I’ve always found it interesting to read through hotel manuals and loyalty program documents that are accidentally posted on the internet.
- Secrets that Holiday Inn Express Tells Hotel Owners
- Secret Rules of the Club Carlson Hotel Program
- Best Western’s Hotel Manual Revealed
- Accor Hotels Secret Loyalty Manual Uploaded Publicly to Google Play
- Hilton Has an Elite Status Level I Didn’t Even Know Existed
Reader S. points me to this 2014 front desk manual for Best Western hotels in Scandinavia.
Most of the document is focused on ‘how to’ for things like loading rate plans for the hotel, awarding points, how employee and friends and family rates work, and enrolling members in Best Western Rewards.
Nonetheless there are some interesting tidbits. For instance,
- SAS EuroBonus free night redemptions pay the hotel ~ US $55.
- In Denmark free nights always include breakfast
- AAA rates get last room availability for 10% off of rack, and are commissionable to agents at 10%
- When their hotels are sold as part of packages (eg air and hotel) by third party websites they give those websites a discount of at least 31% off of rack and then the website marks up the room.
Hotels have to offer their best rates through Best Western, and there’s tips to the hotel to ensure they’re doing this. Naturally there are financial penalties if they fail to comply. Here’s how the Best Rate Guarantee fines work:
Front desk employees receive Best Western Rewards points for enrolling new members… and more points when members they enroll earn Platinum or Diamond elite status.
The chain runs quarterly incentive programs for the hotels that enroll the most new members with first, second and third prizes.
Guests with an email address on file with Best Western receive post-stay surveys. If they complete the survey they’re awarded 250 points. They won’t receive more than one survey per month so if they’ve already completed one during the month, they won’t receive a survey on a subsequent stay during that one month period.
Hotels that don’t respond to surveys have those surveys treated as a complaint, and are fined $25. Hotels are allowed a ratio of complaints based on the number of rooms on property.
Sheesh – Not completing the survey is considered a complaint? That seems a bit harsh!
Awesome post….found it very fascinating. Thanks
@Daniel
It is not a complaint if the guest doesn’t fill out the survey. It is counted as a complaint if the hotel gets a negative survey from a guest and does not respond to it in a timely manner.
Seems like stronger standards for quality than Wyndham/Choice. I’d love to compare.
Do not stay at the best western in milton fl. They will cheat you more than double the rate on second night. Was not told when checking in. We will never stay here again. To bad we have family in the area come to milton often.