Best Western Rewards Guide | Bankrate

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Best Western Rewards offers a solid program that allows members to earn points through hotel stays, credit card rewards and shopping partners.

You can then redeem points 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.

Who is Best Western Rewards best for?

If you’re a frequent Best Western customer, it 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 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 an ideal choice for travelers on a budget looking to score some free hotel stays.

How to earn Best Western Rewards points

While hotel stays are a primary way to earn Best Western Rewards points, they’re far from the only option. Members can also accumulate points through:

• Spending with a Best Western credit card
• Booking with Best Western partners (e.g., AAA, AARP, car rentals)
• Purchasing points directly from Best Western
• Electing to earn airline miles instead of hotel points

Best Western makes it easy to rack up points whether you’re booking stays, reserving a rental car or spending with one of its co-branded credit cards — the Best Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature®* and Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature®*. All members earn at least 10 points per $1 on eligible hotel stays, with elite members earning up to 50 percent bonus points based on status tier.

Beyond travel, the program offers multiple ways to pad your points balance. You can buy points if you’re close to a redemption, earn with partner brands like Alamo and AAA or even switch your earnings from hotel points to frequent flyer miles with participating airlines. It’s a flexible program built to reward frequent guests and occasional travelers alike.

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 Bankrate valuations, Best Western Rewards points are worth about 0.6 cents each.

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:

• Cellphone protection
• Trip cancellation and interruption reimbursement
• Trip delay insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

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 worth consideration.

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 its hotel credit cardholders.

Frequently asked questions 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 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:

  • • BW Signature Collection®

  • • Executive Residency by Best Western®

  • • WorldHotels™ Distinctive

*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.