How to Maximize the Best Western Rewards Program

The Best Western Rewards Program is the loyalty program offered by BWH Hotels, a hospitality network with properties around the world. This program is unique in that it matches any elite status users may have with other rewards programs, has no blackout dates, and users' points never expire.

You can earn Best Western points by staying at participating hotels, renting with partnering car rental agencies, and flying with airline partners. The best way to redeem points is for hotel stays, with an average value of 0.83 cents per point (CPP).

This article explains the best ways to earn Best Western Rewards points, the best ways to redeem them, how to gain elite status, and much more.

What is Best Western Rewards?

Best Western Rewards is the loyalty program for the Best Western (BW) hotel chain. While BW hotels are known as affordable options, the lineup includes some higher-end properties that will earn you rewards points, too.

Best Western properties

Best Western Hotels & Resorts comprises properties in over 100 countries – including more than 4,500 hotels worldwide, 1,200 of which are pet-friendly. The following brands are part of the BW portfolio:

• Best Western
• Best Western Plus
• Best Western Premier
• GLō
• SureStay
• SureStay Plus
• SureStay Collection
• SureStay Studio
• Executive Residency
• @Home by Best Western
• BW Premier Collection
• BW Signature Collection
• Vib Best Western
• Aiden
• WorldHotels Luxury
• WorldHotels Elite
• WorldHotels Distinctive
• WorldHotels Crafted

How to earn Best Western Rewards

The most obvious way to earn Best Western Rewards is to stay at Best Western hotels, but you can also earn points through specific car rental and airline travel partners:

• BW hotel stays
• Car rentals
• Flights

Stay at Best Western hotels

Stays at Best Western hotels will earn you the most points – 10 points per $1 USD spent on base rates, not including taxes. Note that stays at select Best Western brands, like Sure Stay Studios, only earn 5 points per $1 USD, so read the terms and conditions carefully when you book.

Elite members will earn a 10% – 50% bonus on top of this rate.

Book car rentals

The Best Western Rewards Program occasionally partners with car rental agencies to offer promotions. While they change regularly, here are some of the most recent promos:

Book flights with airline partners

Currently, Best Western partners with select airlines so you can earn points for those flights and transfer them to the Best Western Rewards Program.

Here are the airline reward programs that partner with Best Western Rewards:

• Aeromexico Rewards: Earn 800 points
• Aeroplan: Earn 250 miles
• Air France / KLM Flying Blue: Earn 250 miles
• Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Airlines Mileage): Earn 250 points
• Avianca Lifemiles: Earn 250 miles
• Cathay Pacific: Earn 250 miles
• Payback: Earn 250 miles
• SAS: Earn 600 Euro Bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards: Earn 600 points
• United MileagePlus: Earn 250 miles
• Virgin Atlantic: Earn 500 points

Best Western Rewards Canada does not have an affiliated credit card available for Canadians at this time. However, Best Western occasionally partners with retailers to offer promotional opportunities for earning points on your purchases.

How to redeem Best Western Rewards

The Best Western Rewards program offers several redemption options – you don't have to use your points towards hotel stays, though doing so certainly gives you the best return.

These are the options:

• Hotel stays
• BW gift cards
• Digital gift cards
• Aeroplan transfer
• Charitable donations

Hotel stays: 0.83 CPP

After surveying 38 hotels across the country, we found an average value of 0.83 CPP on hotel redemptions. The points you redeem also cover fees and taxes, so you won't have to shell out any money on top of what you've earned.

There are no blackout dates, so if you can find an available room, you can pay with your points.

Best Western gift cards: 0.67 CPP

Redeeming Best Western Rewards for gift cards gives you a still-decent value of 0.67 CPP. Of course, you also have the option to gift a hotel stay to someone else via a gift card.

Also, note that no matter which gift card you get, you'll receive the same value. Although it does cost more points to select a gift card in USD.

Here's what the redemptions look like:

Select digital gift cards: 0.42 CPP

Best Western lets you cash in rewards points for easy-to-use digital gift cards from various sources, including Visa and Amazon gift cards. You can select Canadian digital gift cards for the following rates:

• $50 CAD: 11,000 points
• $100 CAD: 23,000 points
• $200 CAD: 46,000 points

Transfer to Aeroplan: 0.40 CPP

If you want to transfer your points to Aeroplan, you'll get a transfer ratio of 5:1. With each Aeroplan point worth 2 cents, you're seeing a return of 0.4 CPP.

Air Canada isn't your only transfer option, either – here's the full list of airline partners and rewards programs:

Charitable donations: 0.40 CPP

If you decide to donate your Best Western points to charity, you'll see a value of 0.4 CPP. Every 500 points you donate is worth $2 CAD.

The charities you can currently sponsor include:

• American Red Cross
• Canadian Red Cross
• Best Western Better World Fund
• Best Western Scholarship Program
• Hotels for Heroes
• Our No Kill Mission: Best Friends Animal Society
• Soldier On: Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services

Best Western Rewards elite status

Like many reward programs, Best Western allows you to earn status, so the more you stay, the more you earn.

Take a look at what it takes to level up, and some of the benefits status gives you:

Just be aware that you'll have to keep booking qualifying stays every calendar year to maintain your elite status.

Best Western Rewards vs. other hotel loyalty programs

Best Western offers some decent redemption options, so it holds its own against other hotel loyalty programs. When comparing redemption for hotel stays, Best Western is on par with the IHG program from InterContinental Hotels, offering an average 0.84 CPP in value.

Best Western beats out the Hilton Honors Rewards Program, which only gives an average 0.35 CPP for hotel stays.

It lags behind the top-notch Wyndham Rewards program, though, which earns an impressive 0.9 CPP on hotel stays.

Is Best Western Rewards worth it?

Yes, there's some good value to be had with the Best Western Rewards program in Canada. If you frequently stay at Best Western hotels, you'd be missing out on great discount opportunities (including free nights).

Since the program costs nothing to join and the points don't expire, it's worth joining to see what happens.

FAQ

What reward program is Best Western a part of?

Best Western hotels are part of BWH Hotels, a network of 3 hotel companies: WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and SureStay Hotels. With a total of about 4,300 properties, this network spans more than 100 countries and territories across the globe.

How many Best Western points are needed for a free night?

The number of reward points you need for a free night depends on the location and specific hotel you want to book. Best Western allows you to put a minimum of 5,000 points towards your booking and pay the rest if you don't have enough points to cover the full amount.

Is the Best Western part of Marriott or Hilton?

No, Best Western isn't affiliated with Marriott or Hilton, nor does it share the same loyalty rewards program. Best Western is part of BWH Hotels, a network of branded properties with 4,500 locations worldwide, all of which participate in Best Western Rewards.

Is the Best Western Rewards program good?

Yes, the Best Western Rewards program has a lot going for it if you regularly stay at their properties. You'll earn points for free nights, discounts on travel, and your points never expire. Plus, Best Western will match your elite status with other loyalty programs.