Best Western Rewards has grown from 180,000 members to more than 35 million since its inauguration in 1988. BWR achieved a top five ranking for the sixth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-2018 Best Hotel Rewards Programs.
During the 2018 Best Western North American Convention and Global Conference, several new additions to BWR were revealed, including:
- BWR Chat Bot – The BWR Chat Bot will be used to not only enhance communication of the benefits for BWR members, but further raise overall awareness and visibility to the rewards program for all guests. The platform will be a customer interaction tool on Facebook’s Messenger platform. Best Western has been active as an early adopter in the AR/VR space, and the BWR Chat Bot is the latest example of the brand embracing artificial intelligence to elevate the guest experience and set a new standard in hospitality.
- Points for Dining – Members will be able to earn BWR points while dining at any of the more than 11,000 network restaurants in the U.S., and soon to be in Canada as well. This new program benefit will enable members to earn BWR points even when they’re not traveling, allowing BWR members to accumulate even more points that they can use toward free nights and other redemption options.
- Points as Cash –This innovative new offering, BW Rewards Pay, will enable BWR members to instantly redeem their points as cash through their smartphone mobile wallets at all merchants accepting Apple Pay/Google Pay. Members will be able to instantly redeem BWR points for the things that today’s travelers want most, making Best Western Rewards currency even more valuable. Sample of options include, but are not limited to, purchases made at Starbucks, The Apple Store, Best Buy, Macy’s, Walgreens and Trader Joe’s.
“Since BWR’s revamp in 2017, we have done everything possible to remain a frontrunner in the loyalty space, avidly listening to our customers and tailoring our program to deliver the richest rewards in the industry," Dorothy Dowling, SVP and chief marketing officer at Best Western Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement. “The introduction of these new features, including the BWR Chat Bot, is a continuation of our efforts to deliver the benefits that today’s travelers are looking for, and we look forward to these offerings further enhancing the guest experience.”