Best Western hotels Best Western Rewards Switzerland

Best Western Alpen Resort Zermatt canceled my reward nights and did not tell me

a screenshot of a credit card

Imagine my surprise today when I checked my Best Western hotel reservations for Switzerland to find my 4-night stay at the Best Western Plus Alpen Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland showed only a one night reservation. I booked four reward nights for September 16-20 at the hotel in late April, where my plan was to go hiking around the Matterhorn.

Loyalty Traveler – Going to Switzerland? Consider buying Best Western Rewards points (March 29).

Loyalty Traveler – World’s most expensive country for tourist is Switzerland, so how am I planning under $1000 for 7 nights? (May 2, 2016).

Today I called Best Western Rewards Customer Service about my missing reward nights. The agent told me the hotel itself canceled two of my reservations (2 nights and 1 night) and only left me with the first night of four reward nights I booked over three months ago.

The reason I had three different reservations is I booked the only two consecutive nights at the hotel I could find for my vacation dates using 8,000 points per night. Reward availability changed a few days later and I was able to book the night before and the night after my initial reservation to create a 4-night hotel reward stay.

The best way to make the Swiss Alps affordable for a hiking vacation is to stay in one spot several days. The Swiss Alps have cable cars as the primary transportation up from the valley towns to mountain ski resorts. A one-day return is $90 to $115 for some of the more popular destinations like the Matterhorn. You can buy a 4 or 5 day unlimited rides pass for all the cable cars around Zermatt for about $160. So, I figured I would hang out for several days in Zermatt while staying at the Best Western Plus Alpen Resort in a Panoramic View room I booked for 8,000 points per night.

Best Western Plus Alpen Resort, Zermatt, Switzerland

8,000 points or 280 CHF per night. I booked four hotel nights Sep 16-20 for 32,000 points in late April. 280 CHF is currently about $287 USD per night. This was a fantastic reward redemption value for Best Western Rewards points.

$1,148 for a paid hotel reservation at 32,000 points for reward nights gave me a redemption rate = $35.87 per 1000 points.

Best Western sold 10,000 points for $55 during this year’s U.S. Travel Association Daily Getaways with a 50,000 points per member purchase limit.

Best Western Alpen Resort rates

There is no availability for my original reward dates and the rate increased from 8,000 points to 36,000 points for dates where there is reward availability. Published rates are the same at 230 CHF for the 2 Single Beds, Panoramic View room I had booked.

Best Western Alpen Reward rate

I am not feeling much chain hotel love today.

Loyalty Traveler – Deceptive Hilton rates thwart my BRG claim (Aug 15).

7 Comments

  • Captain Kirk August 15, 2016

    About 15 years ago in college, during a Franchising class, the prof (who was in his 70s and well traveled) gave the advice to never stay at a Best Western. You simply never know what you’re going to get. You may not love Hilton, Marriott, IHG, but like McDonalds, you know what you’re going to get when you arrive. At BW, stuff like this happens. In my travels I have seen many signs for and the outside of many BW properties and none of which made me want to see what was on the inside. Your post is just one more reason why I don’t use BW. Thanks!

  • shay peleg August 15, 2016

    Did you call them and try to force them to give you the room again?

  • ron August 15, 2016

    Did they give you a justifiable reason for the cancellation or offer a remedy?

  • Rupert August 15, 2016

    You had a contract with them that they have broken. This might be a Best Western but it is Switzerland and you should be able to fight this – good luck and keep us posted!

  • Ric Garrido August 16, 2016

    The hotel contacted me today and said they are looking into the matter.

  • Manasik Haji August 18, 2016

    Very good info. Lucky me I discovered your website by accident (stumbleupon).

    I have saved as a favorite for later!

  • Ric Garrido August 19, 2016

    I still am no closer to an explanation after several days of email exchanges with the hotel. I keep asking direct questions and they keep replying with other questions.

Comments are closed.

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