Best Western Rewards® Terms & Conditions of Membership

Best Western Rewards® Terms and Conditions

THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTES RATHER THAN JURY TRIALS OR CLASS ACTIONS. FULL DETAILS ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) became effective 9/2/2024 (“Programmeme Date”), govern the Best Western Rewards® Programme (“Programme”) and supersede and replace all previous terms and conditions that were effective prior to the Programme Date. 

These Terms apply to all Members of the Programme regardless of country of residence. Certain countries, however, may impose additional restrictions on the Programme. In such cases, special country-specific terms are included at the end of these Terms. 

The terms “you” and your” are used in these Terms to refer to individual Members who are enrolled in the Programme and have created a Member Account (“Account”).

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

The Programme is administered by Best Western International, Inc. (“BWI”), which is the party with whom you are entering into a contract by agreeing to these Terms. BWI is in the United States at 6201 N. 24th Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85016. BWI may, in its sole discretion, designate certain tasks relating to administering the Programme to any of its designated subsidiaries. The Programme is administered by BWI on behalf of (i) itself, (ii) its subsidiaries, (iii) independently owned and operated Best Western® branded hotels and participating WorldHotels™ branded hotels around the world (“Licensed Hotels”), and (iv) third-party affiliated organisations permitted to sublicense Licensed Hotels outside the United States in countries and territories throughout the world (“Affiliates”). Please note that Licensed Hotels and Affiliates are independent entities that are not owned, operated, managed, or controlled by BWI or BWI subsidiaries.

The Programme gives Members the opportunity to earn Best Western Rewards Points (“Points”) that can be redeemed for free night stays at Licensed Hotels, airline miles (“Miles”) with certain airline partners (each an “Airline Partner”), and other services or items with other Programme partners. Further details on redemption options are described below and available on bestwesternrewards.com or an Affiliate’s Best Western website for your region or country of residence (each a “Local Site”). 

BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE PROGRAMME AND CREATING AN ACCOUNT

For individuals who are not yet Members, you may enroll in the Programme as a new Member online at bestwestern.com or your Local Site www.bestwestern.co.uk, by mail, or by calling our Best Western call centre on  0800393130 through a Best Western mobile application, or through the front desk at a Licensed Hotel. Only individuals may enroll and maintain one (1) Account. Joint accounts and duplicate Accounts are not permitted. Benefits of the Programme are non-transferrable unless expressly stated otherwise in these Terms. If more than one (1) Account is created, a Member will only receive Points or Miles for one (1)Account. Duplicate Accounts are subject to deactivation or may be merged at the Member’s request by calling a Best Western call center.

You must be over eighteen (18) years of age or of majority age in your country of residence to be a Member of the Programme. 

To create a Member Account, which tracks your Points and/or Miles activity, you must provide accurate and complete information, including a current, valid e-mail address (“Account Information”). You may never use another person’s Account without permission. Upon enrolling in the Programme, you will be assigned a unique Account number and will become eligible to earn Points and/or Miles through a participating Airline Partner.

CONSENT TO THESE TERMS AND BWI’S PRIVACY POLICY 

Your Membership in the Programme constitutes your consent and acceptance of these Terms. 

BY BECOMING A MEMBER OR STAYING IN THE PROGRAMME, YOU ARE PROVIDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO BWI, WHICH USES SYSTEMS LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES TO PROCESS YOUR ENROLLMENT AND MAINTAIN YOUR ACCOUNT. IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF A LOCATION WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION, ASIA, OR ANY OTHER REGION, BY BECOMING A MEMBER OR STAYING IN THE PROGRAMME, YOU ARE PROVIDING YOUR EXPRESS CONSENT TO THE TRANSFER OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU REPRESENT AN ORGANISATION, YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT EACH MEMBER WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE PROGRAMME AS AN EMPLOYEE OR CONTRACTOR OF YOUR ORGANISATION ABOUT WHOM PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE PROVIDED TO BWI HAS GIVEN THEIR EXPRESS CONSENT TO THE TRANSFER AND PROCESSING OF THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO AND WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. UNITED STATES LAWS REGARDING PROCESSING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE LESS STRINGENT THAN THE LAWS IN YOUR COUNTRY. PLEASE READ BWI’S PRIVACY POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BWI’S PRIVACY PRACTICES (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS).

