The Best Western Hotels & Resorts group is not the hotel chain your grandparents might remember. With 18 distinct brands and more than 4,700 individually owned properties across the globe, Best Western has offerings at every price point and across a wide range of styles.

The Best Western Rewards loyalty program lets guests earn points toward free hotel nights at 14 of Best Western’s 18 brands (WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted don’t participate in the program). And travelers can accrue points faster with Gold elite status that comes with the $0-annual-fee Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®.

If you think Best Western is just about highway hotels and low-priced rooms, you might be surprised to see the range of hotel experiences you can unlock with Best Western Rewards points. To give you an idea how many points you need for a stay, we chose a sample property in each brand and searched for the lowest points rate we could find over a set of random dates.

Best Western

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The company’s signature brand offers midscale accommodations that appeal to business and leisure travelers looking for value and amenities like complimentary breakfast and wireless Internet. Depending on their location, some Best Western hotels have amenities like swimming pools, business centers and meeting space. At Florida’s Best Western Naples Inn & Suites, a redemption night costs as few as 16,000 points.

Best Western Plus

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Also geared to a mix of business and leisure travelers, Best Western Plus properties offer upgraded amenities and a greater focus on decor and style. Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn, for example, is close to Albuquerque’s famous Old Town and features New Mexico-themed art and furnishings. With a more upscale atmosphere, Best Western Plus properties typically offer more in the way of facilities (including meeting rooms or a business center, for example). A night at the Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn costs as little as 16,000 points.

Best Western Premier

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Best Western Premier offers full-service, upscale properties with elevated in-room amenities and appealing design. All of them have a meeting room or conference space, business center and on-site dining venue with a bar. Best Western Premier is designed to compete with brands like Courtyard by Marriott or Hilton Garden Inn, which offer a higher level of service than budget hotels.

Redeeming points for a night at the Best Western Premier Alton-St. Louis Area Hotel in Alton, Illinois, could cost as little as 20,000 points.

Executive Residency by Best Western

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Executive Residency by Best Western meets the needs of travelers who are relocating somewhere for a short period of time — travelers who need a home away from home for longer than the typical vacationer, but not long enough to sign a lease on an apartment.

Executive Residency provides housekeeping visits every third day or upon request, plus the ability to earn Best Western Rewards points. All properties in this brand have an indoor or outdoor pool, outdoor green spaces for guests to use and a full staff.

The studios and larger suites have small kitchens and ample living space. Many have some sort of restaurant or grab-and-go food option, too. The Executive Residency by Best Western Calgary City View North features an elegant apartment building-style lobby, restaurant, lounge, and indoor pool and whirlpool. Travelers can also redeem points for a night’s stay, which starts at around 12,000 points.

Vib

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These urban and style-conscious boutique hotels do not sacrifice decor for price and they deliver upscale amenities as well. Public areas have ample power outlets and charging stations, and guest rooms are well-connected for streaming services.

Some Vib hotels have lobby lounges with food service, outdoor fire pits or rooftop bars; all have grab-and-go food service options with premium coffee. The Vib Best Western Springfield in Missouri has rooms often starting at 20,000 points.

GLo

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GLo hotels deliver style and contemporary decor at a value price. They are designed with the business traveler in mind. For example, the lobby’s complimentary breakfast area can be converted to gathering space later in the day where people can meet or work. These midscale properties also have fitness centers with the latest equipment.

The GLo Lexington in Kentucky, which is the closest hotel to the Kentucky Horse Park, offers redemption nights starting around 16,000 points.

Sadie

Upscale in design and amenities, Sadie hotels are planned to open in larger cities and destinations, with their first opening in Tampa, Florida, next year. No two Sadie hotels will be alike. Local flair incorporated into the design will, Best Western says, encourage taking selfies. Expect some type of food and beverage service at each property, be it a restaurant, bar or grab-and-go offerings.

Aiden

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Another new and edgy concept for Best Western is Aiden, which incorporates the local area into the design to make each property unique. Unlike Sadies that are typically found in bigger cities, Aidens are mainly in secondary destinations. The decor is more laid-back, and not all Aiden properties will have full food and beverage service. Many will have just a cocktail lounge or coffee bar.

The Aiden by Best Western @ Warm Springs Hotel and Event Center in Georgia had award nights for around 24,000 points on the random dates we checked.

BW Signature Collection by Best Western

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Best Western has assembled a group of unique hotels from around the world for its Signature Collection, including city hotels and destination resorts like Hotel Paradiso in Naples, Italy. BW Signature Collection properties offer complimentary breakfast and must meet rigorous consumer review standards: Each property must maintain a Tripadvisor score of 4 or higher to be a BW Signature Collection hotel. A redemption night at Hotel Paradiso is typically available for as few as 24,000 points.

BW Premier Collection by Best Western

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BW Premier Collection properties are typically more upscale than the BW Signature Collection, featuring high-end hotels in major markets that have earned the AAA three-diamond or higher rating.

The freshly renovated STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod, BW Premier Collection in Las Vegas has a rotating 360-degree restaurant, an observation deck and, of course, its iconic tower. You can bungee jump from the top or test your courage on a number of other thrill rides. A redemption night typically starts around 36,000 points.

SureStay

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SureStay hotels are designed for simplicity and offer value-focused basics. That means clean rooms, free wireless internet and complimentary continental breakfast, all at a fair price. A redemption night at the SureStay Hotel by Best Western Beverly Hills West LA typically costs as little as 20,000 points.

SureStay Plus

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These hotels offer upgraded amenities when compared with SureStay. For example, the complimentary breakfast has hot items, and “Plus” properties are more likely to have a pool and fitness center. A redemption night at the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Cheyenne in Wyoming costs as few as 20,000 points.

SureStay Studio

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SureStay Studio appeals to travelers on longer stays by offering studio or apartment-style accommodations at a value price. Accommodations come with kitchenettes and living areas, which give them residential appeal for those staying in one location for an undetermined amount of time, though you can of course stay just one night if you like.

SureStay Studio properties also have fitness centers, outdoor patios (some with grills) and the option for breakfast in the lobby. A redemption night at the SureStay Studio by Best Western Charlotte Executive Park in North Carolina starts around 16,000 points.

SureStay Signature Collection

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Like the Best Western Signature Collection, SureStay Signature Collection offers midrange properties with added amenities like a fitness center, a full-service restaurant and a pool. In some countries, you might notice that the brand has a slightly different name — Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western — though it is the same tier of property within the portfolio of Best Western Rewards brands.

Hotel Esplanade, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western, in Stockholm is located in a historic waterfront building filled with antique furnishings and stained glass windows. A redemption night typically costs as little as 20,000 points.

The bottom line

With so many brands and styles to choose from you're bound to find a Best Western that fits your travel needs, whether you're a budget traveler or prefer a more high-end experience.