Best Western Rewards Program: How to get free travel and more!

Best Western Rewards Program
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    What’s not to love about the Best Western Rewards program? It has everything you need.

    First, the Best Western hotel chain is one of the best-known in the world, with more than 4000 properties in 100 countries worldwide. Second, the chain’s loyalty program makes travelling for free easy. But if free travel isn’t for you, you can exchange your points for gifts and even charity donations! It is like a perk trifecta!

    Best Western hotels have a very good reputation. Since 2020, 2037 of their properties have won Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award. Furthermore, their loyalty program was named “Best Hotel Loyalty Program by WalletHub” for the fourth year in a row.

    These accolades are all well and good, but what about the program? That’s what this article will explain in detail.

    Signing up for Best Western Rewards

    First, you have to register for the program. You can do that here; it is a US site. The hotel chain’s website is quite comprehensive and available in many languages.

    You should know that points are not earned when the reservation is made through a platform like Expedia.ca, or a travel agency. You must book directly through Best Western to earn the points.

    When you register, you have two options for earning points: Best Western points or airline miles in connection with the companies listed below. You can change your mind at any time and modify your account.

    • Air Berlin
    • Aeroplan
    • Aeroflot
    • AF/KLM Flying Blue
    • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
    • American Airlines / AAdvantage
    • Asiana Club
    • China Southern Sky Pearl Club
    • Alitalia Mileage Plan
    • Czech Airlines Ok Plus
    • Deutsche Bahn
    • Hainan Airlines
    • Life Miles
    • Lufthansa Miles & More
    • Multiplus
    • SAA Voyager
    • SAS Euro Bonus (Scandinavian Airlines)
    • Turkish Airlines Miles & Smile
    • United Mileage Plus
    • Vigrin Atlantic Flying Club

    How do I earn points?

    You’ll earn 10 points for every US dollar spent on the total amount of the reservation. If your stay is in Europe, for example, points will automatically be converted to the equivalent in dollars.

    If you are new to the program, but have stayed at a Best Western hotel within the last 30 days, you can request to have the points added to your account. You just need to log in to your rewards account and fill out the Missing Points or Airline/Partner Rewards Discrepancy forms.  

    What are the benefits of membership?

    Your points are valid for life and count toward all stays worldwide. You can then exchange them for free nights. At the time of writing, Best Western has slashed the number of points you need to get to maintain your status.

    The rewards program has 5 tiers ranging from the lowest level, named Blue, through to the highest level, which is Diamond Select. You need a minimum 12,000 rewards points for a free room, and a minimum of 5000 Best Western points for airline and partner rewards.

    You can also shop the online store for gift cards and other rewards.

    Members also have access to reduced fares. Moreover, if you find a lower rate on the internet, Best Western will offer you your night at that price and will send you a Best Western Travel Card worth $100 USD.

    If you are short on points to redeem an award and can’t wait, you can simply purchase them for $0.01 per point. However, you must purchase them in increments of 1000 points with a maximum of 20,000 points per day and 100,000 points per year.

    Best Western Rewards member levels

    There are different statuses for members, depending on the points earned in a calendar year for eligible stays)

    StatusStaysStaysPoints
    BlueLess than  10 Less than 7Less than 10,000
    Gold10 to  14 7 to 9 10,000 to 14, 999
    Platinum15 to 29 10 to 19 15,000 to 29,999
    Diamond30 to 49 20 to 3930,000 to 49,999
    Diamond Select50 or more40 or more50,000 and more

    At Gold status and above, members are entitled to a complimentary bottle of water upon arrival. Gold status and above also qualifies members for “Elite Status,” which provides the following benefits:

    • Gold Elite: 10% bonus points
    • Platinum Elite: 15% bonus points
    • Diamond Elite: 30% bonus points
    • Diamond Select Elite: 50% bonus points

    The member’s status changes as soon as the next level is reached and is valid until the end of the next calendar year.

    Points have no expiration date, which is a great benefit for those who only travel occasionally.

    How can I earn even more points?

    Best Western us to offer a co-branded credit card with MBNA that earns Best Western Rewards points on everyday purchases. However, it has since been discontinued.

    To find the best credit card for your goals and shopping habits, you should know that Hardbacon’s credit card comparison tool makes it easy!

    Finally, Best Western Rewards offers a “Status Match, No Catch” program that matches any status earned with a competing hotel chain.

    Now all you have to do is plan your next getaway!

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    Arthur Dubois is a personal finance writer at Hardbacon. Since relocating to Canada, he has successfully built his credit score from scratch and begun investing in the stock market. In addition to his work at Hardbacon, Arthur has contributed to Metro newspaper and several other publications