hotel loyalty programs, but on par with others. In general, hotel loyalty programs offer an inflated earnings rate and below-average point value compared with other rewards programs.
To get the best value for your points, you should aim for a value of at least 0.7 cents per point for an award night. Use the following formula to determine the point value for your target redemption (be sure to subtract any resort fees that you still have to pay from the cash price):
Cash price (including taxes and most fees) / Number of points needed for hotel stay = Best Western points value
What hotels are under Best Western Rewards?
The Best Western Rewards program includes at least 18 different Best Western brands, including:
- Best Western
- Best Western Plus
- Best Western Premier
- Glo Best Western
- Vib Best Western
- BW Premier Collection
- BW Signature Collection
- Sadie Best Western
- Executive Residency by Best Western
- Aiden by Best Western
- WorldHotels Luxury
- WorldHotels Elite
- WorldHotels Distinctive
- WorldHotels Crafted
- SureStay
- SureStay Plus
- SureStay Signature Collection
- SureStay Studio
The Best Western portfolio includes economy, mid-range and luxury hotel brands. There are also boutique and extended stay hotels, so just about every traveler should be able to find a hotel that fits their travel style and needs.
Is Best Western Rewards a good program?
Best Western Rewards is a good hotel loyalty program for frugal travelers who often stay at hotels in the Best Western portfolio. The Program may even be a fit for business or luxury travelers who are extremely loyal to some of the higher-end hotels within the hospitality company's list of brands. However, it falls short in some major features, especially elite status benefits.
Pros
- With over 4,700 properties around the world, you're likely to find a hotel just about anywhere you need to go.
- Includes a wide range of hotel brands, from economy to luxury, to fit a variety of budgets and travel needs.
- Best Western credit cardholders get automatic Gold or Platinum elite status, depending on the card.
- Nice perks like early check-in and late checkout for members without elite status.
- Redemption rates start at just 5,000 points through Pay with Points.
- Best Western points can be transferred to airline and rental car companies for added versatility.
- No blackout dates on award bookings.
- Points never expire.
Cons
- Middle-of-the-road value for points compared with other loyalty programs.
- No longer publishes an award chart, so expect inconsistent redemption rates among properties.
- Compared with other hotel programs like Hilton Honors, the elite status benefits and perks are subpar at best. For instance, elites do not get free upgrades.
How to earn Best Western Rewards points
You can earn points by staying at Best Western hotels or using a Best Western credit card for your daily spending. There are also a variety of other ways to earn, such as booking travel through their rental car and airline partners, or shopping through retail partners. Here's an overview of how to earn Best Western points.
One of the fastest ways to earn Best Western points is with hotel stays. As a basic member at the Blue level, you earn 10 points for every $1 you spend on a stay at a hotel in the Best Western group of brands.
If you have Best Western elite status, you can earn even more points for each stay, depending on your level:
- Gold members (10% bonus) = 11 points per $1 spent
- Platinum (15% bonus) = 11.5 points per $1 spent
- Diamond (30% bonus) = 13 points per $1 spent
- Diamond Select (50% bonus) = 15 points per $1 spent
Getting and using a Best Western credit card is one of the best ways to earn points quickly even when you're not traveling. Both available Best Western credit cards offer solid sign-up bonuses that may get you a free night (or multiple free nights, depending on the hotel you choose) as soon as you spend enough on the card.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | [data-lightrail id="1674"]{fee.annual.text}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="1439"]{fee.annual.text}[/data-lightrail] | |
| Earning rate | [data-lightrail id="1674"]{rewardsRateDesc}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="1439"]{rewardsRateDesc}[/data-lightrail] | |
| Sign-up bonus | [data-lightrail id="1674"]{signUpBonus}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="1439"]{signUpBonus}[/data-lightrail] | |
| Annual bonus | 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles | 40,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles | |
| Elite status | Automatic Gold elite status | Automatic Platinum elite status |
This Best Western Rewards program for small business owners immediately elevates the main cardholder to Diamond elite status and the employee cardholders to Gold elite status. This program allows you to earn points faster through the elite level earnings bonuses.
