Best Western Rewards - Best Western Contest/ Rewards that Seem to be pretty awesome

So, I don't think I would win this contest, my worst summer job was working at wetzels pretzels, and I don't think that could contend with what some of the other applicants have done ( :, but, as a YouTube junkie i found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PQOqKLiuxw "Worst Summer Job Ever" spot when I was doing a video search for resort tours, as I like to torture myself by looking at fantastic places I will probably never be able to go to!!! (Best Western is putting on the contest, that's where the connection is). The entry is at http://www.bestwestern.com/summerjob.asp, but I had more fun looking through the various crazy job clips on youtube.

Also on their YouTube channel page they describe some nifty rewards, like a free night if you stay so many nights, prizes, etc. ...

I like HH better.

I like HH better.
For torturing yourself with pictures of pretty places you'll probably never be able to see in person??? :confused:

(That's what the post you're referring to mostly seems to be about.)

Funny you should mention HH though, one way that HH is very smiliar to BW: Both are about the worst in promos in their space. (Priority Club whips HH on promos in their space, Choice whips BW on promos in their space.)

Choice is good, I have some fond memories of driving cross-country and the make-your-own-waffle bars at a comfort in. I think HH is not really worth the token higher prices because of their "label".... I actually heard from a friend/avid traveler that the BW president in Istanbul is incredible. I think that with any major hotel chain there are pros and cons, and some are bound to be more luxurious depending on traffic and location.

Rewards program/accommodation variance comparisons aside, the contest I mentioned earlier is pretty hilarious. I must admit, I wondered back to the "bestwesternTV" site on YouTube and found myself on another tangential (is that the right word?) goose chase of watching hilariously bad summer job video. I thought my college summer job was rough, but man.

This also started a priceless convo at work where I found out that an esteemed co-worker once dressed like uncle sam, handed out flyers and waved at cars in 100+ heat. Priceless, maybe he need to win the BW vaca and go to Alaska or something. . . . heehee

I actually heard from a friend/avid traveler that the BW president in Istanbul is incredible. I think that with any major hotel chain there are pros and cons, and some are bound to be more luxurious depending on traffic and location.
Indeed, but the degree of difference between locations may be greater at Best Western than in some other chains. (Tho it can also be big in Choice; there's a huge difference in luxuiourness between the Choice hotels I stay in super cheap in the US to earn points and the ones I redeem on amazingly few points when vacationing in Norway!)

Best Western brags that their hotels are "independently owned and operated". On one hand, that means they have a greater chance at individual character. OTOH, it means there's more variation from hotel to hotel than in any other brand.

Fortunately, there's TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) to help sort through that inconsistency.

And, to their credit, Best Western has gotten rid of the worst of their properties in the area I stay in most often.

And, to their credit, Best Western has gotten rid of the worst of their properties in the area I stay in most often.
What area is that?
In Fla.., some of the BWs are lousy, such as Clewiston and Vero Beach.

I have 55k BW points left. Because the points are RARELY valuable for use with many partners, last I looked, I use them for reward stays.

I haven't stayed at a BW in many years. I now do mostly HH and Marriotts and some Comfort Suites (the newer locations).

What area is that?
In Fla.., some of the BWs are lousy, such as Clewiston and Vero Beach.

I have 55k BW points left. Because the points are really valuable for use with many partners, last I looked, I use them for reward stays.

I haven't stayed at a BW in many years. I now do mostly HH and Marriotts and some Comfort Suites (the newer locations).
I most often stay in Orange County CA. All my stays are on my own dime, so I can rarely afford HH and can never afford Marriott. (In that area, HH is $90+/night and only sometimes, Marriott is $100+/night and that's only Fairfield, but Choice is $60+/night and BW is $70+/night, and even Priority Club is $75+/night.)

BW dumped one of two motels in Santa Ana (the one that was way way below Motel 6 standards!), and I think some others that were always rated awfully on TripAdvisor.

I'm not saying everything they still have around there is great, but they have a greater proportion of decent (if still older style outdoor entry) properties now.

Btw, categorizing "decent" for me does not necessarily include evaluationg breakfast. On many of my stays, I get breakfast where I'm going after I leave the hotel, so can afford to stay at hotels where I can't stand the breakfast. And when I do multi-day tays, I'll take a fridge/microwave in the room as an acceptable (and often desirable) substitute for a too-minimal breakfast in the lobby.

Allow me to correct my earlier post.

I edited but want to make sure it all comes through in the fine print:

BW points are rarely valuable with other travel partners, such as car rentals, Amtrak, airlines, etc.

I looked and found very little worth using points for, including an overpriced "pizza and coke" dinner.