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Best Western Rewards: Earn Free Nights and Elite Status Perks

Best Western offers great perks like no blackout dates and no points expiration right away and the credit card welcome bonus is almost enough for up to nine free nights.

Updated Dec. 2, 2024
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Best Western is a global hotel chain with more than 70 years of experience serving hotel guests. Perhaps you’ve stayed in one of the brand’s approximately 4,300 locations in nearly 100 countries. I know Best Westerns have provided me with much-needed rest during road trips, which is why I joined the Best Western Rewards program.

The hotel's loyalty program, Best Western Rewards, was created to reward travelers staying at Best Western properties and spending with its partners. There are 19 unique brands under the umbrellas of Best Western, WorldHotels, and SureStay, with varying levels of luxury and value.

You can become a member of this hotel loyalty program for free and earn points simply for staying in Best Western hotels and resorts, and those points never expire. Let’s dive into how Best Western Rewards works.

The basics of the Best Western Rewards program

The Best Western Rewards program offers five levels of elite status to earn based on total qualifying stays or points earned. All members start out with Blue status, which includes benefits such as points that don't expire, no blackout dates on award bookings, and early check-in and late check-out when available.

As with many other hotel rewards programs, Best Western Rewards offers benefits the more you stay in their properties, moving up the tiers. Diamond Select is the highest tier and offers a 50% bonus points on stays, as well as other perks like room upgrades and a thank-you gift or points upon arrival.

Which brands participate in this program?

Nineteen brands participate in the Best Western Rewards hotel loyalty program, and each caters to a different type of traveler. You can earn points at the following properties, get discounted rates, and even stay at these hotels for free (with no blackout dates):

Best Western brands:

  • Best Western
  • Best Western Plus
  • BW Premier Collection
  • Best Western Premier
  • Vib
  • Glo
  • Aiden by Best Western
  • Sadie Best Western
  • BW Signature Collection
  • Executive Residency by Best Western
  • HOME by Best Western

WorldHotels brands:

  • WorldHotels Luxury
  • WorldHotels Elite
  • WorldHotels Distinctive
  • WorldHotels Crafted

SureStay brands:

  • SureStay
  • SureStay Plus
  • SureStay Collection
  • SureStay Studio

The perks as a Best Western Rewards member

When you're a member of the Best Western Rewards loyalty program, you can expect two types of benefits. All members who sign up for the hotel loyalty program receive a base level of benefits each time they book a reservation. Members also receive additional benefits as they build elite status.

Here are some elite benefits you will receive through this program:

  • Points that never expire
  • No blackout dates when booking award stays
  • Exclusive member rates
  • Free night redemptions count towards elite status
  • Status match with other loyalty programs
  • Pay with Points allows you to pay partial room fees
  • Early check-in
  • Late check-out

One caveat: Early check-in and late check-out are based on availability. If the hotel is full, it may not be able to offer this benefit.

Ways to earn Best Western Rewards points

If you want to maximize your earning of Best Western Rewards points, you have several options to build your balance. Here are the main ways to earn more points:

  • Best Western credit cards
  • Best Western stays
  • Best Western Business Advantage
  • Best Western Service Rewards
  • Promotions
  • Travel partners

Use the Best Western Rewards credit card (my personal method)

This earning method is my favorite! If you frequently stay at Best Western properties, the company's co-branded card might be a great hotel credit card for you. Let me tell you, my parents live in a small town with only one chain hotel, and guess which chain it is? You got it — Best Western.

Several years ago when I realized my folks’ house was always going to be super-crowded at Thanksgiving, I opened a Best Western Rewards credit card. It has earned me a number of free nights that I use primarily over that one holiday, though we also have booked stays with points on other occasions.

There are two versions of the card, and both offer a 10% discount when booking at BestWestern.com:

Card name Reward details Annual fee
Best Western Rewards Premium Visa Signature 10X points per dollar spent on Best Western stays, 4X points at gas stations and grocery stores, and 2X points per dollar spent everywhere else $89
Best Western Rewards Visa Signature 4X points per dollar on Best Western purchases, plus 2X points per dollar on all other purchases $0

The Best Western Rewards Premium Visa Signature comes with a generous welcome bonus; new cardmembers can earn 20,000 to 80,000 bonus points with qualifying spend. you’ll see your offer before you apply.. Plus, there's an opportunity to receive one automatic Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary, and a second Free Night Award if you spend $10,000 or more that year.

