Best Western
If you have never stayed at a Best Western hotel, maybe it’s time to give it a try. There are many special things about this hotel chain that make it one of the most popular in the world. Below are the nine most important things you should know about Best Western.
No matter where you are from or where you want to stay, Best Western has an easy and convenient search option on their website for you to use. Using this feature, you can look for available rooms in any country where a Best Western is located. You can also search in many different languages, including Dutch, Spanish, French, and Italian.
There are two ways to search using the Best Western website. First, you can perform a quick search directly from the homepage, where you simply put in the city/state where you want to stay and your check-in and checkout dates. Second, you can perform a more complex search by clicking on the “More Search Options“ link, where you can pick which amenities you would like your room to have.
This search function is great for anyone who likes to do things when they can and usually don’t have a lot of time to spare. The Best Western website is always open, and you can search for the perfect room and book your reservation in the morning, afternoon, evening, or even overnight. This convenient option makes it easy for you to play around with different destinations to determine where you want to go or which place fits into your budget.
Best Western offers a rewards program to give special discounts and savings to their loyal customers. If you travel frequently, it may pay to join the Best Western Rewards Program and stay at a Best Western during your trips. There are four levels of membership: Gold, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, and Diamond Elite.
All members start on the Gold Level and plateau on the Diamond Elite Level. You can move up a level when you reach a certain number of overnight stays per calendar year at a Best Western hotel. Each level also has its own rewards.
On the Gold Level, you can earn 10 points per $1 you spend on a hotel room or 250 flyer miles for each stay. So, if you spend $150 on a 2-night stay, you can have your choice of 1500 rewards points or 250 flyer miles. Once you reach 10 overnight stays, you will move up to the Gold Elite Level.
On the Gold Elite Level, you will receive all the benefits offered to Gold Level members, with a few additional perks. For example, you will also receive a 10% point bonus, and you can also begin to purchase additional rewards points ($10 for 1,000 points) on this level. Once you reach 15 overnight stays, you will move up to the Platinum Elite Level.
On the Platinum Elite Level, your additional perks will include a 15% point bonus, free room upgrades, and the ability to check in early and check out late. At 30 overnight stays, you will move up to the Diamond Elite Level. Here, you will also receive the free upgrades and other privileges, along with a 30% point bonus.
The “Knock Knock” feature is a program installed on your computer that will alert you whenever Best Western is offering certain discounts and travel packages. This means that you will be able to avoid the hassle of looking around for the best places to go, searching for the best deal, and have all this information delivered right to your computer. Best Western’s “Knock Knock” is the best way to save money and time.
Each time a new special is displayed in the “Knock Knock” box, you will be alerted. The price per night, the location, and the Best Western hotel who is running the deal will be displayed. If you are interested in a special, you can link directly to it from your “Knock Knock” box.
Other features of “Knock Knock” include a weather display and important links. The weather display will let you know the conditions in your area 24 hours a day. No more waiting for the news to come on or searching for your location on the Weather Channel’s website; instead, all it takes is a simple glance.
You can also send the special to a friend, using the “send to a Friend” e-mail link in your “Knock Knock” box. Even though you may not be able to take advantage of the special, why not help a friend save a little money? You can also link back to the Best Western website, or to the Gold Crown Rewards Club, to check on the status of your membership.
If you travel frequently for business, Best Western wants to make it easier for you to be a guest in their hotels. Aside from amenities such as free Internet access, free long distance access, and rewards points for each night that you stay at a Best Western hotel, you also receive special corporate rates. These rates are exclusively for corporate customers, and you must go through a few steps in order to receive them.
To receive corporate rates, first you must qualify for them. To do so, you must either fill out their company questionnaire or call their corporate customer service number. Once you know for certain that you qualify for this program, you can then enroll.
After enrollment, you will receive a unique ID number that will give you access to these exclusive corporate rates. You can even book your corporate rates online, once you have your ID number. Using these rates will allow you to save a bundle of money, compared to non-corporate rates.
There are also many other perks that you receive as a corporate member. For example, you have access to Best Western’s Business Plus guest rooms that come equipped with large office desks, office chairs, and two phones, free incoming faxes and local phone calls, and a full continental breakfast. You will also receive the daily newspaper each morning.
