The Ultimate Guide To Best Western Rewards

Best Western Rewards remains one of the simplest loyalty programs in the hotel world. It’s built mainly for travelers who want to control their lodging budget without aiming for the very top of the luxury market.

The program covers more than 4,700 hotels worldwide, across over 100 countries, under 18 brands in the BWH Hotels family.

For a quick search, use our map of Best Western hotels in Canada:

Earning Best Western Rewards points

You can earn Best Western Rewards points in several ways:

With hotel stays

Earning depends on your status and the amount you spend. By default, you earn 10 points per US dollar spent on the room rate, regardless of your level.

Then, based on your elite status, a bonus applies: from 10% for Gold members up to 50% for Diamond Select members.

With car rentals

Several major rental agencies partner with Best Western, so you earn points when booking your car.

Redeeming Best Western Rewards points

For free hotel nights

Like any hotel program, Best Western Rewards is designed so points are used for stays in the group’s hotels.

The number of points for a free night varies by hotel, location and time of year. It’s a variable award chart, with no blackout dates: expect roughly 8,000 to 70,000 points depending on the property and season.

For miles with other programs

You can convert your already-earned Best Western Rewards points into airline miles with 7 partner programs such as Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles or Flying Blue.

The ratio stays unfavorable (5 to 6 points for 1 mile). In my view, converting is mainly worth it to top up the balance you’re missing for a specific award flight, not as a primary earning strategy.

Earning miles directly

Not to be confused with conversion: instead of earning Best Western points, you can choose to credit each stay directly to a partner airline program. This option covers 11 programs, some of which aren’t available for conversion (SAS EuroBonus, United, Virgin Atlantic).

For gift cards and other products

Finally, you can use your points to buy gift cards or products, though we advise against it. The value per point is much lower than for a free night.

Transferring points between accounts

You can transfer points from one Best Western Rewards account to another, free of charge. The official rules in effect:

To reach Best Western from Canada or the United States, call 1 (800) 237-8483. You can also request a transfer through the Best Western Rewards contact form.

Points expiration

Best Western Rewards points never expire.

Best Western Rewards status levels

Beyond the base member level, Best Western Rewards has 4 elite status tiers: Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Select.

Since the program revamp, status is earned solely through qualifying nights in the year. Points no longer count toward status.

Once earned, your status stays valid for the rest of the current year and all of the following year. Members who earn miles instead of points don’t receive status bonuses.

Status match

Best Western Rewards runs a “Status Match… No Catch” program: if you hold elite status in another hotel loyalty program, Best Western matches it for free, with no hidden conditions. You get immediate access to Best Western Rewards elite benefits and earn points faster from day one.

To request it, email the following: your full name, complete address, email address, phone number, Best Western Rewards member number, and proof of elite status in another hotel program (a copy of the loyalty card or account statement showing your full name).

Requests without valid proof aren’t processed. Members who reach a new elite tier through Status Match in 2026 keep it through December 2027. Questions? Call 1 (800) 444-7646.

Conclusion

Best Western Rewards is likely the simplest hotel program out there. Given the group’s global footprint, it’s usually very easy to score free nights at a Best Western.

It’s handy for “transit hotels” when you’re flying out of Plattsburgh, or just arriving at a destination. See our photo report on the Best Western Plus Plattsburgh.

For longer stays, it’s often more rewarding to use Marriott Bonvoy points (that program offers a 5th night free on award bookings).