Best Western Rewards - Higher rate for 2 guests

I was checking the rate at Best Western in Madrid for a friend.
It shows a higher rate if you specify 2 guests than the rate for 1 guest for a double bed (20 more euros). I can understand that if the rate includes breakfast, then they can be higher for 2 guests, but this rate does not include breakfast.

What if you book 1 double bed for 1 person, but 2 persons show up at checkin, will they charge you the higher rate?

Expect published room rates in Europe for single occupancy regardless of bedding. Expect an additional per person charge to the room limit.

Europe in every aspect is to pay for what is consumed, not the all you can eat or unlimited usage expectations the US economy has developed into.

If you need to save EUR20, shop for another hotel.

CJR,
Thanks for the explanation between N.A. and Europe hotel policies.

Europe in every aspect is to pay for what is consumed, not the all you can eat or unlimited usage expectations the US economy has developed into.
Not in every aspect. You apparently haven't seen a free breakfast buffet in Scandinavian hotels. (Well, I've not been to a BW in Scandinavia, but both Scandic and Choice free breakfast buffets in Nordic countries are something no one in the US would ever dream of giving away to a hotel guest.)

I've noticed that several Best Western properties here in the States charge for the second person as well, especially in the more touristy areas. My company has a very good rate with BW, but often if I tell them there are more than two of us, I can't use the corporate rate at all! It drives me nuts because generally I really like Best Western.

Not in every aspect. You apparently haven't seen a free breakfast buffet in Scandinavian hotels. (Well, I've not been to a BW in Scandinavia, but both Scandic and Choice free breakfast buffets in Nordic countries are something no one in the US would ever dream of giving away to a hotel guest.)

I assume you are referring to the quality and variety of the Choice & Scandic breakfast buffets. Quite a few chains in the US offer breakfast buffets or free cooked breakfast (ie: HI, ES & HS in the Hilton group).

I'm hungry. Please describe. :)

I assume you are referring to the quality and variety of the Choice & Scandic breakfast buffets. Quite a few chains in the US offer breakfast buffets or free cooked breakfast (ie: HI, ES & HS in the Hilton group).

I'm hungry. Please describe. :)
The Scandic and Choice Scandinavia breakfast buffets are like the HI/ES breakfasts on steroids. The buffet alone is typically the size of the entire breakfast area in a typical Hamption. You get stuff like multiple kinds of breads (including loaves you can slice yourself, as well as Scandinavian flat breads), multiple kinds of cheeses, multiple kinds of cold cuts, multiple kinds of preserves/marmalades (again, not prepackaged), salady things, two kinds of fish in sauce (mustardy sauce and tomatoey sauce), several kinds of yogurt (you scoop from a bowl, rather than getting prepackaged cups), eggs several different ways, fried tomatoes, several hot breakfast meats, various dried fruits, fruit salad, garnishes, cereal, milk, etc, etc, etc.

At Scandic:

http://www.scandichotels.com/Hotels/Always-at-Scandic/Breakfast/

"Choose your favourites from the healthy and nutritious range of items. Count them and you’ll find over a 100 energising breakfast options every morning."

I haven't counted but I'd guess the typical Hampton buffet has maybe 1/4 or 1/5 of that? (Which, in turn, seems lavish by US standards since a typical low-end motel may not have much more than one or two cereals, one random kind of milk, one kind of juice, donuts, and coffee. Although the low-end chains in the US are improving that a little lately.)

And Hampton uses much more prepackaged stuff (including the so-called "eggs") than either Scandic or Choice Scandinavia does.

(Choice Scandinavia is a slightly separate chain from Choice elsewhere, to the point that for earning they have a separate Choice Club program from Choice Priveleges, although you can redeem across these programs. Scandic, in turn, used to be part of HHonors but no longer.)

The Scandic and Choice Scandinavia breakfast buffets are like the HI/ES breakfasts on steroids. The buffet alone is typically the size of the entire breakfast area in a typical Hamption. You get stuff like multiple kinds of breads (including loaves you can slice yourself, as well as Scandinavian flat breads), multiple kinds of cheeses, multiple kinds of cold cuts, multiple kinds of preserves/marmalades (again, not prepackaged), salady things, two kinds of fish in sauce (mustardy sauce and tomatoey sauce), several kinds of yogurt (you scoop from a bowl, rather than getting prepackaged cups), eggs several different ways, fried tomatoes, several hot breakfast meats, various dried fruits, fruit salad, garnishes, cereal, milk, etc, etc, etc.

At Scandic:

http://www.scandichotels.com/Hotels/Always-at-Scandic/Breakfast/

"Choose your favourites from the healthy and nutritious range of items. Count them and you’ll find over a 100 energising breakfast options every morning."

I haven't counted but I'd guess the typical Hampton buffet has maybe 1/4 or 1/5 of that? (Which, in turn, seems lavish by US standards since a typical low-end motel may not have much more than one or two cereals, one random kind of milk, one kind of juice, donuts, and coffee. Although the low-end chains in the US are improving that a little lately.)

And Hampton uses much more prepackaged stuff (including the so-called "eggs") than either Scandic or Choice Scandinavia does.



Hmm. I'm now regretting the pressure I put on HH to reclaim my points from Scandic after the split. I wonder if I still have top-floor status?

I agree that 25 items would make an above average breakfast buffet at any US chain. And 40% of it would be beverages: bold coffee, mellow coffee, decaf, tea, 2% milk, whole milk, skim milk, OJ, cranberry juice, water ...

I've experienced free buffet breakfasts at BWs in Paris and Buenos Aires. The one is Paris was quite good, but maybe 30 items and most of them pastry.

Hmm. I'm now regretting the pressure I put on HH to reclaim my points from Scandic after the split. I wonder if I still have top-floor status?

I agree that 25 items would make an above average breakfast buffet at any US chain. And 40% of it would be beverages: bold coffee, mellow coffee, decaf, tea, 2% milk, whole milk, skim milk, OJ, cranberry juice, water ...

I've experienced free buffet breakfasts at BWs in Paris and Buenos Aires. The one is Paris was quite good, but maybe 30 items and most of them pastry.
Well, Scandicis only in Scandinavia/Baltic plus a locaiton or two in Germany and one coming up in Moscow.

Meanwhile, like I said, I'd seen almost as good buffets at Choice Scandinavia(didn't count the items, but way way more than 30 and if less than Scandic only because 4 types of bread instead of 6 and 2 types of cheese instead of 4, etc. :)

So I'm not sure to what degree it's the chain and to what degree it's a standard within Scandinavia. So far Choice and Scandic are the only chains I've stayed with in Nordic countries.

I almost stayed at two BWs in Norway this past summer, but my travel plans changed in one case, and points availability with Choice opened in the second case, and so all 11 of my nights at $200+ to $300+ properties were 16k/night with Choice point redemptions. (Norway can be very expensive so when I get such a good deal on points as the former HH/Scandic 10k/night anywhere or the current Choice 16k at many, I try to steer all my stays there if possible/practical. FWIW, I never stayed at Scandic again after my last 10k/night res -- 6 nights in Helsinki in Sep 06 -- was done.)