You can earn extra points by taking advantage of Best Western retail bonus offers. For example, current offers include 1,250 Best Western bonus points for every Teleflora order of flowers and 12,500 Best Western points for joining Vinesse Wine Club, a monthly wine subscription service. Rewards programs often add new offers, so it's a good idea to check back regularly.
You can take advantage of partner offers to earn bonus points when you book a car rental or flight with travel partners through Best Western.
Best Western has six car and limo rental partners:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget
- Enterprise
- National
- Sixt
You can earn up to 1,000 bonus points on a car rental or up to 2,000 points on a limousine rental when you book a rental through Best Western with a car rental partner.
Best Western has 25 airline program partners, including:
- AerLingus
- Air France / KLM
- Alaska Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- British Airways
- Czech Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Iberia
- Lufthansa
- South African Airways
- Southwest
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Vueling
You can earn between 250 and 600 bonus points when you book travel through Best Western with one of these partner airline programs. Offers often change, so it can pay to check partner bonus earnings offers regularly.
Best Western also offers exclusive points earning opportunities to Best Western Rewards members. Members can find any special offers for which they're eligible by logging into their rewards account online.
If you need a few extra points to get free lodging for a dream vacation or other trip, you can also buy Best Western points. You may be allowed to buy up to 20,000 points. It's generally a bad value to buy points, but it may make sense if you're a little bit short of reaching a valuable award.
How to redeem Best Western points
To get the most value for your Best Western points, you're best off redeeming them for free night awards.
Redemptions start at just 5,000 per night and go up to 70,000, depending on the hotel. These lower cost hotels offer the best value for your points — as high as 1 cent per point.
The Best Western Rewards program is ideal for money conscious travelers, as you'll be able to stretch out the value of your rewards by booking low cost hotels.
On the other hand, hotels on the pricier side tend not to offer the most outstanding value for your points, as you can see from our chart below:
Best Western points value
Hotel | Price | Redemption | Point value (in cents) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western Plus Raleigh Crabtree Valley Hotel | $111.10 | 20,000 | 0.6 |
| Hotel Arya, BW Premier Collection | $278.28 | 40,000 | 0.7 |
| Best Western Plus Waltham Boston | $177.60 | 28,000 | 0.6 |
| Best Western Plus LA Mid-Town Hotel | $195.20 | 28,000 | 0.7 |
| Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akasaka | $76.34 | 12,000 | 0.6 |
| WorldHotels Elite Hotel Villa Real | $254.10 | 40,000 | 0.6 |
| Best Western Hotel Toubkal | $55.80 | 5,000 | 1.1 |
| SureStay Hotel San Antonio Northeast | $65.39 | 12,000 | 0.6 |
| Best Western Premier Chateau Granville Hotel & Suites & Conference Centre | $229.27 | 32,000 | 0.7 |
| Best Western Hotel Felix | $47.41 | 5,000 | 1.0 |
| TOTAL | 0.7 |
How to book a Best Western award night
- You can book a free night by logging in to your account and clicking on the yellow "redeem points" button at the top of the page.
- That takes you to a redemption options page where you click "get a free night" to land on the rewards search page.
- You can search hotels by destination, plugging in your check-in and checkout dates to get a list of options, along with the cash price and the points price.
- Click "select" next to the points option to book your stay.
Pay with points
If you don't have enough points to book a room with points alone, you can use the Pay with Points option to book with points plus cash. You can use Pay with Points in 1,000-point increments, starting at 5,000 points. For a multi-night stay, you can use this option only for the first night of the stay.
To use Pay with Points, you must log in to your rewards account, then scroll down and click on the Pay with Points button. That will take you to a Pay with Points search page where you can search by destination, find a hotel and book online.
Transfer Best Western points
You can also transfer your points to a vast number of airline loyalty programs with the Best Western air miles rewards option. This is generally a poor use of your points, as points transfer at a 5:1 ratio for most partners.
However, if you're not interested in staying at Best Western hotels, this can be an easy way to rack up airline miles.
Simply select "airline miles" as your preferred way to earn and designate a frequent flyer account with a partner airline. Then your Best Western rewards will be automatically transferred to your airline loyalty account in the form of miles. Or you can transfer existing points to a frequent flyer account by logging in to your Best Western Rewards account.
