Best Western Rewards lets you earn points toward free hotel nights, gift cards and more when you stay at any of 4,500 participating hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories across the globe.

And while Best Western hotels are famous for their affordability, the Best Western Rewards program also includes some surprisingly hip and chic properties, along with highly sought after destinations that may seem out of reach pricewise.

Plus, Best Western ranked third overall in customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2022 ranking of midscale hotels and the company has won AAA/CAA Lodging Partner of the Year multiple times. So if you’re looking to stretch your travel dollar further, it’s time to give Best Western Rewards a closer look.

Best Western Rewards brands

Best Western Rewards has hotels to fit every taste and budget. Its most popular brands include:

Aiden: Trendy, chic Aiden hotels keep travel lively with a social lobby and cocktail bar, plus must-have amenities like a fitness center, free Wi-Fi and breakfast, all done up in clean, modern decor.

Best Western: Catering to value-conscious travelers, Best Western properties offer comfortable accommodations along with free breakfast and Wi-Fi.

Best Western Plus: When it comes to Best Western versus Best Western Plus, you can expect the latter to have upgraded amenities, like in-room desks and fridges, plus complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi. In short, these properties are a step up from your basic Best Western.

Best Western Premier: Business travelers can find everything they’re looking for at these upper-midscale hotels, including an emphasis on first-rate service, on-site dining and a cocktail bar. There’s also a business center, boardrooms and other meeting spaces.

BW Signature Collection: “Cool” and “daring” are some words the company uses to describe these affordable properties. Think: colorful floaties for the pool, higher-end dining and cocktails and free Wi-Fi in spaces that aren’t just connected — they’re “lit.”

BW Premier Collection: Forget everything you thought you knew about Best Western hotels at this carefully curated collection of upscale properties. Expect all the luxuries of a boutique-style hotel, plus all the necessities like free Wi-Fi.

Executive Residency by Best Western: Settle in for a long stay at these studios and suites. Designed as a home away from home, accommodations feature kitchenettes with a cooktop, microwave and fridge; dedicated zones for work, dining and sleeping; and of course, free Wi-Fi.

GLo: Vibrant colors, ultramodern decor, fast Wi-Fi in “techno-centric” public spaces and free breakfast make GLo the go-to brand for budget-conscious travelers who refuse to sacrifice style.

Sadie: Offering upscale elegance with a deliberate dollop of “grungy,” Sadie by Best Western delivers a so-hip-it-hurts experience at its one property now open in Luton, England, and at its soon-to-open Tampa, Florida location. Expect free Wi-Fi and printing in public areas, top-quality linens and a swanky cocktail lounge.

How much Best Western points are worth

Expect to get about 0.7 cent in value for every Best Western point you redeem, per the most recent NerdWallet analysis. We arrived at that estimate by comparing cash prices for rooms with the number of points you’d need for a night in the same room, which we checked for several different locations and dates.

The value of Best Western points over time

Best Western points stayed pretty flat in value for a few years, with the exception of a small jump in 2022.

Best Western vs. competitors: How it stacks up in 2023

​​A budget-conscious hotel brand, Best Western properties tend to skimp on the amenities and benefits, meaning the company doesn’t measure up well against other hotels. In NerdWallet’s annual rankings of best hotel loyalty programs, it tied for last place with another budget hotel brand, Wyndham.

NerdWallet’s analysis didn’t factor in price, so Best Western was pitted against notoriously pricey hotels like Hyatt. If money is no object, Best Western likely isn’t going to be your first choice.

Best Western earned high marks in one category: extra fees. While luxury brands often tack on resort fees and charge for parking, Best Western generally does not. What you’re quoted upfront is what you’ll pay. In fact, Best Western is the only hotel company to receive a perfect 5-star rating in the “Extra fees” category of NerdWallet’s Best Hotels rankings.

Here's a closer look at how Best Western ranked among seven hotel brands:

Third in Effective Rewards Rate.

Last in terms of Elite Status Program.

First in terms of Fewest Fees.

Tied for last in terms of Pet-Friendly Policies.

Earning Best Western Rewards points

Best Western Rewards allows members to earn points through hotel stays, everyday spending on credit cards and partner offers.

Earning Best Western Rewards points for hotel stays

You will earn 10 points per $1 spent on eligible stays. An eligible stay is defined as a stay that is not booked:

Through an online travel agency (like Orbitz, Hotels.com, Expedia or Kayak).

