Best Western Rewards - property closing; offering sub-par replacement

Hi,

Title pretty much says it all. I'm being offered the Comfort Inn ~ 1/4 mile away at the same rate. Problem is a) I feel the Comfort Inn is not as good a hotel, b) The Best Western is offering me the same rate--big deal as Comfort Inn is cheaper. I want another Best Western in the same city, however customer service is forcing me to pay the difference in rate, which of course is significant being that my stay is 5 weeks away.

Sure, I can cancel and stay elsewhere, but my issue is the rate. Comparable properties (except the Comfort Inn) are ~$100 more per night at this point. I don't feel it's my responsibility to pony up the extra money when it's Best Western's decision to close the property. I chose the Best Western mainly because I have a relationship when them (Best Western Rewards) and my week-stay is worth a considerable points difference over Choice--where I have never stayed.

I guess if all else fails, I can live with the Comfort Inn, but that's not the point. Will Best Western credit me the points I would have earned if the property hadn't closed? If I push hard enough, am I likely to get moved to the more expensive Best Western at the same rate? Do I have any other options? Other alternative properties were over 10 miles away.

Thanks in advance for your expertise. Happy 4th.

Have you called Best Western Customer Service to discuss this? (Don't email, call, so you can a live interactive conversation with someone and be sure they understand your issue. Email can't accomplish that.)

Are you sure Best Western closed the property? AFAIK, Best Western doesn't own or close any properties. They may throw someone out of Best Western, but not close them (the hotel/motel always has the option of going independent or trying to affiliate with another chain).

So if the hotel is truly closing (not just losing Best Western affiliation), it's the hotel itself, not Best Western.

(And if the hotel is closing, how are you bieng contacted? Did the hotel contact you ahead of the stay to tell you that?)

At any rate, if you do have a reservation made through Best Western, talking to a Best Western agent may help. For examle, they may be able to make a note in your account, and later (if not now) give you some "goodwill" points to help make up for (at least some of) the points you would have earned on this stay had the hotel not closed.

Is this a Bestern Western Plus (or Premier), or just a regular Best Western? I'm not sure why you'd think that Comfort Inn would be lower than a regular Best Western, with the recent improvements to Comfort Inn's breakfast, etc, I'd say on average (though I know nothing about whatever specific town you'll be staying in) a Comfort Inn is better than a non-Plusnon-Premier Best Western, though not up to the level of a Best Western Plus necessarily.

Hi SD,

Thanks for your advise. It's a Best Western Plus that's closing for renovations. Customer service left me a message and when I called them back, they explained that since I'm on a Best Rate Guarantee, they can't swap me to the other property. I guess I'll try calling back; maybe I'll get a better agent. I'll settle for the Comfort Inn and some comp. points.

when it's Best Western's decision to close the property.


How do you know it's the chain's decision, not the property's decision, to close the property?

How do you know it's the chain's decision, not the property's decision, to close the property?
Because the chain doesn't own the property, so has no legal means to close it. (In case you haven't heard it before, Best Western's longtime motto is that all of their properties are independently owned and independently operated. Some other chains do own some of their properties, though still very few, but Best Western owns none of their properties.)

Now, what I can't know, especially now that you've explained it's only temporarily closed for renovations (from your original description, I thought you meant permanently "closed" as in "going out of business and shutting down forever"), is whether the renovations they're closing for are to meet Best Western requirements, or just of their own choosing.

But a property which closes outright (not just temporarily for renovations) could not be closed by Best Western. Best Western could kick it out of their system, but it can't actually close it. (If Best Western finds local violations in an inspection, they could theoritcally alert local authorities, who could in turn order it closed, but in that case it would still be local authorities closing it, not Best Western itself.)

I've seen Best Western properties get kicked out their system. They typically go indie (meaning no chain affiiliation at all), but sometimes they might go to another chain brand. I've not seen any cases where they shut down immediately as a result. (I haven't tracked them all to see if any of them might have shut down some time later, due to not being able to get enough business as an indie property.)

Hi SD,

Thanks for your advise. It's a Best Western Plus that's closing for renovations. Customer service left me a message and when I called them back, they explained that since I'm on a Best Rate Guarantee, they can't swap me to the other property. I guess I'll try calling back; maybe I'll get a better agent. I'll settle for the Comfort Inn and some comp. points.

Did you talk to someone at the property itself or BW? Since, as sdsearch mentioned, the two are distinct and you are loyal to the brand, but not this specific property, you will probably have better luck with BW than the property. Or, at least get a few bonus points from them.

Letting BW know that you are being treated worse than others because you used a BRG may give you some leverage. Retaliation/punishment for using a BRG dilutes the value of the BRG and the brand. From BW's view, you should be treated as well as others. After all, you helped them catch an owner/manager posting lower prices elsewhere. The owner/manager may be unhappy with you, but posting a lower price elsewhere was their choice and they took the risk of the BRG.

I can see how the property wouldn't want to walk you to somewhere really comparable as they already are probably losing money on you with the BRG, depending on how long of a stay you're doing. Is the property a Plus on the features of the hotel or mainly on location?

BTW, I've stayed at hotels undergoing renovations. Between the noise and the fumes, you're better off elsewhere. Be glad they *aren't* making you put up with it.