BWI IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THIS PROGRAMME TO THE MEMBERS. FROM TIME TO TIME, YOU MAY PROVIDE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO AFFILIATES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES. ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE TO AFFILIATES MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE AFFILIATE’S PRIVACY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT BWI MAY RECEIVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM THE AFFILIATES AND EACH OF BWI’S AND THE AFFILIATE’S PRIVACY POLICIES WILL APPLY TO THE RESPECTIVE ENTITY’S USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

USE OF YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION

In addition to any rights granted to BWI with respect to your Account Information in the BWI Privacy Policy, we use your Account Information to manage and administer your participation in the Programme and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to improve the Programme. 

You also authorise BWI to share your Account Information with its subsidiaries and third parties, including Licensed Hotels, Affiliates,  Airlines, and other Programme partners; award suppliers; fulfillment houses to fulfill redemption requests; technology service providers in order to service your Member Account and facilitate the booking and processing of reservations; and third-party service providers that store and process personal data on BWI’s behalf in a secure environment.

If you are a citizen or legal resident of the U.S. or Canada, you give BWI and our subcontractors your express consent to obtain permissible “soft inquiry” data from credit bureaus or credit reporting agencies to determine whether you are eligible for a Best Western Rewards® branded credit card or other products, programmes, services, and promotions that might be of interest to you. “Soft inquiries” are requests to credit bureaus to provide names of customers that meet certain thresholds to receive a firm offer of credit, but do not include obtaining credit reports that would affect your credit scores. You may edit your Account Information (except for the name associated with your Account) at any time by logging into your Account and updating your profile. You are responsible for keeping your Account Information current and accurate. BWI provides all communications, updates about the Programme, and your Account via email to the address in your Account. Communication is critical to the administration of the Programme. If you fail to maintain up-to-date Account Information, including a valid, subscribed e-mail address, you may not be able to view your online statements or other important communications. In addition, without a valid e-mail address on file you may not be able to receive certain types of Programme benefits and awards, including free night awards, Best Western Gift Cards, and other items that are fulfilled electronically. If you do not maintain accurate and current Account Information, BWI reserves the right to take any action that it deems necessary to protect your Account against unauthorized access or fraud, including suspending or restricting your Account until your Account Information can be confirmed.

Also, if you do not opt-in to receive communications from BWI or if you opt-out of receiving messages from BWI or our third-party providers, you will not be able to fully participate in the Programme or experience the full range of benefits and services available to you as a Member of the Programme. To unsubscribe from emails or other messaging, please follow the instructions in any email or messages you receive or by logging into to your Account and changing your communication preferences. 

You can view your Account Information at any time by logging into your Account at bestwestern.com, your Local Site www.bestwestern.co.uk, or through a Best Western mobile application. 

To the extent permitted by applicable law, it is your responsibility to monitor Account activity and report suspicious activity to BWI. 

EARNING POINTS FOR NIGHTS

All nights are eligible to earn points (“Qualifying Nights”) except for the following (“Non-Qualifying Nights”):

(a)    Nights booked through online travel agencies, such as priceline.com, expedia.com, travelocity.com, booking.com, kayak.com (e.g., channels other than Best Western branded booking channels);

(b)    Nights booked through tour operators; and

(c)    Nights booked at special discounted rates, such as employee rates, FIT/wholesale/net rates, motorcoach/bus rates, crew rates, BWR free night awards rates (FX rates), or discounted rates for stays longer than thirty (30) nights.

What constitutes a rate or booking channel that qualifies as a Qualified Night versus a Non-Qualifying Night may change. When making a reservation, confirm whether you are reserving a rate that qualifies as a Qualifying Night, for which you can earn Points, or a Non-Qualifying Night, for which you will not earn Points. This is more important if you are booking through a channel other than a Best Western branded booking channel.

Members earn ten (10) Points per $1 U.S. dollar spent on the room rate (before taxes and fees and after currency conversion) for Qualifying Nights. Members earn five (5) Points per $1 U.S. dollar spent on the room rate (before taxes and fees and after currency conversion) for Qualifying Nights at SureStay Studio® by Best Western, Executive Residency and @HOME by Best Western℠ hotels.

You can earn Points for up to ten (10) rooms per stay in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and up to three (3) rooms per stay outside of the United States, Canada and the Caribbean provided that:

(a) one (1) room is occupied by you;

(b) you pay for all the rooms;

(c) Points for that room have not been issued to another Member; and

(d) you presented your Best Western Rewards membership number at the time of booking or at check-in.