Through a tour operator.

With a special discount rate, including employee rates, wholesale rates or discounted stays of longer than 30 nights.

Elite members will earn bonus points on top of the base points, starting with the first stay after they reach their status. Elite bonuses are:

For example, if you paid $100 for an eligible one-night stay, you would earn the following number of points depending on your status level:

Blue member: 1,000 Best Western Rewards points.

Gold member: 1,100 Best Western Rewards points (1,000 base points plus 100 bonus points).

Platinum member: 1,150 Best Western Rewards points (1,000 base points plus 150 bonus points).

Diamond member: 1,300 Best Western Rewards points (1,000 base points plus 300 bonus points).

Diamond Select member: 1,500 Best Western Rewards points (1,000 base points plus 500 bonus points).

You can learn more about earning Best Western Rewards points in NerdWallet’s complete guide.

Credit cards that earn Best Western Rewards points

There are two credit cards that earn Best Western Rewards points, both offered by First Bankcard, a division of First National Bank of Omaha. Both cards come with no foreign transaction fees.

Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®

The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® is the more rewarding of the two cards, but it comes with an $89 annual fee.

Cardholders can earn a total of 20 points for each $1 spent at Best Western hotels: 10 base points per $1 from membership and 10 points per $1 from the card. They earn 2 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

There’s a welcome bonus for new cardholders: Earn 120,000 bonus points for up to 7 free nights- 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 40,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles.

The card comes with automatic Platinum status and exclusive discounts on rooms.

Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®

The Best Western Rewards® Mastercard® has a $0 annual fee, but also smaller rewards.

Using the card to pay for Best Western hotel stays, cardholders can earn 13 Best Western Rewards points per $1 spent: 10 base points per $1 from membership plus 3 points per $1 from the card. The card earns 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.

New cardholders can earn this welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points for up to 3 free nights- 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles.

Cardholders receive Gold status for as long as they hold the card, and members qualify for special discounts when booking rooms.

Other ways to get Best Western Rewards points

Best Western Rewards offers a few ways to earn points by shopping.

Teleflora: Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,250 points with every order when they use promotion code BAABW and input their membership number.

Vinesse Wine Club: Best Western Rewards members can earn 12,500 points when they sign up for the Vinesse Wine Club through the Best Western Rewards website.

Car rental partners: Best Western Rewards members can earn points for renting a car from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt. Offers range from 3 points per $1 spent at participating locations, to a flat 1,000 points on every rental. To learn more about rental car partners, visit the Best Western Rewards website.

Redeeming Best Western Rewards points

From free hotel nights to gift cards, Best Western Rewards points can be used for many different purposes. For a closer look at how to redeem Best Western points, see our guide.

Using Best Western Rewards for free hotel nights

Best Western Rewards doesn’t have a formal award chart, but each hotel has a set number of points you will need to redeem a free night. The price of a hotel night is based on the dates requested, hotel location and brand, and it can fluctuate based on season and demand. For example: A Best Western hotel will likely cost fewer points than a Best Western Premier, which has more amenities.

To determine how many points you will need for an award night, visit bestwestern.com. When searching for a hotel, input your location and dates and then select “Reward Points” under the Rates drop-down menu or check the “Use Rewards Points” box.

NerdWallet values Best Western Rewards points at 0.7 cent each. To make sure you are getting the most out of your points, look for awards where you can get at least that much value per point.

Other ways to use Best Western Rewards points

Even if you can’t use your points for hotel nights, there are plenty of other options, such as:

Airline miles: Best Western partners with 13 airlines as transfer partners, including Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. The transfer rates vary by partner. But in many cases, 5,000 Best Western Rewards points turn into 1,000 airline miles. See our guide to Best Western's redemption partners.

Charitable donations: Best Western Rewards are exchangeable for charitable donations in your name to 10 different charities in the United States and Canada, including Best Friends Animal Society, the American Red Cross and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Exchanging 500 points results in a $2 donation, with no limit on the number of donations you can make.

Gift cards: Best Western Rewards points can be exchanged for Amazon e-vouchers or Best Western Mastercard gift cards. For example, you can redeem 32,000 points for a $100 Amazon.com e-voucher.

Best Western Travel Cards: If you would rather have cash toward a hotel room instead of using points for award nights, you can exchange your Best Western Rewards for travel cards instead. Travel cards are available in both U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars. For example, you can exchange 20,000 Best Western Rewards points for a $100 Best Western gift card.