I can see how the property wouldn't want to walk you to somewhere really comparable as they already are probably losing money on you with the BRG, depending on how long of a stay you're doing. Is the property a Plus on the features of the hotel or mainly on location?
It's possible (though I don't know) that the Comfort Inn that the BW Plus is offering (as the only option) happens to be a hotel the same franchisee owns. It's common in some areas for more than one hotel in more than one hotel program to be co-owned by the same franchisee. And, whether they should or not, sometimes they have a preference for choosing their own other properties when having to reaccomodate someone.

Take the opportunity to try the Comfort Inn- assuming it appears to be a decent property. It can introduce you to Choice and its points program, which is in one big way superior to the Best Western program as they run far more generous promotions so you can rack up points much more quickly.

But if this is a poorly rated Comfort Inn, definitely try to get Best Western to eat this cost and move you to another of the properties affiliated with Best Western, assuming those are better than the Comfort Inn.

Overall, I am a lot more satisfied with Comfort Inns than Best Westerns. But I can think of one Comfort Inn stay in particular where the Best Western Plus down the block (which has since left Best Western) was vastly superior to the Comfort Inn (and cost about $40 more a night).

Because the chain doesn't own the property, so has no legal means to close it. (In case you haven't heard it before, Best Western's longtime motto is that all of their properties are independently owned and independently operated. Some other chains do own some of their properties, though still very few, but Best Western owns none of their properties.)

Now, what I can't know, especially now that you've explained it's only temporarily closed for renovations (from your original description, I thought you meant permanently "closed" as in "going out of business and shutting down forever"), is whether the renovations they're closing for are to meet Best Western requirements, or just of their own choosing.

But a property which closes outright (not just temporarily for renovations) could not be closed by Best Western. Best Western could kick it out of their system, but it can't actually close it. (If Best Western finds local violations in an inspection, they could theoritcally alert local authorities, who could in turn order it closed, but in that case it would still be local authorities closing it, not Best Western itself.)

I've seen Best Western properties get kicked out their system. They typically go indie (meaning no chain affiiliation at all), but sometimes they might go to another chain brand. I've not seen any cases where they shut down immediately as a result. (I haven't tracked them all to see if any of them might have shut down some time later, due to not being able to get enough business as an indie property.)

Its quite possible the owner is closing for renovations and then after renovations will reopen as a rebranded different chain hotel.

There are numerous best westerns that drop and add to their system each year.

Late last year near where I live one best western dropped affiliation and just operated as an indi hotel.

I think part of the reason in their decision was too many customers were using points/comp nights on their property given it was in a big tourist area.

Take the opportunity to try the Comfort Inn- assuming it appears to be a decent property. It can introduce you to Choice and its points program, which is in one big way superior to the Best Western program as they run far more generous promotions so you can rack up points much more quickly.

But if this is a poorly rated Comfort Inn, definitely try to get Best Western to eat this cost and move you to another of the properties affiliated with Best Western, assuming those are better than the Comfort Inn.

Overall, I am a lot more satisfied with Comfort Inns than Best Westerns. But I can think of one Comfort Inn stay in particular where the Best Western Plus down the block (which has since left Best Western) was vastly superior to the Comfort Inn (and cost about $40 more a night).

I look at Comfort inna d best western plaus at about the same level...it just depends on the amenities , location, and looking at reveiews.

Both Choice and Best Western do have some really good properties.

As far as promotions go....if Best Western is offereing a stay 2 or stay 3 and get a free night stay is one of the best promotions if you can utilize the promo, Where I live there are 2 BWs in ideal locations (San Juan Islands, and Lake Chelan) that are at tthe high end of the BW pts system. BW free stay doesnt have the limitations of hotel level like MArriot does (4 star or less).

The only promos I have seen with choice is the round up to 8,000 pts for 2 stays...which then means you basically need to do 6 stays to get a free night at a decent hotel. An OK return but there is better.

With eaither the BW or Choice...I wish they did have some beter promos because they have hotels in some locations that Marriott or Hilton are nonexistant like near national parks.

The only promos I have seen with choice is the round up to 8,000 pts for 2 stays...which then means you basically need to do 6 stays to get a free night at a decent hotel. An OK return but there is better.
You obviously missed the threads in the Choice forum about Europe being (repeatedly) "on sale" at 8k points/night. And it's not just Europe; Tokyo is also often just 8k/night.

And you also apparently missed the multiple threads in the Choice forum which talk about how virtually all Scaninavian CHoice properties are only 16k points/night, even when they're $200+ or even $300+ a night in real money. (And the Scandinavian ones are much higher quality than most US ones, btw.)

Meanwhile, the BW promos that give a free night cert are capped, and often cappted to just one cert, and that one cert may expire before they run another promo for you to earn another cert! So they're only a good value if all you needed was one night. (BW often alternates between free night cert promos and gift card promos, and that's why the free night cert from one promo often expires before you can earn another one in a subsequent promo.)

Versus the Choice round-up-to-8K promo, which is often uncapped, and so is much better if you need multiple nights.

You obviously missed the threads in the Choice forum about Europe being (repeatedly) "on sale" at 8k points/night. And it's not just Europe; Tokyo is also often just 8k/night.

And you also apparently missed the multiple threads in the Choice forum which talk about how virtually all Scaninavian CHoice properties are only 16k points/night, even when they're $200+ or even $300+ a night in real money. (And the Scandinavian ones are much higher quality than most US ones, btw.)


Scandinavian properties vary from 8k to 25k points per night in the main for the region. On average, the best values for my many stays in these countries involve the 8k, 10k or 16k per night awards, with my best returns typically at the 10k/night rates in the region.