With the Best Western Rewards Visa Signature, new cardholders can earn 10,000 to 40,000 bonus points with qualifying spend. you’ll see your offer before you apply.. You can redeem those points for up to four free night certificates. You also earn 10,000 bonus points on your cardmember anniversary each year that you spend $5,000 or more.

Let me tell you, this Best Western credit card has made the holidays infinitely less stressful for my family. We help decrease the chaos at my parents’ over Thanksgiving by leaving more space for extended family members. For my family of four (plus a dog), it’s essential to have a peaceful place to go for a solid night’s sleep, and it’s all free because of this rewards card.

Earn points on Best Western stays

Best Western Rewards members earn points on their hotel stays based on how much they spend on their reservations. Base level Blue members earn 10x points for staying at a Best Western property. For example, if their hotel room was $300, they would earn 3,000 points for that stay.

As you move up the elite tiers, you will earn even more Best Western Rewards points. When members achieve Gold status, the first elite tier, they earn 10% more points than Blue level members. I’m currently at Platinum, so I earn 15% bonus points, but at Diamond it’s 30% and Diamond Select tier members earn 50% more points.

Sign up for Best Western Business Advantage

Best Western Business Advantage is a free rewards program that was created for small businesses and their employees. This additional program offers benefits like discounted rates, a 10% bonus on points earned from travel, automatic Diamond status for the account owner, and automatic Gold status for employees.

Sign up for Best Western Service Rewards

Best Western is supporting U.S. and Canadian active-duty military, veterans, and government employees with the Best Western Service Rewards Program. Get an automatic upgrade to Gold status and the ability to earn 10% additional points.

People who qualify for this program include:

  • Federal and state government employees when showing government ID
  • Active-duty military, veterans, and civilian-military personnel
  • Tax-funded hospital and university personnel
  • Cost reimbursable contractors

Earn through extra promotions

Like most hotel chains, Best Western Rewards offers promotions on a regular basis. With these promotions, you can earn extra points or award nights. To learn about these valuable promotions, sign up for the Best Western Rewards newsletter (I receive promotional emails and if I can take advantage of those offers, I sign up online).

These offers are typically for a limited time, with stipulations like “stay two consecutive nights by X date” to earn an extra 4,000 points. You do have to register for these offers, however. They’re not automatically added to your account as a rewards member.

Spend with Best Western Rewards travel partners

Spending money with Best Western rewards partners will also help you maximize your points. Best Western has partnered with rental car agencies, retailers, and airlines so that members can earn even more points through different credit cards and rewards programs.

Six rental car agencies offer discounts and hotel points for Best Western Rewards members. Depending on which rental car company you choose, you can often earn bonus points while also saving on the car rental.

The Best Western Rewards program also has a number of airline partners. Unfortunately, you won't earn Best Western Rewards points on your flights, but you can earn airline miles for your hotel stays with Best Western — a valuable perk if you’re a frequent flier.

Best Western Rewards tiers at a glance

Five elite status levels are available in the Best Western Rewards program. The Gold (2nd level) and Diamond Select (top tier) offer the same benefits, except for the bonus points you earn from each stay. And if you have elite status with another hotel loyalty program, Best Western will instantly match your status at no charge.

All tiers earn 10X points on Best Western hotel stays, points don’t expire, and there are no blackout dates. You also can access discounted member rates. It’s helpful that even if you don’t have a high point balance, you can use Pay with Points to redeem a minimum of 5,000 points for a discounted stay.

Best Western Rewards Tiers Bonus points for qualifying nights Number of nights to qualify (in 2024)
Blue n/a n/a
Gold 10% 5
Platinum 15% 7
Diamond 30% 15
Diamond Select 50% 25

Tip
Hotel redemptions typically cost more in points at peak travel times. However, I’ve booked well in advance for times like Thanksgiving when I know the point value of each night is priced lower.