 

If you occupy a room with another Member, only one (1) Member will receive the Points and qualifying night towards Elite status. You must decide amongst yourselves who will receive the Points and the qualifying night. 

Points are added to your Account within seven (7) business days following check-out.

Individual hotel rooms that are billed directly to a corporate account but where you are individually responsible for authorization of settlement at check-out constitute a Qualified Night.

Up to ten (10) rooms for a group booking will receive Points. Selection of which ten (10) rooms (and Members) receive the Points is at the discretion of the person making the reservation.

To calculate Points for Qualifying Nights that are paid for in currencies other than U.S. dollars, BWI will first convert the amount of the payment to U.S. dollars using a reasonable conversion rate, as determined by BWI no less than annually and in its sole discretion but based on officially published conversion rates, and then calculate the Points based on the converted payment amount. 

If you complete a Qualifying Night but fail to present your Membership number or otherwise record the stay in your Account, you must request a credit for that stay within six (6) months after the date of the Qualifying Nights by visiting bestwestern.com or your Local Site www.bestwestern.co.uk, or by calling a Best Western call center. Requests should include your name, Account number, e-mail address, and reservation confirmation number.

If you enroll in the Programme after having a Qualified Night, you may request Points only if your enrollment occurred within thirty (30) days after your stay. Requests should include your name, Account number, e-mail address, and reservation confirmation number.

 

POINT TRANSFERS

To request a Points transfer from your Account to the recipient of your choice, the transferring member’s Account must be open for at least thirty (30) days and not be in restricted status. The transferring member must provide the recipient’s full name and Best Western’s Rewards account number. Transfer over 50,000 are subject to further review and approval. A maximum of 100,000 points may be transferred per calendar year or upon BWI’s sole discretion.

 

DIVORCE, DEATH OR INCAPITATION

 

In the event of a Member’s divorce, and at BWI’s discretion, Points may be transferred from one (1) Member’s account to another Member’s account upon receipt and review of the required legal documentation.

 

In the event of a Member’s death, and at BWI’s discretion, we will allow a one-time, full point balance to be transferred to the designated beneficiary upon receipt of the required documentation. Before doing so, we must receive the following documentation:

 

BWI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to grant Elite Status to Members who have not met the Elite Status criteria.

As an Elite Status Member, where BWR Points are set as the preferred earning preference, you will receive Bonus Points for each Qualifying Night completed during the time in which you maintain Elite Status, as follows:

Members who earn Miles will not receive tier level bonus points or miles.

Members who have attained Elite Status will be provided with a dedicated toll-free number to facilitate all reservations and Account servicing needs.

POINT EXPIRATION AND MEMBERSHIP CANCELLATION

Points earned under the Programme do not expire. 

BWI reserves the right to cancel any Member Account and revoke any and all unredeemed Points in the event BWI determines in its sole discretion any of the following circumstances occur:

No sale or transfer of Points is permitted, except as provided in these Terms. 

Points, rewards, Elite Status benefits, and other Member benefits may not be sold, bartered, or transferred (except as permitted herein). Any attempted transfer, sale, or barter in violation of these Terms will be void. 

APPLICABLE LAW; ARBITRATION

Please Read This Carefully. It Affects Your Rights.

Unless prohibited by the laws of your jurisdiction, any and all disputes between you and BWI or any of its designated subsidiaries arising under or related in any way to these Terms or your participation in the Programme (defined below as Claims) shall be resolved by applying the laws of Arizona or the federal laws of the United States, as applicable, without regard to conflict of laws principles. 

Further, any and all disputes between you and BWI or any of its designated subsidiaries arising under or related in any way to these Terms or your participation in the Programme must be resolved through binding arbitration as described in this section. This agreement to arbitrate is intended to be interpreted broadly. It includes, but is not limited to, all claims and disputes, including class action claims, relating to and arising from your participation in the Programme, including but not limited to any claims related to or arising out of unauthorized disclosure of or access to any Account Information (“Security Breach”), advertising or marketing claims, product liability, or consumer claims (“Claims”). 

YOU AGREE THAT BY ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT, YOU AND BWI ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION. YOU AND BWI AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. ANY ARBITRATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS; CLASS ARBITRATIONS AND CLASS ACTIONS ARE NOT PERMITTED. 

