Best Western Rewards in conjunction with MasterCard is offering double, triple, or quadruple points for 2, 3, or 4 nights from September 13 through November 22, 2009. Like many Best Western promotions this one is capped at bonus points for a maximum of four eligible nights during the promotion.
The nights do not need to be consecutive nights at same hotel. The hotel nights do need to be paid with MasterCard.
Registration is required before nights will count for promotion.
Promotion is valid for residents of North America, South America, Asia, and South Africa.
(Is there a different offer for Europeans or is Best Western Rewards mad at Europe?)
Promotion registration link: https://goldcrownclub.bestwestern.com/offers/seasonal.asp?cm_mmc=Email-_-August+09-_-Newsletter-_-Links&season=FALL&ptype=email
Loyalty Traveler Promotion Analysis
Here is the way I understand the terms for points earning with this promotion assuming a room rate of $80 per night for a maximum four eligible nights paid with a MasterCard.
Best Western Rewards will determine the eligible nights stayed during the promotion period. The member will earn at the normal rate of 10 points per dollar for the first eligible night. The second night earns bonus points equal to 20 points per dollar and the bonus applies back to the first eligible night whether it is part of the same stay or a different hotel stay. Stay a 3rd night during the promotion period and all three nights will be adjusted to earn 30 points per dollar. Four nights will earn 40 points per dollar.
Sample Earning:
October 10, Night 1
$80 rate = 800 Best Western Rewards points (10 points per $1)
Total points earned for $80 = 800 points
October 17, Night 2
$80 rate = 1,600 points
Total points earned for both nights 1 and 2 is based on $160 total spend = 3,200 points
October 24, Night 3
$80 rate = 2,400 points
Total points earned for $240 x 30 points per dollar (3 cumulative nights) = 7,200 points
October 31, Night 4
$80 rate = 3,200 points
Total points earned for $320 (4 cumulative nights) x 40 points per $1 = 12,800 points
The total promotional value of 4 nights is 12,800 points in this example using an average room rate of $80 per night. This is not a particularly valuable offer unless you already have Best Western points or you are willing to spend more per eligible night.
Best Western Rewards free nights start at 8,000 points and the next lowest level is 12,000 points per free night. There are probably fewer than 15% of Best Western Hotels in the 8,000 or 12,000 points free night range. One website limitation of Best Western Rewards is the inability to look up hotels within each category point level for a free night. Each hotel must be checked individually.
Hotel free nights are based on categories starting at 8,000 points and increasing by incremental levels of 4,000 points. The highest category Best Western hotels located in most major cities and resort areas are 24,000 points, 28,000 points, 32,000 points, or 36,000 points for a free hotel night.
Another example using a four night hotel stay at a higher cost Best Western hotel:
Assume you are in a major city (New York) with a Best Western rate of $150 per night for four consecutive nights from October 15-19.
The points earned will be based on $600 in base hotel spend x 40 points per $1.
24,000 points earned with just one hotel stay and four nights.
Conclusion: This is a promotion that is more valuable if you have high cost room nights. Since the promotion is maxed at only four nights worth of bonus points, the more you spend on the first four nights after registering for this promotion will give better promotion value.
Also, you could alternate your payment method and only pay your highest spend hotel nights with a MasterCard. This would allow you to use a different credit card brand to pay for lower spend nights and avoid these low spend nights being tabulated for this promotion.
At the 24,000 points level there are a number of hotel choices for a Best Western free night using points at a higher category hotel. The number of hotels in the 4,000 hotel Best Western chain available for 24,000 points is in the thousands, whereas 12,800 points will severely limit the hotels available for a free night to several hundred hotels at the lower end properties in the chain.
