Best Western Rewards offers a permanent Status Match Program that invites interested members to match Elite Status from any other hotel rewards program to Best Western.
Best Western offers a vast variety of status levels (Five Total) and the website isn’t exactly very informative in regards to in depth details of the individual levels.
You can access the Best Western Rewards Status Match website here.
READ MORE: Best Western Rewards Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
The information regarding the levels which will be matched are also missing but overall it can be expected that Best Western would try to match each application to a comparable level in the program.
With our Status Match…No Catch program, we will match your ELITE status in any other hotel loyalty program, FREE of charge. Begin earning Status Match…No Catch points at the Elite level instantly—and watch them add up even faster.
To match your ELITE status in any other hotel program, download the Status Match…No Catch form, which provides proof of elite status with another hotel program, and we’ll take care of the rest.
There have been instances with other Hotel Loyalty Matches where status levels were matched but not to the absolute top tier level and it’s clear based on the description and T&C of this program that Best Western will follow exactly that example and not match the to top tier Diamond Select.
Here is their portfolio of different status levels:
What is important to me when it comes to hotel loyalty programs are on property benefits. In regards to Best Western Rewards you can see that the levels Platinum, Diamond & Diamond Select come with Room Upgrade & Recognition Gift.
As per the Terms & Conditions of Best Western Rewards (see here).
… Members who achieve Elite Status at the Platinum, Diamond, and Diamond Select levels receive a welcome gift upon check-in.
Members who have attained Elite Status at the Platinum, Diamond, and Diamond Select levels may receive an upgraded room at the time of check-in. Assignment of an upgraded room is within the sole discretion of the applicable Licensed Hotel and may include rooms with desirable views, rooms on high floors, corner rooms, rooms with special amenities or those in proximity to special amenities, or suites. …
There is no benefit in terms of complimentary breakfast and most importantly there isn’t any clear definition of what type of upgrade will be extended to the member. It can be literally anything (or nothing) with no checks and balances in place.
The program is also pretty weak as there are no published benefits of late checkout and coplimentary breakfast.
Conclusion
This seems to be a generous program for a status match and I just applied myself as a test case to update our readers on the progress in due time.
I have done a bit of reading on FlyerTalk and other discussion boards to see how Best Western treats their Diamonds and it didn’t sound very promising. Given the high annual requirements to qualify for these levels the official way it doesn’t seem feasible to me why anyone would actually stay 50 nights (40 stays) at a Best Western to obtain a status with no hard benefits.
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What you say in the last sentence.
This is the lousiest program I know. I have stayed more than a dozen times recently (as Platinum and Diamond after “Skip the Tier” promo), and I wasn’t given any upgrades, recognition gifts or better treatment. I know that hotels are independent, but other programs also have independently operated hotels but for example in IHG not once or twice I was given a double upgrade for lowest elite gold status, and the staff is super polite and welcoming when they see the guest status in the system. Never happened in BW for me.
Also, all of the properties I stayed in (USA/Europe) needed good refurbishment.
They should be treating their Diamond members super well if they are willing to spend 40 times in these hotels…
How long does the upgrade last? And do you drop one tier, or back to basic level, if you do not achieve the next year’s targets?
Sebastian, what does it mean by “Permanent” here??
I was wondering the same about the headline. I was actually matched via SPG several years ago to Diamond, have never stayed at a BW, and have never dropped below Diamond in at least 3 or 4 years. I always assumed it was a fluke. Knock on wood that I will keep it just in case I stay at one of the nicer ones in Europe.
Sent in the Status Match Request Form and copies of my Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum and Hilton HHonors Diamond cards, received a response in less than 15 minutes saying that I had been matched to BW Diamond.
Not sure about the benefits that come with having status through their program, but kudos on the super quick response time
I have to say even though I had BW Diamond status for a few years I did not see a single benefit of it. There was zero difference of my stays at BW hotels whether I showed my Rewards card or not. The main reason I used it was that they offered quite good mileage rates so I could get (I think) around 500 Miles and More miles per night. But I have since moved on to other chains and have to say I don’t regret anything. I think if they don’t up the ante on what they offer at BW then people will not use them (which is probably what happened and which is why they’re offering status match). For me BW Rewards is definitely the worst loyalty programme I have come across – which is a shame given that all the hotels are individually owned and thus using BW could be much better than the big no-name no-individuality chains.
So I am a rookie (somewhat) here with a question. Have HH Diamond via match and Marriott Platinum (earned). Will not have enough HH stays to keep status. For Marriott only enough stays to get Gold (hoping they will keep me as is).
Is it a good strategy to get other chain status matches to then have in hand to match back for the next year – i.e. once you get top tier play musical chairs to get it back?
what does this mean? I got the status match last year and so far i am a diamond member. How long will this diamond membership last? i did not have more than 2 stays so far. Is it forever?
This has been around for years and works reliably. I rarely stay at BW, but those times I got good to mediocre recognition in Poland and Finland (ranging from suite upgrade to some drink chits)
The only time I’ve stayed a BW is when working in small cities where there is a BW and a Quality Inn. Both are dirty dive hotels.
I think Europe, once or twice, for conferences when the organizer pays.
I can’t think of any nice experiences.