Finest Western Rewards: The right way to earn and redeem factors, elite standing and extra

Finest Western Rewards stays comparatively unknown on the earth of factors and miles. This system would not have any main bank card switch companions, and its cobranded bank cards aren’t on most vacationers’ radar. But when you end up staying at Finest Western properties continuously for work or pleasure, there’s loads of worth available in this system.

Finest Western Rewards factors are surprisingly helpful when you journey to Europe, Asia and particular elements of the U.S. and Canada. Whereas Finest Western is not recognized for luxurious inns, it does have a set of higher-end, boutique-focused manufacturers just like the BW Signature Assortment, the BW Premier Assortment and the millennial-focused Vib.

You’ll be able to earn and redeem Finest Western Rewards factors at these and different manufacturers in Finest Western’s broad portfolio. Right here, we’ll cowl incomes and redeeming factors, journey companions, elite standing and every part else you might want to know concerning the Finest Western Rewards loyalty program.

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The right way to earn Finest Western Rewards factors

There aren’t as some ways to earn Finest Western Rewards factors as there are to earn World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors factors. Nevertheless, you possibly can nonetheless earn factors by staying at Finest Western inns and utilizing cobranded bank cards, in addition to by way of choose retail companions.

Here is a take a look at the entire methods you possibly can earn Finest Western Rewards factors.

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Keep at Finest Western properties

As with most lodge loyalty packages, you will earn Finest Western Rewards factors primarily based in your elite standing and the way a lot you spend on a lodge room. Most Finest Western inns award 10 factors per greenback spent (earlier than taxes and charges) to fundamental Blue members; at an Govt Residency, SureStay Studio or @Residence by Finest Western property, you’ll earn 5 factors per greenback spent.

So, when you keep at a Finest Western property for 3 nights with a pretax nightly fee of $100, you will earn 3,000 factors in your keep when you’re a Blue member.

When you’ve got Finest Western Rewards elite standing, you will earn a share bonus on paid Finest Western stays. The upper your standing, the extra factors you will earn. Here is what number of bonus factors every standing tier earns:

• Gold: 10%
• Platinum: 15%
• Diamond: 30%
• Diamond Choose: 50%

For a similar three-night keep talked about above, a top-tier Diamond Choose member would earn a complete of 4,500 Finest Western Rewards factors.

One factor to notice: You’ll be able to solely earn Finest Western Rewards factors and use your elite advantages on Finest Western stays you guide straight with Finest Western; stays booked by way of Expedia, Orbitz, Chase Journey℠ and different on-line journey companies will not be eligible. So, just be sure you guide all of your Finest Western stays straight if you wish to earn factors and elite standing. Oftentimes, you will get the identical fee (or higher) as when you booked by way of an OTA.

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Spend on Finest Western cobranded bank cards

Finest Western has two U.S. cobranded bank cards issued by First Financial institution & Belief and managed by Mercury Monetary. Each of those playing cards have a welcome bonus, earn bonus factors on Finest Western purchases and embrace free Finest Western standing. Here is a take a look at each playing cards and what they provide:

• Finest Western Rewards® Visa Signature® Card (no annual payment): Welcome provide of as much as 40,000 bonus factors with qualifying spending; plus, you will obtain an extra 10,000 bonus factors every anniversary after spending $5,000 every cardmember 12 months. You may get computerized Gold standing and earn an extra 4 factors per greenback spent on Finest Western purchases together with your card, netting you a complete of as much as 15 factors per greenback spent on Finest Western stays if you pay together with your card.
• Finest Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature® Card ($89 annual payment): Welcome provide of as much as 80,000 bonus factors with qualifying spending. You may additionally obtain one free evening award every account anniversary and an extra free evening award if you spend $10,000 that cardmember 12 months. Along with these bonus factors and free evening awards, you will take pleasure in computerized Platinum standing and earn an additional 10 factors per greenback spent on Finest Western purchases, so you will successfully earn as much as 23 factors per greenback spent for stays you pay for with the cardboard.

The data for the Finest Western Rewards Visa Signature and Finest Western Rewards Premium Visa Signature playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

These playing cards might be good choices for somebody who continuously stays at Finest Western inns and actually values having on the spot standing perks and elevated earnings on Finest Western purchases. Nevertheless, vacationers who swap lodge chains continuously could have higher luck with a card that earns transferable factors, just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Whereas they do not include elite standing, these playing cards earn bonus factors on all lodge manufacturers and different journey, and you may switch your factors to quite a lot of lodge and airline companions for distinctive redemptions. That is why TPG values Chase Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every as of December 2024, in comparison with 0.6 cents every for Finest Western Rewards factors.