Best Western Elite status
When you join Best Western Rewards, you start out at the Blue level, but earning elite status will get you a few perks and higher rewards earnings for each stay. There are four levels of elite status in the program.
You can earn Best Western Rewards elite status by accumulating a set number of nights, eligible stays or points in a calendar year.
Frequent travelers will have a much easier time attaining higher levels of status. However, it's fairly easy for even infrequent travelers to get lower levels of status.
Best Western status levels
Status level | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Blue | None |
| Gold | 10 nights, seven qualifying stays or 10,000 points |
| Platinum | 15 nights, 10 qualifying stays or 15,000 points |
| Diamond | 30 nights, 20 qualifying stays or 30,000 points |
| Diamond Select | 50 nights, 40 qualifying stays or 50,000 points |
*Bonus points don't count toward Best Western elite status
If you earn elite status in a calendar year, you normally keep your status for the rest of that year plus the next calendar year as well. The same applies for each level of status you reach. However, Best Western is now extending the status of elite members through March 31, 2023.
Best Western Rewards member benefits
Want to ramp up your earnings with the Best Western Rewards program? One good way to do that is to work toward elite status, which gets you a bonus of between 10% and 50% based on your elite status tier. You can also get extra perks, such as free water when you check in.
Even if you decide not to go for Best Western elite status, there are plenty of perks available at the basic member level, known as the Blue level in the Best Western program.
The biggest benefit of being a Best Western elite is extra earnings on all of your hotel stays. Other than higher earnings, the three upper levels of status are exactly the same.
Best Western Rewards Blue member
- Earn 10 points per dollar on eligible stay
- Points never expire
- No blackout dates for redemption awards
- Exclusive reservation line
- Free night redemptions count toward elite status
- Early check-in and late checkout, subject to availability
- Exclusive member rates
- Pay with Points option allows you to pay for a room with points plus cash, starting at a redemption level of 5,000 points to get $25 off a room
Best Western Rewards Gold member
- Blue member benefits, plus …
- Earn 11 points per dollar on eligible stays
- Complimentary water and points upon arrival, subject to availability
- Enjoy your current tier level through March 31, 2023
Best Western Rewards Platinum member
- Gold member benefits, plus ...
- Earn 11.5 points per dollar on eligible stays
Best Western Rewards Diamond member
- Platinum member benefits, plus ...
- Earn 13 points per dollar on eligible stays
Best Western Rewards Diamond Select member
- Platinum member benefits, plus ...
- Earn 15 points per dollar on eligible stays
Fast tracks to Best Western Rewards elite status
Don't want to wait months or longer to get Best Western elite status? Fortunately, there are several ways to "fast track" yourself to elite status. You can get to Gold, Platinum or Diamond (but not the highest level of status, Diamond Select) through these methods.
The level you earn will depend on the method you choose and the qualifications you meet.
Savvy traveler tip: To get the Diamond level, you need to be a qualifying small business owner. But anyone can get Gold or Platinum level status if they take advantage of these fast-track opportunities.
Best Western credit cards
If you want to earn Best Western points for your everyday spending and get a free night faster, a Best Western credit card may be a good option for you. You can earn a sign-up bonus that could get you a free night right away. Plus, as a cardholder, you earn more on your Best Western stays.
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- The [data-lightrail id="1439"]{name}[/data-lightrail] awards cardholders automatic Platinum status.
Best Western status match
If you're an elite status member of a different hotel loyalty program, Best Western frequently offers a limited-time status match — completely free of charge.
To get started, you need to email Best Western with your name, address, email address, phone number, Best Western Rewards member number and proof of your status in the other hotel loyalty program. As proof, Best Western will accept a screenshot or copy of your account statement or member card from the other hotel program.
Best Western Service Rewards® Program
Government employees, military servicemembers and veterans may qualify for Gold elite status through the Best Western Service Rewards® Program. It's free to join the program online, and you get your automatic Gold status right away. Members also get a government and military discount when they present their work ID or work orders at check-in.