Best Western wants to make it as easy as possible for you to host a meeting or group event at their hotels. For this reason, they offer complimentary group and meeting planning to anyone who plans to book more than a handful of rooms at one of their locations. They even have a special website dedicated to meeting the needs of those who plan to have a group or meeting at a Best Western hotel.
You can book your reservation online for up to three rooms, just as you would for a single room. If you specifically want to book four rooms, you must call a special customer service number (1-800-528-1234) to make your reservations. If you want to book five rooms or more, you will need to fill out a request form on the Best Western website, so a Group Specialist can contact you about your reservations.
This Group Specialist will be dedicated to ensuring that your group stay is planned according to your needs and that the process is smooth and easy for you. Your Group Specialist will also be able to answer any questions you have about group booking or staying at Best Western in general. Having someone on your side who knows the ropes will make your group planning a breeze and allow you to remain worry free.
Best Western Advance is a pre-payment option for those who are traveling to a hotel in Europe, Asia, or Africa. Using this program helps ensure that your room will be available when you are ready to take your trip. This eliminates the need to keep track of travelers’ checks to pay for your stay and allows you additional benefits, such as seasonal hotel special offers.
There are very simple steps to participating in the Best Western Advance program. First, you must purchase what are known as Best Western Travel Card Units. These units are sold via authorized resellers, and the retail value per unit is usually around $31, but may vary per reseller.
You need to find the room you would like to make a reservation for in the Best Western Advance Directory, so you will know how many units you need to purchase. When you are ready to make a purchase, you must call a Best Western Reservation office in order to use the units on your Best Western Travel Card. The prices that you find listed in the Best Western Advance Directory are standard rates that are good for a year, so you should be quoted the same rate when you call the travel representative.
Once you have done that, there is nothing more to do until you arrive at the hotel. You do need to have your Travel Card with you during check in. Other than that, just enjoy your trip!
Best Western offers special guest rates for various types of people. For example, if you are a senior and a member of AARP, you can receive a special rate on a hotel reservation. Men and women in the government and military can also take advantage of special rates and discounts offered to them from Best Western.
AARP has been offering their members special rates and discounts on various services and products for almost 50 years, and they continually add more perks each year. People who are over 55 years of age may join the AARP travel program and begin saving 10% off of regular room rates every time they stay at a select Best Western hotel. Best Western also goes a step further by offering exclusive privileges to these senior members, with early check-in, late checkout, free room upgrades, and a free continental breakfast.
Best Western also strives to thank those in the military and those who work for the government by offering them special savings on a hotel reservation. All you have to do is make your reservations online or by phone, and remember to present your military or government ID or your work orders when you arrive at check in. This discount is good whether you are on business for the government or whether you are on a personal vacation.
If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, Best Western is the perfect spot for your stay. They offer free high speed Internet access in every room, so that you can connect whenever you need to. This is good for both business professionals and those who just like to “play around” on the Internet.
For business professionals, this amenity allows them to stay on top of things at the office, at home (if they are on a business trip), and keep in contact with team members. If they are on a personal vacation, this amenity allows them to bring their work with them wherever they go, so going on vacation does not have to mean missing out on work. To top it off, Best Western also offers free on-site photocopy options, so you are always able to make additional copies of that presentation to hand out to co-workers.
For everyone else, this amenity gives you a way to keep in touch with family and friends while you are on vacation, by checking your e-mail, chatting through an instant messaging service, or even using your web cam. You can also relax by playing online games or checking up on how your favorite sports team is doing. Log in once a day or stay on all day long, either way it’s free.
If you have a website, you can team up with Best Western in order to earn some extra cash right from your own home. Just how is this possible? By joining the Best Western affiliate program.
How it works is that you put an advertisement (such as a banner ad) for Best Western on your website to get people to click on the ad and go to their website (a click-thru). When a visitor from your website enters the Best Western website and makes a reservation, you get a commission for the referral. Don’t panic if the visitor doesn’t make a reservation right away, as Best Western will still credit you with your commission if the same visitor returns to make a reservation within 30 days.
Signing up for the program is free (via the Commission Junction website) and you will earn a 5% commission on every referral. It is a great way to make money without putting in much effort. You could be making money while you’re eating, sleeping, or out for a jog.
If you don’t already have a website, you could even create a travel tips website or something similar to specifically promote your Best Western affiliate links. As long as you use keywords and provide useful information that people want to read, you should have little problem earning some commission. There is no better way to make a buck.