How to qualify for premium membership tiers faster

It can take a while to move up elite tiers by staying at Best Western properties. Fortunately, there are ways to climb the ladder more quickly that don't require a lot of money or time.

The first option is to get a Best Western Rewards credit card. The Best Western Rewards Visa Signature card comes with automatic Gold status, while the Premium card offers automatic Platinum status (though there is an annual fee for the Premium card).

If you’re a business owner, signing up for the Best Western Business Advantage program earns you automatic Diamond status. Plus, you get automatic Gold status for your employees. Military and government workers receive Gold status when they show their ID at check-in.

FAQs

The following are some frequently asked questions from new and existing members of Best Western's hotel loyalty program.

How many points do you need to get a free night at Best Western?

Like most hotels, pricing is based on the property's tier level and the type of room you choose. Prices for free nights at hotels can vary, but with Best Western it starts at 8,000 points and can go as high as 36,000 per night. To redeem for a free night, purchase a free night voucher from Best Western's Redemption Mall, then book your night using that certificate.

How much are Best Western Rewards points worth?

The value of your points depends on what you are redeeming them for. You can redeem points for free nights at Best Western hotels, gas cards, dining, shopping, and more. If using them for Pay with Points, 5,000 points saves you $25 off the cost of a hotel room, which technically saves you money, but not at a high rate.

Best Western points are worth less than one cent apiece, though the value varies. For example, a $100 Best Western Rewards prepaid Visa in the U.S. costs 32,000 points. You'll want to compare offers to find the travel credit card that meets your needs.

Can I book free nights for other people?

Yes. Best Western’s “Gift of Travel” program allows members to gift free nights to friends and family. You can either use the “Gift a Free Night” option in your rewards account or redeem points for a Best Western gift card for your loved one.

Can I transfer Best Western points to airlines?

Yes. Travel is one option to redeem your points. Redemptions start at 5,000 Best Western Rewards points, and Best Western has 16 airline partners, including American Airlines, AirFrance KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, and Southwest Airlines.

Can I buy Best Western points?

Yes. You can buy up to 20,000 points per transaction (which would be $200). There is a minimum purchase amount of 1,000 points for $10.

Do Best Western points expire?

No, your Best Western Rewards points will never expire. Other hotel loyalty programs may require that you earn or redeem points to keep your account active. That is not the case with Best Western.

Can Best Western points be transferred?

Yes. You can transfer points to anyone who shares the same physical address as you. To transfer points, contact the Best Western customer service team.

Bottom line

Best Western has over 4,300 hotels worldwide. Though you may already have a favorite loyalty program, such as Hilton Honors or World of Hyatt, it’s good to have a backup option such as Best Western.

The Best Western Rewards program comes with lots of perks including discounted or free hotel nights. You can join the rewards program for free or open up a Best Western Rewards Visa Signature card with no annual fee, or go to the top-tier Best Western Rewards Premium Visa Signature to maximize your benefits in the program.

Easy-to-Earn Unlimited Rewards

Benefits

Card Details

  • $0 annual fee
  • Simple, flat-rate rewards
  • Flexible redemption options
  • Up to 75% preferred Rewards bonus potential
  • Apply Now
  • Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
  • 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
  • Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
  • Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.49% - 28.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
  • If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
  • Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
  • This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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Intro Offer

Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases

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Author Details

Lee Huffman

Lee Huffman is a former financial planner and corporate finance manager who now writes about early retirement, credit cards, travel, insurance, and other personal finance topics. He enjoys showing people how to travel more, spend less, and live better. When Lee is not getting his passport stamped around the world, he's researching methods to earn more miles and points toward his next vacation.

Author Details

Kate Underwood

Kate Underwood is a professional writer who spent fifteen years as a high school English and French teacher before writing about personal finance. Her specialties include investing, retirement planning, loans, and credit card rewards. Her work can be found on numerous publications, including Business Insider and ConsumerAffairs. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, two kids, and way too many pets.