Best Western Rewards guide

Best Western Rewards offers a solid program that allows members to earn points through hotel stays, credit card rewards and shopping partners. Points can then be redeemed for free nights, airline miles and more, and members can earn elite status, which comes with more hotel-related perks. There are two credit cards that earn Best Western Rewards points on hotel stays as well as points on general spending.

Keep reading to learn more about Best Western Rewards’ perks and elite status tiers, how to earn and redeem points, how much points are worth and which hotel credit cards can help you earn points. 

Who is Best Western Rewards best for?

If you’re a frequent Best Western customer, it definitely makes sense to join the Best Western Rewards program. It’s free to join, and you can automatically earn points on hotel stays and other purchases. 

You can also earn more points by using a Best Western Rewards credit card. While there are more lucrative travel credit cards and travel programs out there, Best Western Rewards is still a great choice for travelers on a budget looking to score some free hotel stays.

How to earn Best Western Rewards points

There are several different ways to earn Best Western Rewards points, including through hotel stays, credit card purchases and shopping with partners. Here’s a closer look at some of the most common ways to earn points:

Hotel stays

The simplest way to earn Best Western Rewards points is through hotel stays. Each time you purchase an eligible stay at a Best Western hotel, you’ll earn at least 10X points per dollar. The number of points you’ll receive is dependent on your membership tier, with higher tiers earning additional bonus points. 

For example, the Blue tier, which is the lowest tier offered, earns 10X points per dollar on eligible hotel stays, while the Diamond Select tier, the highest tier available, earns 50 percent bonus points per dollar.

Credit card rewards

Another great way to earn Best Western Rewards points is through credit card rewards. Best Western has two hotel credit cards: the Best Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature®* and Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature®*. Cardholders can earn points on Best Western stays and everyday purchases and redeem points for free hotel stays.

Best Western partners

Best Western partners with a variety of different companies and retailers through which members can earn more points. Some current partners you can earn points with include AAA, AARP, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt.

Purchase points

In addition to earning points through spending, customers can also purchase points. This can make sense if you’re near the point threshold for a free stay and need a few extra points to push you over the edge. Rewards may be purchased at the rate of 1 cent per point and can only be purchased in increments of 1,000. You can purchase up to 20,000 points per day, but you’ll need to call Best Western customer service at (800) 894-4365 to process your request.

Earn airline miles instead

Instead of earning points, you can also elect to earn miles with participating airline partners. Here’s what you’ll earn with each partner: 

How to redeem Best Western Rewards points

There are several ways you can redeem Best Western Rewards points, including:

• Free nights

  The best way to redeem Best Western Rewards points is for free hotel nights, which can be reserved at any Best Western location worldwide. Best Western Rewards also has a Pay with Points program that allows you to pay with a combination of points and cash. For every 1,000 points you redeem in this manner, you’ll get $5 off your room rate. So, if you redeem 5,000 points for a room, you’ll save $25 on the room rate.

• Airline miles

  Best Western Rewards points can also be redeemed for airline miles with participating airlines. You can choose an airline program and convert your points to miles at any time through the Best Western redemption mall.

• Other redemption options

  In addition to free nights and airline miles, there are several other redemption options available, including Best Western travel gift cards, merchant gift cards, charitable donations and rotating special offers.

How much are Best Western Rewards points worth?

According to recent Bankrate valuations, Best Western Rewards points are worth about 0.6 cents each. Still, keep in mind that the value of Best Western Rewards points varies depending on how you redeem them. In general, free nights start at 5,000 points per night.

How does Best Western Rewards compare to other programs?

Best Western Rewards elite status

Best Western Rewards also offers elite status for members who frequently stay at a Best Western hotel. You can earn elite status after staying just five qualifying nights.

Here are the qualifications and benefits for each status tier:

Best West Rewards airline transfer partners

Best Western Rewards has nine airline transfer partners. The program’s transfer partners and the Best Western Rewards points to airline miles/points transfer rates are below:

Top credit cards that earn Best Western Rewards points

If you’re interested in earning Best Western Rewards points through a credit card, Best Western offers two cards through First Bank & Trust: The Best Western Rewards Premium Visa Signature and Best Western Rewards Visa Signature. These rewards credit cards earn points on both Best Western hotel stays and everyday purchases.

Perks found on both cards

Here are some additional perks found on both Best Western cards:

• Cell phone protection
• Trip cancellation/trip interruption reimbursement
• Trip delay insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

FAQs about Best Western Rewards

• Do Best Western Rewards points expire?

  One of the best features of Best Western Rewards is that points never expire. This means that even if you only earn a moderate amount of points per year, you can continue to save them up until you have enough to redeem.

• Can you share Best Western Rewards points with friends and family members?

  Best Western Rewards members can only share points with other members who have the same physical address. Alternatively, you could gift a free night to family members.

• What brands are affiliated with Best Western?

  Best Western brands range from cheaper motels to luxury properties:

  • GLō®
  • Vīb®
  • Best Western Plus®
  • BW Premier Collection®
  • Best Western Premier®
  • Sadie® Best Western
  • Best Western®
  • BW Signature Collection®
  • Executive Residency by Best Western®
  • Aiden® by Best Western
  • WorldHotelsTM Luxury
  • WorldHotelsTM Elite
  • WorldHotelsTM Distinctive
  • WorldHotelsTM Crafted
  • SureStay Plus®
  • SureStay®
  • SureStay Collection®
  • SureStay Studio®

The bottom line

If you’re interested in joining a hotel loyalty program that provides a mix of accessibility and value, the Best Western Rewards program is a great option to consider. Budget travelers can earn points that never expire through credit card spending or at a variety of hotels that have flexible redemption options. While you won’t necessarily get the top-tier perks of other hotel chains, Best Western Rewards provides a solid program with respectable benefits, especially for their hotel credit cardholders. 

*The information about the Best Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature® and Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.