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Order flowers for extra bonus factors

Whereas Finest Western would not have a purchasing portal or a eating program, it companions with Teleflora to award factors if you order flowers on-line. You’ll be able to earn 1,250 Finest Western Rewards factors on every Teleflora flower supply order (see Finest Western’s web site for particulars). Remember to do your analysis and decide if that is well worth the cash. Likewise, examine earnings with different lodge and airline loyalty packages to see when you can earn extra factors elsewhere.

Lease vehicles by way of Finest Western

Finest Western has partnerships with a number of main rental automobile firms like Finances and Nationwide to provide members reductions on automobile leases. These partnerships additionally help you earn Finest Western Rewards factors on automobile leases; some earn on a per-dollar foundation, whereas others award a flat variety of factors per rental. You’ll be able to view all of Finest Western’s partnerships on its web site and see if renting a automobile by way of Finest Western is sensible in your journey plans.

Simply observe you can’t use company codes and, in lots of circumstances, you will not earn rental automobile rewards if you guide by way of Finest Western. Earlier than you guide, be sure that the Finest Western Rewards factors you’d earn offset some other factors or reductions you are eligible for.

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Essentially the most helpful option to redeem your factors is by reserving free nights at Finest Western properties worldwide. There are different redemption choices accessible, like reward playing cards and merchandise, however you will usually get a a lot decrease worth in your factors if you redeem for these.

For instance, a $10 Finest Western reward card will set you again 2,000 Finest Western Rewards factors, providing you with a price of 0.5 cents per level — decrease than TPG’s December 2024 valuation of 0.6 cents per level. We advocate avoiding these redemptions and utilizing your factors for Finest Western award stays as an alternative.

Guide award stays with Finest Western Rewards factors

Finest Western would not publish an award chart; award pricing varies by lodge and if you guide. Based on Finest Western, free nights vary from 5,000 to 70,000 factors per evening, and we have discovered that inns with larger money charges usually price extra factors.

Viewing award-night pricing is straightforward. Simply head to the Finest Western web site, enter your search standards and examine the “Use Rewards Factors” field.

When your search outcomes load, you will note all Finest Western inns close to your vacation spot together with their factors price. Once you discover a lodge you want, click on the yellow “View Rooms” button to see all accessible rooms and charges.

You should use Finest Western Rewards factors to guide customary and premium rooms. Premium rooms will usually price extra factors, however generally they’re solely a bit dearer than customary rooms — and even the identical value.

As an example, on the Finest Western Firestone Inn & Suites, you possibly can guide a normal room for twenty-four,000 factors per evening or a mountain-view suite for 28,000 factors. On the Finest Western Plus Boulder Louisville, a set prices 40,000 factors per evening, the identical quantity you’d pay for the standard room. In these circumstances, you could possibly get extra worth out of your factors by reserving upgraded rooms for a similar or barely larger costs.

One phrase of warning, although: All the time examine the money fee earlier than you guide an award evening. Lots of Finest Western’s inns are supposed to be budget-friendly and have low money charges. As an alternative of utilizing your Finest Western Rewards factors to guide low cost nights, chances are you’ll be higher off paying money and saving your factors to cowl a dearer keep sooner or later. Finest Western factors by no means expire, so it can save you your factors for a time after they’ll provide the most worth. Simply bear in mind to not hoard your factors too lengthy, as they’ll lose worth over time.

The perfect inns to guide with Finest Western Rewards factors

Finest Western has 1000’s of properties worldwide, however a few of them provide higher worth for factors redemptions than others. As a normal rule of thumb, you will often get the very best worth in your factors if you redeem them at high-end properties throughout peak seasons, particular occasions or holidays.

For those who want a little bit of inspiration on use your factors, look no additional. Listed below are a few of our favourite Finest Western Rewards redemptions:

The Cartwright Resort — Union Sq. in San Francisco

Planning a visit to San Francisco and wish to keep within the coronary heart of the motion? The Cartwright Resort is a BW Premier Assortment property in Union Sq., placing you inside strolling distance of all of San Francisco’s fundamental sights. And because you’re near the Powell Avenue BART cease, the remainder of the Bay Space — together with the airports — is definitely accessible.

