Best Western Huge devaluation!
Nov 29, 2019, 12:37 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
Award rooms @10K is back for this early-winter! (starting at post 12)
The lowest normal rate is still 8000 points (unless the 5000 points hotels you're seeing are for dates well past the end of that promo).
Dec 2, 2019, 8:47 am
#17
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Monterey, California
Programs: Affiliated with all, participate in some
Posts: 2,188
No, I'm pretty sure that it's not the new low rate. It's just the latest form of the winter redemption promotion:
Award rooms @10K is back for this early-winter! (starting at post 12)
The lowest normal rate is still 8000 points (unless the 5000 points hotels you're seeing are for dates well past the end of that promo).
Award rooms @10K is back for this early-winter! (starting at post 12)
The lowest normal rate is still 8000 points (unless the 5000 points hotels you're seeing are for dates well past the end of that promo).
There are several hotels I see in Europe at 5,000 points for dates next summer.
Dec 6, 2019, 11:22 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 825
Another aspect I see with changes:
Some hotels are 5,000 points per night. This is new low rate from 8,000 points.
But I also see multiple points rates at some hotels with higher category rooms priced at higher reward rate. One of the perks of BWR in past years was the ability to book higher category rooms and even suites at whatever the standard reward rate was for that date.
Some hotels are 5,000 points per night. This is new low rate from 8,000 points.
But I also see multiple points rates at some hotels with higher category rooms priced at higher reward rate. One of the perks of BWR in past years was the ability to book higher category rooms and even suites at whatever the standard reward rate was for that date.
According this it's gone too
Now the best use of BW miles maybe exchange to Airline miles when there's a 35% promo?
https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea...d-devaluation/
Dec 7, 2019, 11:51 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
According this it's gone too
Now the best use of BW miles maybe exchange to Airline miles when there's a 35% promo?
https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea...d-devaluation/
Now the best use of BW miles maybe exchange to Airline miles when there's a 35% promo?
https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea...d-devaluation/
I go to places where there is no other chain hotel other than Best Western. If i used my BW points up all on airline transfers, and those hotels were reasonable on points but expensive on money, I'd be out of options.
So since Best Western points never expire, I just wait until I can use them at reasonably good value, even if the opportunities for doing so are fewer than in the past, rather than burning them just to use them up.
Also, in my case, I have plenty of other ways to get airline miles, but no other ways to get a hotel on points in a place where there's no other chain hotel than Best Western, if I don't have Best Western points.
Dec 11, 2019, 8:09 pm
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 825
It all depends on how you use BW points and how many hotels change the redemption values, and whether you really have need of BW hotel redemptions.
I go to places where there is no other chain hotel other than Best Western. If i used my BW points up all on airline transfers, and those hotels were reasonable on points but expensive on money, I'd be out of options.
So since Best Western points never expire, I just wait until I can use them at reasonably good value, even if the opportunities for doing so are fewer than in the past, rather than burning them just to use them up.
Also, in my case, I have plenty of other ways to get airline miles, but no other ways to get a hotel on points in a place where there's no other chain hotel than Best Western, if I don't have Best Western points.
I go to places where there is no other chain hotel other than Best Western. If i used my BW points up all on airline transfers, and those hotels were reasonable on points but expensive on money, I'd be out of options.
So since Best Western points never expire, I just wait until I can use them at reasonably good value, even if the opportunities for doing so are fewer than in the past, rather than burning them just to use them up.
Also, in my case, I have plenty of other ways to get airline miles, but no other ways to get a hotel on points in a place where there's no other chain hotel than Best Western, if I don't have Best Western points.
but after this devaluation I totally lose faith on BW, I have accumulated 200K+ BW points earned through CC sign up for few years, Mainly aiming on oneday UTAH National park travel, now it probably just worth 3 nights...I will burn it ASAP no matter what.
Dec 11, 2019, 10:45 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,935
that's true, I think for most of us it's easy to get Miles but not easy to accumulate Hotel points through Churn
but after this devaluation I totally lose faith on BW, I have accumulated 200K+ BW points earned through CC sign up for few years, Mainly aiming on oneday UTAH National park travel, now it probably just worth 3 nights...I will burn it ASAP no matter what.
but after this devaluation I totally lose faith on BW, I have accumulated 200K+ BW points earned through CC sign up for few years, Mainly aiming on oneday UTAH National park travel, now it probably just worth 3 nights...I will burn it ASAP no matter what.
And on July 4 (Saturday this coming year), around Mt Hood in Oregon everything tops out at 36k, just like it did in August 2017 right after the eclipse when I stayed there.
So as you can see, this so-called "devaluation" is not universal! So why burn your points if the places you actually wanted to stay have not gone up in points price???
Dec 11, 2019, 10:52 pm
#22
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,640
I was not too impressed with the Bryce Canyon BW Plus. For Moab the Hyatt Place is a good value for points, albeit a bit "industrial". Frankly your best value may be cash at independent hotels. The View Hotel at Monument Valley is unique and unforgettable. Bluff Dwellings Resort is another gem. Don't fret about saving a few bucks when the objective is to collect the best experiences.
Dec 11, 2019, 11:59 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 825
Did you do a search? Next month, the two hotels next to Bryce Canyon are 12k and 16k. Even in June, they're 28k and 32k. (Though that's in the middle of the week; they aren't even showing any rooms available for points on some weekends.) And other hotels further away are even less, including Cedar City (good for Cedar Breaks National Monument) being 24k in June.
And on July 4 (Saturday this coming year), around Mt Hood in Oregon everything tops out at 36k, just like it did in August 2017 right after the eclipse when I stayed there.
So as you can see, this so-called "devaluation" is not universal! So why burn your points if the places you actually wanted to stay have not gone up in points price???
And on July 4 (Saturday this coming year), around Mt Hood in Oregon everything tops out at 36k, just like it did in August 2017 right after the eclipse when I stayed there.
So as you can see, this so-called "devaluation" is not universal! So why burn your points if the places you actually wanted to stay have not gone up in points price???
the BW Banff increase to 70K, which is the only BW I have ever redeem points on.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:26 am
#24
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Choice Hotels
Posts: 762
It doesnt make it right, but my guess is that these aspirational properties complained that they were only getting points bookings and that the revenue potential was being choked. There is significant anecdotal evidence to support the fact that many people are collecting best western miles for the sole purpose of saving money on these very expensive national park hotels. They probably told best western that they wanted a larger payout for rewards bookings or threatened to leave the chain. It sucks for everyone involved, but I can see both sides. On the other hand, I can complain about the overall increase in rewards point amounts for basic properties. Many basic locations that I frequent have increased by 4k to 8k pts. And this winter promotion is so limited that I have not found a desirable property participating.
Dec 12, 2019, 6:05 pm
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 825
It doesnt make it right, but my guess is that these aspirational properties complained that they were only getting points bookings and that the revenue potential was being choked. There is significant anecdotal evidence to support the fact that many people are collecting best western miles for the sole purpose of saving money on these very expensive national park hotels. They probably told best western that they wanted a larger payout for rewards bookings or threatened to leave the chain. It sucks for everyone involved, but I can see both sides. On the other hand, I can complain about the overall increase in rewards point amounts for basic properties. Many basic locations that I frequent have increased by 4k to 8k pts. And this winter promotion is so limited that I have not found a desirable property participating.