Good redemption options

Hotel rooms: Hotel rooms will generally give you the best return for your Best Western Rewards points. When using points to book award nights, travelers get an average value of 0.7 cent per point.

Gift cards: If you have no other use for your Best Western Rewards, redeeming them for gift cards can be a good way to use your points. At most retailers, gift cards exchange for around 0.3 cent per point, which is at the low end of hotel awards. Because your Best Western points don’t expire, it might be better to save them for the future instead of redeeming them for a gift card.

Bad redemption options

Airline transfers: While some hotel loyalty programs offer good options for transferring points to airline frequent flyer miles, turning Best Western Rewards into airfare isn’t a good proposition. At a transfer ratio of 5 points to 1 frequent flyer mile, you lose a significant amount of value unless your airline points are worth 3 cents or more. If you stay at Best Western properties but don’t want points, you can switch your rewards to airline miles in your profile.

Best Western elite status

The Best Western elite status program has five elite tiers, starting with base level Blue, up to Diamond Select for the most loyal guests. Points never expire and members get access to an exclusive reservations line.

Best Western Rewards Blue

All members start at the Blue level, assigned when they sign up or don’t make elite status every year. At the base level, members earn 10 points per $1 on qualifying stays and can book awards with no blackout dates.

When redeeming points for rooms, all free nights count toward elite status. Members can request an early check-in or late checkout for their stay, subject to availability.

Best Western Rewards Gold

Members reach Gold status after staying five qualifying nights or getting the Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®.

Gold-level members get all the Blue-level benefits, plus an additional 10% bonus points for an eligible stay. They also get complimentary water and their Gold status is good through March 31, 2025.

Best Western Rewards Platinum

Platinum status is achieved after staying seven nights or holding the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®.

In addition to all the benefits of Blue and Gold levels, which include exclusive rates, members earn 15% bonus points per stay and can keep their status through March 31, 2025.

Best Western Rewards Diamond

Members move up to Diamond status after staying 15 qualifying nights.

Diamond elites get all the perks of the lower tiers, including free water and their status extended through March 31, 2025. Plus they get 30% bonus points for eligible stays.

Best Western Rewards Diamond Select

At the top of the elite ladder is Diamond Select status, earned by staying 25 nights.

Diamond Select members earn 50% bonus points on eligible stays. And that’s on top of all the perks enjoyed by lower tiers, including points that never expire, no blackout dates, free water and secure status through March 31, 2025.

Best Western Rewards lifetime status

Best Western Rewards does not offer lifetime status for its most loyal guests. Repeated loyalty status must be earned every year through qualifying nights.

Does Best Western Rewards match elite status?

If you currently have elite status with another hotel loyalty program, Best Western will match your status in its rewards program. To qualify, you must be a member of Best Western Rewards and submit your loyalty information to Best Western Rewards by email. All status tiers are eligible for matching, including Best Western Rewards Diamond Select.

After reviewing your information, Best Western will determine your loyalty status match based on the number of nights, stays or points required to reach the status you currently hold. Only competing hotel loyalty programs will be considered — no other status, including those with airlines or other travel providers, is eligible.

Best Western doesn’t specify how long it will take to complete the status match, so it’s best to give yourself a couple of weeks for it to go through if you’re using it for a specific stay or reservation. If you have questions about the program, call Best Western at 800-444-7646 or email [email protected].

Other Best Western Rewards loyalty programs

Best Western Rewards offers special benefits for service members and business owners.

Best Western Service Rewards: Veterans, military and government personnel in the United States and Canada who sign up are automatically granted Gold status and receive a discount off the government per diem rate. Members must present an official identification card when they check in.

Best Western Rewards Business Advantage: This program is targeted toward small and medium-sized businesses, giving them some of the travel benefits often reserved for major companies. The business owner gains Diamond status upon approval, while employees added to the company account receive Gold status. Business owners earn 10% in bonus points from all of their employees' stays, which can be used toward future travel, and they qualify for members-only promotions and special offers.

The Best Western Rewards program, recapped

Best Western Rewards can be valuable to cost-conscious travelers who primarily travel within the United States and Canada. With an average value of 0.7 cent per point, the program’s overall value is lower compared to competitors like World of Hyatt.

But for travelers who want a clean room and don't mind forgoing the amenities of a higher-end hotel, Best Western Rewards may offer good value.