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LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products. We are compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order).
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On this page
- Who should join the Best Western Rewards program?
- How much are Best Western points worth?
- What hotels are part of 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
- Frequently asked questions
Written by
Dan Miller
Edited by
Sarah Fisher
Updated on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
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Best Western Hotels & Resorts boasts over 4,700 hotels worldwide. The Best Western rewards program is free to join, and offers good value for travelers on a budget. There are several different elite status levels, each with a varying degree of perks and benefits, which means that even infrequent guests can benefit from the Best Western loyalty program.
| Best Western rewards quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Redemption options | Free night awards, Pay with Points, transfer to airline partners |
| How many Best Western points for a free night? | Between 5,000 points (with Pay with Points) and 70,000 points |
| Best Western points value | 0.7 cents |
| How many hotels does Best Western have? | 18 brands, 4,700+ properties worldwide |
| Do Best Western points expire? | No |
Who should join the Best Western Rewards program?
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, so you gain potential savings at no cost. Every business trip, vacation, and any other Best Western stay can earn you points toward free stays in the future. It’s also relatively easy to find a participating hotel — Best Western has thousands of hotels around the world.
How much are Best Western points worth?
On average, we find that each Best Western point is worth about 0.7 cents.
The value of Best Western points is fairly typical for major hotel loyalty programs, although some loyalty programs offer more or less value per point. 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 part of 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. It 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 wherever you travel.
- Hotel brands range from economy to luxury, so you can choose the best fit for your budget 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 with higher-tier elite status.
- You’ll need to use at least 5,000 points to redeem through Pay with Points.
- 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.
- The elite status benefits and perks are subpar compared with other hotel programs like Hilton Honors. For instance, elites do not get free upgrades in the U.S.
How to earn Best Western Rewards points
While it’s easiest to earn points by staying at Best Western hotels or using a Best Western credit card, there are a few other ways you can earn Best Western Rewards 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.
| Card | Sign-up bonus | Earning rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western Rewards® Premium MasterCard® | 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first three billing cycles after the account is opened | 20x on Best Western purchases (10 points as a Best Western Rewards® member, 10 points for using your Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®). Earn 2x points on other purchases. | $89 |
| Best Western Rewards MasterCard Credit Card | 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened | 13x points on Best Western purchases (10 points as a Best Western Rewards® member, 3 points for using your Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®) and 2x points on other purchases | $0 |
This Best Western Rewards Business Advantage program helps small business owners earn even more Best Western Rewards points. Joining the program will grant the main cardholder Diamond elite status and give the employee cardholders Gold elite status. Joining the Business Advantage program can help business owners supercharge their earnings.
You can earn extra points by taking advantage of Best Western retail bonus offers. Some of the 2024 offers from Best Western allow you to earn: 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.
You can take advantage of partner offers to earn bonus points when you book a car rental or fly with travel partners through Best Western.
Best Western has six car and limo rental partners:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget
- Enterprise
- National
- Sixt
You can save money on your rental and also earn Best Western points when you book a rental through Best Western with one of these car rental partners.
Best Western has 17 airline program partners, including:
- AeroMexico
- Aeroplan
- Air France / KLM
- Alaska Airlines
- MilleMiglia
- Asiana Airlines
- Life Miles
- Cathay Pacific
- China Southern
- Czech Airlines
- Lufthansa
- PAYBACK
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
You can earn between 250 and 800 bonus points or miles when you book travel through Best Western with one of these partner airline programs. Offers may change, so it can pay to check partner bonus earnings offers regularly.
Best Western also regularly runs promotions where you can earn extra points when staying with Best Western. You can find special offers that you’re eligible for by logging into your online rewards account.
For example, member-only promotions have included the ability to earn 500 bonus points with each stay or earn a free night when you stay two nights in a row at a qualifying hotel.