Weekend nights hover round $170 or 28,000 Finest Western Rewards factors, for a price of 0.6 cents per level, proper on par with TPG’s December 2024 valuations.

Finest Western Grant Park Resort in Chicago

The Grant Park Resort provides you entry to every part Chicago has to supply. It is simply steps away from Grant Park and the Artwork Institute of Chicago and a fast L trip from the Magnificent Mile purchasing district. Due to this central location, the Grant Park Resort is an excellent alternative for Windy Metropolis first-timers.

Weekend nights in the summertime begin at $200 or 36,000 factors, offering a stable worth of 0.56 cents per level.

Finest Western Plus Resort Sydney Opera in Paris

The Metropolis of Gentle is house to many Finest Western properties, together with the conveniently situated Finest Western Plus Sydney Opera. This lodge is inside strolling distance of the Place de la Concorde and Opera Garnier, and the Louvre and different main Parisian sights are only a fast metro or taxi trip away.

Fundamental rooms begin round $237 per evening over Valentine’s Day weekend — or you should use 40,000 Finest Western Rewards factors for a price of about 0.59 cents per level.

Switch Finest Western Rewards factors to airways

You may also switch your Finest Western Rewards factors to 9 airline packages, together with packages with hard-to-earn miles like Alaska Airways Mileage Plan and Asiana Membership. This may not provide you with as a lot worth as reserving award nights, however it may be a great way to prime up your airline account stability when you’re going for a selected award ticket.

Listed below are Finest Western’s switch ratios for every airline accomplice:

Once more, these transfers will not be the very best use of Finest Western Rewards factors, however they might be useful if you end up just a few miles in need of a selected award ticket. To transform your factors into miles, head to Finest Western’s Redemption Mall.

It is also value noting you can select to earn airline miles as an alternative of Finest Western Rewards factors on Finest Western stays. Finest Western offers extra choices for incomes miles than transferring them; you possibly can earn miles on the above airways and several other others, together with United Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Turkish Airways. See Finest Western’s journey accomplice web page for the variety of miles you possibly can earn with every airline. To earn miles this manner, go to the “Profile & Preferences” part of your account, scroll all the way down to “Incomes Desire,” select your most popular airline accomplice and enter your frequent flyer quantity.

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Finest Western Rewards elite standing

The Finest Western Rewards program has 5 membership ranges: Blue, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Choose. Factors by no means expire, and all members have entry to a devoted reservations line and may redeem factors on Finest Western stays with no blackout dates.

You may earn elite standing primarily based on the variety of qualifying nights you keep in a calendar 12 months. These are the qualification necessities for every standing tier:

• Blue: Entry degree
• Gold: 5 nights
• Platinum: Seven nights
• Diamond: 15 nights
• Diamond Choose: 25 nights

Award evening redemptions depend towards elite standing, so when you use your factors for a free keep, these nights will enable you work towards the following membership tier.

Elite members additionally earn bonus factors on all Finest Western stays, calculated as a share of the factors you’d usually earn as a Blue member:

• Gold: 10%
• Platinum: 15%
• Diamond: 30%
• Diamond Choose: 50%

Apart from incomes factors sooner, there are some perks to Finest Western elite standing. Members with Gold or larger standing obtain a complimentary bottle of water and 500 bonus factors (the place accessible) upon arrival for every keep. These with Platinum standing or above can take pleasure in early check-in and late checkout upon request.

Standing match from one other lodge program

Have standing with one other lodge chain? You’ll be able to reap the benefits of Finest Western’s Standing Match…No Catch program to match your present lodge standing to Finest Western free of charge. We advocate profiting from this match simply in case you find yourself staying at a Finest Western property throughout your travels.

To request a standing match, fill out this manner on the Finest Western web site. Members who attain a brand new tier by way of standing matching in 2024 will preserve that tier by way of March 31, 2026.

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Whereas Finest Western’s properties will not make for essentially the most aspirational award bookings, your Finest Western Rewards factors can come in useful on street journeys, for stays in small cities and different occasions if you want a spot to sleep for the evening. And since Finest Western Rewards factors by no means expire, you possibly can accrue them with out worrying about incomes extra factors or redeeming them at a selected time. We extremely advocate enrolling in this system even when you don’t remain at Finest Western properties usually.