The arbitration will be governed by the Commercial Arbitration Rules and the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), as modified by this section. For any claim where the total amount of the award sought is $10,000 or less, the AAA, you, and BWI must abide by the following rules: (a) the arbitration shall be conducted solely based on written submissions; and (b) the arbitration shall not involve any personal appearance by the parties or witnesses unless otherwise mutually agreed by the parties. If the claim exceeds $10,000, the right to a hearing will be determined by the AAA rules, and the hearing (if any) must take place solely and exclusively in Phoenix, Arizona. The arbitrator’s ruling is binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. In the event this agreement to arbitrate is held unenforceable by a court or is prohibited by the laws of your country of residence, then any Claims that would otherwise have been arbitrated shall be solely and exclusively brought only in the state or federal courts within Phoenix, Arizona. 

To the extent permitted by applicable law all Claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred (including, with respect to a Security Breach, costs of legally required notification and remediation) but in no event include attorneys’ fees, and under no circumstances will any Member be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses. 

To the extent the laws of your country of residence mandate the restriction or prohibition of the requirement to arbitrate, the prohibition against class actions, the application of the laws of Arizona or the federal laws of the United States as applicable, or the jurisdiction of the federal or state courts located in Phoenix, Arizona, you agree that the following provisions of this paragraph shall apply: Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this contract (defined above broadly as Claims), including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under authority of the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) and the LCIA Rules, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference into this clause. The number of arbitrators shall be three (3). The seat or legal place of arbitration shall be London, England. The language to be used in the arbitral proceedings shall be English. The governing law in such an event shall be the substantive law of England and Wales.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Member and BWI shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief (unless otherwise precluded by any other provision of these Terms) in the state and federal courts of Phoenix, Arizona.

OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Unless prohibited by the laws of your jurisdiction, all Terms, including all Point earning and redemption requirements are subject to revision without notice by BWI, in its sole and absolute discretion.

Determination and payment of tax liability is your sole responsibility as a Member.

Neither BWI, its subsidiaries, employees, agents, or partners, nor Licensed Hotels or Affiliates shall be responsible for lost or stolen awards or Best Western Gift Cards.

You may not transfer your Points to anyone without a valid court order unless otherwise noted in these Terms or as determined by BWI in its sole discretion.

Points are not redeemable for cash or any other form of credit unless specifically required by applicable law. Point value is set by BWI in its sole discretion and may be updated from time to time, as permitted by applicable law. 

BWI may choose in its sole discretion to issue membership credentials in a variety of formats to Members. Physical membership credentials issued by BWI remain the sole property of Best Western and must be surrendered by the Member upon request.

BWI may modify the Points listed in your Account based on actual stay information.

BWI may terminate the Programme at any time without prior notice, in which case you must redeem your Points within ninety (90) calendar days, or any other period required by the applicable law of your jurisdiction, after your receipt of notice of termination of the Programme to avoid forfeiting your Points.

The Programme is governed by laws of the United States and the State of Arizona without regard conflicts of laws principles, unless otherwise indicated in the “Special Notes” sections below. BWI is not responsible for illegible, lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, or undeliverable mail or e-mail; or for any computer, telephone, satellite, cable, network, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, failures, connections, or availability, or garbled, corrupt or jumbled transmissions, service provider/Internet/web site/use net accessibility, availability, or traffic congestion, or any technical, typographical, or other error, or unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of Account Information, or the failure to capture, or loss of, any such Account Information. 

BWI assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, or technical error.

BWI may revise these Terms from time to time by posting an updated version on this page. If you are a Member and a revision meaningfully reduces your rights, we will notify you by sending a message to the email address associated with your Account and you agree that the revised Terms will be effective ninety (90) days after the message is sent to you. Your continued participation in the Programme is subject to the most current, effective version of these Terms.

The waiver by BWI of any breach by a Member of a term, covenant, provision, or condition provided herein shall not constitute a waiver of any prior, concurrent, or subsequent breach by the Member of the same or any other term, covenant, provision, or condition herein.

