Best Western‘s Rewards program is one of two remaining hotel chains that have a co-branded credit card in Canada (unless you count Hilton as an AMEX transfer partner). Also, Best Western is one of my favourite hotel chains. It might not be the luxury that many look for, but I personally get a lot of value from their program. Especially on short weekend getaway road trips with the family to nearby small cities or towns.

So here is a rundown of how Best Western Rewards is perceived with Canadians.

Expiry Policy / Blackout dates

Points never expire! No blackout dates on reward nights! These are two of my favourite features of Best Western. I probably still use the program more than once a year, so I may not have an expiry issue, but it greatly reduces my stress level when I do not have to worry about it! It is the Delta Air Lines of hotel chains.

Co-Branded Credit Card

MBNA offers a co-branded Best Western Rewards MasterCard that offers 40,000, 50,000 or 60,000 sign up bonus points promotions (normally 20,000). However, currently, there are no promotions. Here are the highlights of the card:

• No annual fee
• Earn 20,000 sign up bonus points (after the first purchase)
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Best Western properties
• Earn 1 point for every $1 on all purchases
• Receive Best Western Gold status (after using the first purchase)
• Receive Diamond status (after spending $10,000 in a calendar year)

Elite Status

Below are the benefits of each level of status with Best Western Rewards starting with the basic level onward. Also note that Best Western also offers a very generous Status Match option.

Blue

• Basic membership (just need to sign up)
• Earn 10 points for every $1 USD spent at Best Western properties
• Receive early check-in and late check-out
• Award night redemptions count towards elite status

Gold

• Need 10 nights, 7 qualifying stays or 10,000 points to qualify
• Receive all the benefits of Blue status
• Earn 11 points for every $1 USD spent at Best Western properties
• Receive room upgrade (specialty rooms or suites may not qualify)
• Receive Choice of thank you gift or bonus points upon arrival

Platinum

• Need 15 nights, 10 qualifying stays or 15,000 points to qualify
• Earn 11.5 points for every $1 USD spent at Best Western properties
• Receive all the benefits of Gold status

Amazing to receive a discount on reward stays! The rebate will be posted 10 business days after the hotel makes the request from Best Western Rewards.

Diamond

• Need 30 nights, 20 qualifying stays or 30,000 points to qualify
• Earn 13 points for every $1 USD spent at Best Western properties

How can you complain about guaranteed free night availability? Note that guaranteed so long as rooms are available. So it is technically not 100% guaranteed.

Diamond Select

• Need 50 nights, 40 qualifying stays or 50,000 points to qualify
• Earn 15 points for every $1 USD spent at Best Western properties

Earn Points

Hotel Stays

During a hotel stay, in addition to the regular spending earnings and the welcome gift bonus points, you can also:

• Earn 500 points for every night you skip housekeeping
• Earn 250 points by completing a survey after a stay

Car Rental

• Alamo Rental Cars – earn points for every $1 USD spent
• Avis Rental Cars – earn 1,000 points on every car rental
• Budget Rental Cars – earn 1,000 points on every rental
• National Rental Cars – earn points for every $1 USD spent
• Sixt Rental Cars – earn 1,000 points for every rental
• Sixt Limousine – earn 2,000 points for every rental

Conclusion

Best Western may not offer the flashiest nor high end hotels, but I do feel that they offer a reliable product at a reasonable price. I especially enjoy when they offer their 10,000 points reward redemption promotion for North American stays. You can potentially redeem 10,000 points for a hotel that normally costs over 30,000 points per night. If you stack the Welcome Bonus and survey points that you get in return, it generates a lot of value for the stay.

As you probably know, I normally like to give recommendations on how I think a loyalty company can improve. For Best Western, I would like them to hold the fort in Canada and continue to offer a co-branded credit card. If MBNA no longer wants them, I do hope that they find another credit card company that does.

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