Best Western Business Advantage program
Small business owners who join the Best Western Business Advantage program can get themselves and their employees fast tracked to Best Western elite status. Qualified business owners can be automatically elevated to Diamond elite status, while their employee can be elevated to Gold elite status. Business owners interested in joining the program need to email [email protected] or call Best Western at 1-855-504-1079 and choose option 3 to reach the Business Advantage team.
This program can be a great way for a qualifying small business owner to get a high level of automatic elite status instantly. This fast-track method offers a higher tier of status than any other method available.
Best Western Rewards FAQs
What is Best Western Rewards?
The Best Western Rewards loyalty program is designed for frequent guests at 18 different brands. As a Best Western Rewards member, you get special room rates, and you earn points on every stay. You can redeem your BW points for future stays, use points to pay for part of a stay, turn points into airline miles, cash them in for gift cards and more.
Who is Best Western Rewards best for?What is the Best Western Rewards phone number?
The Best Western Rewards phone number is 1-800-237-8483 if you are calling from North America. You can reach a representative between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. MST. If you're calling from another part of the world, you'll need to call the Best Western global rewards center for your location. Here's a list of global rewards center phone numbers by country.
What is the Best Western Rewards login?
You can log in to your Best Western Rewards account by visiting the Best Western website at BestWestern.com. Then click on the "login" button in the upper right corner to enter your username and password to log in.
How do I find my Best Western rewards number?
You can find your Best Western Rewards account number by logging in to your Best Western account online. After you log in, your account number will be displayed at the top of the screen. If you have problems logging in, you can call the Best Western Rewards customer service line.
Do Best Western Rewards points expire?
Best Western Rewards points never expire, which is one of the advantages of the program, especially if you travel infrequently. However, Best Western may close your rewards account and revoke your unredeemed points in certain situations, such as if you violate program rules or commit fraud.
How does Best Western Rewards work?
You can join Best Western Rewards for free by filling out a form online. Once you join, you'll get an account number and you can start earning Best Western points or airline miles right away. You can also open a Best Western credit card to earn points for everyday spending. Once you've earned enough points, you can cash them in for a free night at a Best Western brand hotel or use them to get other rewards.
How do I check my Best Western Rewards points?
You can check your Best Western Rewards points by logging in to your Best Western account. Once you've logged in, you'll see your points in the upper left corner of the screen.
How do I join Best Western Rewards?
You can join Best Western Rewards by filling out a short form on the Best Western website. The process takes only a few minutes, and you can start earning points or miles as soon as you join.
Is Best Western part of IHG Rewards?
Best Western is not part of IHG Rewards, which is a separate hotel rewards program from IHG Hotels & Resorts. IHG has 16 hotel brands in 6,000 locations.
Is Best Western part of Marriott Rewards?
Best Western is not part of the Marriott rewards program. Marriott International is a separate hotel company that operates the popular Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
Is Best Western part of Wyndham Rewards?
Best Western is not part of Wyndham Rewards, the rewards program for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Wyndham is a hotel company that has 22 brands that include Days Inn, Super 8 and LaQuinta.
Is Best Western part of Hilton?
Best Western is not part of Hilton, a large hospitality company with 18 brands and over 6,500 properties around the world. Hilton offers the Hilton Honors hotel rewards program, one of the top hotel loyalty programs.
Is Best Western Rewards free?
It is completely free to sign up for the Best Western Rewards program. However, you'll need to spend money in order to earn a significant amount of Best Western points. You can earn points by staying at a hotel in the Best Western portfolio of brands, signing up for and spending on a Best Western credit card and other activities such as shopping with retail partners.
What are the Best Western Rewards levels?
The Best Western Rewards program has five levels: Blue, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Select. All members start out with Blue status and can then earn one of the four Best Western Rewards levels of elite status, which come with higher rewards earnings at each tier.
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How We Calculate Rewards: ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. These estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
Example of how we calculate the rewards rates: When redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred points are worth $0.0125 each. The card awards 2 points on travel and dining and 1 point on everything else. Therefore, we say the card has a 2.5% rewards rate on dining and travel (2 x $0.0125) and a 1.25% rewards rate on everything else (1 x $0.0125).