These Terms only apply to the extent permitted by the laws of the country, state, or province of the applicable Member. To the extent any of the foregoing limitations are not permitted under the laws of your country, state, or province, you agree that the remaining portions of these Terms that are permissible shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS. You may have certain rights under the Australian Consumer Law known as “consumer guarantees.” Nothing in the Terms is intended to exclude or restrict any non-excludable rights any Member has under the Australian Consumer Law. With respect to any disputes between BWI and Members that are residents of Australia in connection with the Programme, these Terms, or your receipt or use of any Award, either Party may file a Claim, but shall only be permitted to file a Claim in the courts located in the City of Phoenix, State of Arizona, USA or in the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR CANADIAN RESIDENTS. You may choose during enrollment to provide your express consent to receive special offers and information about services (from BWI or any third-party partner) that may be of interest to you and grant permission to BWI to send electronic messages to you regarding these things. If you do not provide such express consent during the enrollment process, then you shall not be registered to receive such offers. You agree, however, that BWI may send you statements, communications, and updates concerning your Account via email to the address in your Account Information. If you consent to receive offers during registration but later decide that you do not want to continue receiving these offers, you may indicate so at any time by emailing us at rewards@cs.bestwestern.com.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR CHINA RESIDENTS. You may choose during enrollment to provide your express consent to receive special offers and information about services (from BWI or any third-party partner) that may be of interest to you and grant permission to BWI to send electronic messages on these topics. If you do not provide such express consent during the enrollment process, then you shall not be registered to receive such offers. You agree, however, that BWI may send you statements, communications, and updates concerning your Account via e-mail to the address in your Account Information. If you consent to receive offers during registration but later decide that you do not want to continue receiving these offers, you may indicate so at any time by emailing us at rewards@cs.bestwestern.com.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR FRENCH RESIDENTS. You may terminate your participation in the Programme and your Account at any time. By terminating your participation in the Programme, you acknowledge and agree that you forfeit any Points earned and will not be able to redeem Points for any of the benefits described herein.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR GERMAN RESIDENTS. If you are a consumer located in Germany, the application of the laws of the United States and the State of Arizona shall not deprive you of the protection afforded by mandatory German consumer protection provisions. You may choose during enrollment to provide your express consent to receive special offers and information about services (from BWI or any third-party partner) that may be of interest to you and grant permission to BWI to send electronic messages to regarding these things. If you do not provide such express consent during the enrollment process, then you shall not be registered to receive such offers. You agree, however, that BWI may send you statements, communications, and updates concerning your Account via email to the address in your Account Information. If you consent to receive offers during registration but later decide that you do not want to continue receiving these offers, you may indicate so at any time by emailing us at rewards@cs.bestwestern.com.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR ITALIAN RESIDENTS. The Programme is provided in Italy and the Republic of San Marino by Best Western Italia S.C.p.A and BWI. The Terms applicable to Members that reside in Italy are available here. Best Western Reward Points selling, as described above, is not applicable in Italy, for Italian BWR Members.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR JAPANESE RESIDENTS. With respect to any disputes between BWI and Members that are Japanese residents in connection with the Programme, these Terms, or your receipt or use of any Award, either party may file a Claim, but shall only be permitted to file a Claim in the courts located in the City of Tokyo, Japan, or in the City of Phoenix, State of Arizona, USA.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR MALTESE RESIDENTS. If you are a consumer located in Malta, the application of the laws of the United States and the State of Arizona shall not deprive you of the protection afforded by mandatory consumer protection provisions of Maltese Law. You may choose during enrolment to provide your express consent to receive special offers and information about services (from BWI or any third-party partner) that may be of interest to you and grant permission to BWI to send electronic messages to regarding these things. If you do not provide such express consent during the enrolment process, then you shall not be registered to receive such offers. You agree, however, that BWI may send you statements, communications, and updates concerning your Account via email to the address in your Account Information. If you consent to receive offers during registration but later decide that you do not want to continue receiving these offers, you may indicate so at any time by emailing us at rewards@cs.bestwestern.com. 

SPECIAL NOTE FOR QUEBEC RESIDENTS. You may choose during enrollment to provide your express consent to receive special offers and information about services (from BWI or any third-party partner) that may be of interest to you and grant permission to BWI to send electronic messages to regarding these things. If you do not provide such express consent during the enrollment process, then you shall not be registered to receive such offers. You agree, however, that BWI may send you statements, communications, and updates concerning your Account via email to the address in your Account Information. If you consent to receive offers during registration but later decide that you do not want to continue receiving these offers, you may indicate so at any time by emailing us at rewards@cs.bestwestern.com. French language versions of bestwestern.com are available by selecting “francais” from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen on bestwestern.com.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN RESIDENTS. With respect to any disputes between BWI and Members that are residents of South Africa in connection with the Programme, these Terms, or your receipt or use of any Award, either Party may file a Claim, but shall only be permitted to file a Claim in the courts located in the city of Cape Town, South Africa or in the city of Phoenix, State of Arizona, USA.