If you need a few extra points to book your next stay, you can also buy Best Western points. You can buy up to 20,000 points per day and up to 100,000 points every 12 months. 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
You’ll generally get the most value for your Best Western points by redeeming them for free night awards. Best Western does not have a published award chart, so the amount of points that you’ll need will depend on the hotel you are looking at and when you’re planning on staying. Here’s a brief look at the cost in both cash and points for a sampling of Best Western hotels:
| Hotel | Price | Redemption | Point value (in cents) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western Plus Raleigh Crabtree Valley Hotel | $140.43 | 20,000 | 0.70 |
| Hotel Arya, BW Premier Collection | $249.56 | 32,000 | 0.78 |
| Best Western Plus Waltham Boston | $278.13 | 36,000 | 0.77 |
| Best Western Plus LA Mid-Town Hotel | $231.73 | 32,000 | 0.72 |
| Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akasaka | $148.75 | 24,000 | 0.62 |
| SureStay Hotel San Antonio Northeast | $87.55 | 12,000 | 0.73 |
| Best Western Premier Chateau Granville Hotel & Suites & Conference Centre | $446.39 | 70,000 | 0.64 |
| Total | 0.7 cents | ||
BOOK A BEST WESTERN NIGHT
- To book a night with Best Western points, first search for hotels by destination, plugging in your check-in and check-out dates to get a list of options.
- Click the “Use Rewards Points” checkbox to see the price of points.
- 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 going to be staying at a Best Western hotel for quite a while, and have points saved up, 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 for each stay. There are four levels of elite status in the program, culminating with top-tier Diamond Select status.
You can earn Best Western Rewards elite status, or move to a higher elite status level, by accumulating a set number of qualifying nights in a calendar year.
Best Western elite status levels
| Best Western status level | Requirements | Bonus points |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | None | 0% |
| Gold | Five nights | 10% |
| Platinum | Seven nights | 15% |
| Diamond | 15 nights | 30% |
| Diamond Select | 25 nights | 50% |
If you earn elite status in a calendar year, you will keep your status for the rest of that year, the next calendar year and through March of the following year as well. For example, status earned in 2024 will be valid through March 2026.
Fast tracks to Best Western Rewards elite status
Don’t want to wait months or longer to get Best Western elite status? You might not have to stay the associated number of nights to earn Best Western elite status. Fortunately, there are several ways to “fast track” yourself to elite status. The level you earn will depend on the method you choose and the qualifications you meet.
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.
- The Best Western Rewards MasterCard Credit Card comes with automatic Gold status
- The Best Western Rewards® Premium MasterCard® 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 service members and veterans may qualify for Gold elite status through the Best Western Service Rewards Program, which allows you to save 10% on eligible hotel room rates. It’s free to join the program online, and you get your automatic Gold status right away.
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 status, while their employees can be elevated to Gold elite status. This program can be a great way for small business owners to get a high elite status level instantly while earning additional points for themselves and their employees.
Best Western Rewards member benefits
The biggest benefit of Best Western elite status is extra earnings on all of your hotel stays. Other than earning more on hotel stays, the three highest levels offer the exact same benefits.
- 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
- 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
- Blue member benefits, plus …
- Earn 11 points per dollar on eligible stays
- Complimentary water upon arrival
- 500 bonus points upon arrival
- Gold member benefits, plus …
- Earn 15 points per dollar on eligible stays
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- Platinum member benefits, plus …
- Earn 13 points per dollar on eligible stays
- Diamond member benefits, plus …
- Earn 15 points per dollar on eligible stays
Frequently asked questions
The Best Western Rewards phone number is 1-800-237-8483 if you are calling from North America. You can reach a representative between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. EST. 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.
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.
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.
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 balance in the upper right corner of the screen.
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.
Yes, it is free to join the Best Western Rewards program, and it is usually a good idea to join if you ever stay at Best Western hotels. Because your points never expire, even infrequent travelers can earn Best Western Rewards points and redeem them for free nights or other rewards.
The information related to Best Western Rewards MasterCard Credit Card and Best Western Rewards® Premium MasterCard® has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
Dan Miller
Dan Miller is a freelance writer and has been covering credit cards, student loans and all things personal finance since 2014. His home base is in Cincinnati, but he tries to travel the world as much as possible with his wife and 6 kids.
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