This post is a snapshot analysis for Best Western Rewards based on hotel room rates and hotel reward rates for New York City and Atlanta areas. This is a small sample of 36 hotels in two locations. These two cities provide a good range for Best Western Rewards.
Best Western Rewards free nights start at 8,000 points. Award tiers rise at 4,000 points increments.
Best Western Rewards 8 Hotel Tiers
- 8,000 points
- 12,000 points
- 16,000 points
- 20,000 points
- 24,000 points
- 28,000 points
- 32,000 points
- 36,000 points
There are no discount points special reward rates through Best Western Rewards like Marriott PointSavers, HHonors Points & Money, or SPG 5th night free.
Best Western earning and benefits
All hotels in the Best Western Rewards program earn 10 points per $1 for hotel stays. All Best Western hotels in US, Canada and Caribbean offer free internet and breakfast.
New York
New York City hotels are the highest room rates in the USA. 4 of 5 hotels in Manhattan are listed at 36,000 points for reward nights. Best Western Convention Center Hotel, 522 West 38th St. is 28,000 points per reward night.
Best Western has five hotels in Manhattan (and one opening soon) and another 10 more hotels spread around the New York area outside of Manhattan in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island (New Jersey hotels excluded in this view). The average room rate is a little more than $200 per night and this did not change much from weekday to weekend. Manhattan room rates can easily rise over $300 per night.
Atlanta
Atlanta area hotels are far more suburban and rural. There is only one Best Western hotel in the city of Atlanta and 19 more hotels in the metropolitan area and small towns around Atlanta. Rates here average slightly over $75 per night.
11 of 20 Best Western hotels in the Atlanta area are in the 12,000 points hotel reward tier.
Best Western and TripAvisor Reviews
Best Western Rewards hotel search pages include TripAdvisor reviews for hotels. This is really handy for avoiding poorly rated hotels.
Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel gets 4 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor based on 583 reviews.
Value of Best Western points:
- New York Manhattan (5 hotels) = $8.30 per 1,000 points.
- New York area (16 hotels) = $6.84 per 1,000 points.
- Atlanta area (20 hotels) = $5.24 per 1,000 points.
Why I look at the value of 1,000 points.
I pay for almost all my own hotel rooms. When I analyze the value of points in a hotel loyalty program, I am trying to determine what I can expect to get for points I earn or have the opportunity to earn.
Best Western Rewards is a program where I will earn 1,000 hotel points for $100 in hotel spend. That will require many Best Western Rewards nights to earn a free night in Manhattan.
My analysis of New York shows me I can get $7 to $8 in room rate value per 1,000 points with Best Western points. In Atlanta this drops to $5 in room rate value per 1,000 points.
Based on the hotel reward analysis for New York and Atlanta, I can reasonably expect that Best Western Rewards points will be worth about $5 to $8 per 1,000 points around the USA.
When checking other locations I will be searching for this $5 to $8 value on reward stays. Places where Best Western Rewards points give less than $5 per 1,000 points is a place to avoid spending points. Any location where reward rates give over $8 per 1,000 points is a place to consider burning points rather than cash for the hotel.
This hotel points value number is also useful when estimating the value of a promotion bonus. If Best Western Rewards offers 1,000 points per night I can consider that to be a $5 to $8 rebate.
In 2011 I completed a promotion where I earned 6,500 bonus points after 3 stays. I spent $200 for 3 hotel nights and earned 10,000 points with base points and bonus points. I consider this to be about a $50 to $80 value in points for $200 in spend.
The current Best Western promotion offers a $50 gift card after 3 stays from April 22-June 9, 2013. That is comparable to getting about 6,500 bonus points based on the $8 per 1,000 points value.
Best Western has offered a free night after 3 stays as a regular promotion over the past few years. This is the offer that just ended this past week. Best Western free night after 3 stays Feb 11-Apr 14, 2013.
The tables below show that 3 stays in the Atlanta area can be done for $200 and a free night in the New York area can be worth $300.
That is the value I find in Best Western Rewards.
New York City Best Western Rewards Analysis
Best Western Rewards New York area (15 hotels)
- Average room rate Tuesday May 14, 2013 = $202
- Average room rate Friday May 24, 2013 = $205
- Best Western Rewards hotel reward tier
- 36,000 points = 6 hotels
- 32,000 points = 4 hotels
- 28,000 points = 2 hotels
- 24,000 points = 3 hotels
- Average Reward Rate = 31,467 points.
- Average spend for a free night = $3,147.
- Redemption Value Range = $4.79 to $11.54 per 1,000 points.
- Average redemption value = $6.84 per 1,000 points.
Atlanta Best Western Rewards Analysis
Best Western Rewards Atlanta area (20 hotels)
- Average room rate Tuesday June 25, 2013 = $76
- Average room rate Friday June 28, 2013 = $77
- Best Western Rewards hotel reward tier
- 24,000 points = 1 hotels
- 20,000 points = 3 hotels
- 16,000 points = 5 hotels
- 12,000 points = 11 hotels
- Average Reward Rate = 14,800 points.
- Average spend for a free night = $1,480.
- Redemption Value Range = $3.60 to $6.45 per 1,000 points.
- Average redemption value = $5.24 per 1,000 points.
Best Western Rewards is a good example of a program where members can earn points and promotion bonuses in places where rates are low and redeem where rates are high.
Best Western Hotels are evenly dispersed with 2,160 hotels in North America and about 2,000 hotels across the rest of the world. With over 1,300 hotels in Europe there are bound to be some locations where Best Western Rewards points save $10+ per 1,000 points which means finding a $200 hotel for 20,000 points. That should not be too difficult.
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