The Best Western Rewards Program is the loyalty program of Best Western. You can book every kind of accommodation from economy lodging to upscale hotels, though the chain is mostly known for its budget-friendly properties. The hotel group has 4,700 hotels in over 100 countries and territories around the world.
If you travel domestically, it’s a good hotel group to be loyal to because it has over 2,000 properties in North America. Hotels and resorts in the chain can also be found in Asia, Australia and Europe, as well as Central and South America.
The Best Western rewards program portfolio consists of 18 brands including Best Western-branded properties including Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier and the BW Premier Collection, BW Signature Collection, and Executive Residency by Best Western, as well as the Aiden, Glo, Vib and Sadie properties.
The hotel chain also represents the WorldHotels Collection which includes curated independent properties under the Crafted, Distinctive, Elite and Luxury brands. The SureStay Hotel Group can also be booked through Best Western and includes affordably priced short- and long-term stays under the SureStay, SureStay Plus, SureStay Studio and the SureStay Collection.
See Our Other Hotel Reward Program Guides
Rewards Program Perks and Elite Tiers
The Best Western Rewards Program offers benefits during stays, and the opportunity to earn bonus points and additional perks through elite status. The biggest program benefit for elites is the opportunity to earn bonus points. A downside of the program for some is that the chain doesn’t partner with any of the popular transferable points programs like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards.
The program may not be as robust as some other hotel chains which offer more perks, but if you have elite status with another chain you should take advantage of the hotel chain’s status match. If you reach a new tier through the match or by meeting the requirements, you’ll keep that status until March 31, 2024.
Blue Level
The Best Western Rewards program has a basic Blue level of membership that you get just by signing up. You earn 10 points per dollar spent at properties in the hotel chain, and you also get other perks like access to an exclusive reservation line, and early check-in and late check-out if available. It doesn’t cost anything to join and comes with many of the perks that elites get.
Gold Elite Status
You earn elite status through room nights, qualifying stays or points earned each year. After 10 nights, seven stays or once you’ve accumulated 10,000 points, you get bumped up to Gold status and earn 10% in bonus points for your stays. But the hotel chain cut the requirements needed to earn elite levels by half in 2021 and has not gone back to pre-pandemic levels.
Platinum and Diamond Elite Status
You usually become a Platinum elite after 15 nights, 10 stays or 15,000 points, but these requirements were also reduced by half. You earn a 15% point bonus as a Platinum. Diamond elite status usually requires 30 nights, 20 stays or 30,000 points a year, but only half of that is currently required. This level will get you a 30% point bonus.
Diamond Select Elite Status
Diamond Select is achieved by frequent guests who stay for 50 nights, 40 stays or when they earn 50,000 points, but that requirement like the others was also temporarily reduced. At this level, you get a 50% point bonus. You get complimentary water and welcome points on arrival at all levels.
Travelers who stay at Best Western hotels also like Marriott properties. You can read more about the Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Program in our review to compare them.
Credit Cards
The quicker way to get elite status and also earn up to 120,000 points is by signing up for the hotel chain’s co-branded credit card.
Best Western Premium card
The Best Western Rewards Program Premium Mastercard will give cardholders automatic Platinum elite status and the opportunity to rack up enough points for seven free nights, based on an average redemption of 16,000 points a night.
You earn 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 on the card in the first three billing cycles, and an additional 40,000 points when you reach $5,000 in spending in the first year. The card has an annual fee of $89.
This card allows you to earn 20 points per dollar spent at Best Western properties, which includes 10 points earned as a basic Rewards Club member and 10 bonus points. It offers a 10% discount on bookings. You’ll earn two points per dollar on all other purchases made with this card, and there are no foreign transaction fees.
No-annual fee card
The hotel chain also has a no-annual fee co-branded credit card that comes with automatic Gold status in the hotel chain’s program after your first use of the card. The Best Western Rewards Platinum Mastercard offers 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first three billing cycles, and 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 in the first 12 billing cycles. That’s enough points to book three or more free nights depending on property redemption rates.
You’ll earn 13 points per dollar spent at Best Western properties with this card, two points per dollar on all other purchases, and a 10% discount on room rates booked using the card. There are no foreign transaction fees, and there is no annual fee to hold the card.
Other Ways to Earn
As a member of the Best Western Rewards Program, you can also earn bonus miles in one of 20 frequent flyer programs when you book one of the hotel chain’s partner airlines. You earn from 250 to 500 miles in the airline program or 8,000 kilometers in Club Premier.
Airline Partners
Best Western rewards program partners with Aeromexico’s Club Premier, Aer Lingus’ AerClub, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Air Canada’s Aeroplan, Alaska Mileage Plan, Alitalia’s Millemiglia, Asiana Club, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, China Southern Sky Pearl Club, Czech Airlines OK Plus, Hainan Airlines, Iberia Plus, South African Airways Voyager, SAS Euro Bonus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Vueling Club frequent flyer programs.
Car Rental Partners
You can also get discounts and/or earn hotel points in the hotel program through its car rental partners, which include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt. They offer discounts of up to 25% and some offer the opportunity to earn 1,000 miles per rental.
Shopping Partners
The hotel chain does not have a lot of shopping partners that let you earn points, but you can get 1,000 miles on Teleflora purchases over $29.99 and 12,500 points if you join the Vinesse Wine Club and purchase a case of wine for $41.94.
Redeeming Points
Points never expire, there are no blackout dates, and free reward nights count toward elite status. Best Western doesn’t publish an award chart, but there are eight levels of room rates for point redemptions that range from 5,000 to 70,000 points per night depending on the property and location.
You can purchase room night vouchers using points in Best Western’s redemption mall. You’ll need to call reservations and book in advance to use these vouchers. You can also buy Best Western Travel cards for future domestic stays at a rate of 2,000 points for a $10 voucher, or 1,500 points for $10 CAD for use in Canada.
If you’re short on miles for an airline miles redemption, you can go through the mall and use your BW points to buy miles at a rate of 5,000 to 6,000 points for 1,000 to 1,600 miles in a partner program. It’s not the best transfer rate, but is useful if you need just a few thousand points to secure an award flight.
Your points can also be traded in for a AAA or CAA roadside assistance membership that also offers discounts at over 160,000 restaurants, attractions and retail stores worldwide. It will cost 16,000 points for a one-year basic membership that is valued at $74.
You can also choose to trade in BW points for Amazon vouchers for use in the US or Canada. For US shoppers, you’ll get a $50 e-voucher for 16,000 points. A $50 card for use on Amazon.ca in Canada costs 12,000 points. You can also buy prepaid Mastercards for the same amount of points and cash as Amazon vouchers in each country.
Reward points can also be donated through the redemption mall to charities that include Make a Wish, the American Red Cross and others. You can redeem points in increments of 500 points for a $2 donation.
