5 Reasons Best Western Is Our Go-To Hotel for Family Travel

Family travel looks different when you’re traveling with kids. Comfort matters more. Safety matters more. And finding a hotel that balances price, location, and family-friendly amenities? Harder than it should be.

After years of road trips and family vacations, Best Western has become our go-to for family travel. Why? Because they consistently deliver what traveling families actually need, spacious rooms, free breakfast, pools, free parking, mini-fridges, laundry facilities, and great locations without blowing the budget.

From small towns to major cities, Best Western is the hotel brand we trust most for family travel, reliable, affordable, and built for real-life parents traveling with kids.

Here are the 5 reasons we keep choosing Best Western for our family trips.

We’ve stayed at Best Western properties across the U.S. on family road trips, Route 66 road trips, city escapes, and multi-state adventures. Here are some of our favorite stays:

• Best Western Williams, AZ (Near the Grand Canyon)
• Best Western Kingman, AZ (Route 66 Stop)
• Best Western Santa Fe, NM
• Best Western San Antonio
• Best Western Austin City
• Best Western Scottsdale
• Best Western Belle Meade (Nashville)
• Best Western Philadelphia
• Best Western Hacienda (Old Town San Diego)
• Best Western Island Palms (Shelter Island San Diego)
• Best Western Las Brias (Palm Springs)

Best Western Hotels & Resorts is a global hotel family with over 4,000 properties across nearly 100 countries and territories. What many travelers don’t realize is that Best Western isn’t a single hotel brand; it’s a collection of 16 distinct brands, ranging from mid-scale to upper mid-scale and boutique-style properties.

The most common brands families will encounter are Best Western (mid-scale) and Best Western Plus (upper mid-scale). We personally gravitate toward Best Western Plus properties because pricing is often similar, but amenities and overall experience tend to be elevated.

Another key difference? Each Best Western hotel is independently owned and operated. That means properties often reflect the local culture, architecture, and history of the destination—something you don’t always get with cookie-cutter chains.

Best Western also invests heavily in quality. In recent years, the brand has committed billions to property upgrades, ensuring consistent standards across guest rooms, lobbies, and amenities.

For families, that translates to reliable comfort with local personality; a rare combo.

1. Truly Family-Oriented (Not Just “Family-Friendly”)

Best Western Hotels doesn’t just welcome families; they actively design their stays around them.

According to internal data shared by Best Western, families with children make up a significant portion of their guests, outpacing solo travelers and friend groups. And honestly? It shows.

Across Best Western and Best Western Plus properties, we consistently find amenities that make family travel easier, including:

• Complimentary breakfast at most Best Western Plus hotels
• Pools (often with hot tubs)
• On-site laundry facilities
• Kids stay free (no extra charge for children 12 and under)

The free breakfast alone is a game-changer for families. It saves money, saves time, and keeps picky eaters happy without a morning meltdown. Most properties offer staples like eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt, cereal, waffles, juice, and coffee, everything you need to start the day without leaving the hotel.

And if breakfast isn’t complimentary at a specific location, there’s usually an on-site restaurant serving it.

Bonus perk? You’re surrounded by other families. Translation: no side-eyes when your kids act like… kids.

2. Budget-Friendly Without Feeling Cheap

Best Western hotels consistently deliver strong value, especially for families traveling in cities and tourist destinations.

Compared to budget motels like Motel 6 or Days Inn, Best Western properties are noticeably nicer and include far more standard amenities. And when you factor in free breakfast, parking, and kids staying free, the overall cost often ends up lower, not higher.

Best Western Plus hotels also compete directly with upper mid-scale chains like Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, and Courtyard, and often at the same price or less, depending on the city.

We’ve scored especially great deals in places like Savannah, San Antonio, and Old Town San Diego, where location and comfort would normally cost far more.

3. Unique, Local, and Full of Character

One thing that truly sets Best Western apart is that each hotel is independently owned and operated. That means properties often reflect the local history, architecture, and culture of the destination.

Some examples from our travels:

• Spanish-Style Hacienda Hotel in Old Town San Diego
• Spanish-Pueblo style architecture in Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Breezy art-deco vibes in Palm Springs, California

Instead of cookie-cutter rooms that look the same everywhere, Best Western Plus hotels often surprise us, in the best way.

For families, this adds an unexpected layer of education and fun. Every stay feels a little more memorable.

4. One of the Best Hotel Rewards Programs for Families

The Best Western Rewards® Program is one of the most family-friendly hotel loyalty programs out there, and one of the easiest to use.

In fact, their loyalty program has consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 5 in the hospitality industry, scoring their highest marks for the "ease of earning a free night".

What we love most:

• Points never expire
• Points can be redeemed at 4,000+ hotels worldwide
• No blackout dates
• Points accrue quickly (even on free nights)

You earn 10 points per $1 spent when booking directly through Best Western, and free nights can start around 16,000 points depending on location.

Best Western also runs frequent promotions and offers discounts for:

• AAA members
• AARP members
• Military and government employees
• CAA discount

For families who travel even a few times a year, the rewards add up fast.

5. Locations That Actually Work for Families

With thousands of hotels across the U.S. and worldwide, Best Western makes road trips and multi-stop family travel incredibly easy.

We’ve stayed at Best Western properties:

• In the heart of Old Town San Diego
• Minutes from Hersheypark in Pennsylvania
• Near Route 66 and the Grand Canyon
• Steps from restaurants, attractions, and walkable neighborhoods

For families, especially those traveling with grandparents or younger kids, location is everything. And Best Western consistently delivers.

For example, The Hacienda Hotel is located smack-dab in the heart of one of our favorite places in the world, Old Town San Diego, CA, with an attached restaurant called Tequila Factory that has insane views of San Diego.

The Belle Meade Inn and Suites is located just outside downtown Nashville, but it is close to the Belle Meade Plantation, which was a nice place to spend the day with kids even though we didn't expect to visit until booking the hotel.

Las Brisas Hotel is located right across the street from our favorite nightlife spot in Palm Springs, Las Casuelas Terraza, which is the perfect place to experience live music with kids any day of the week. Plus they have really good margaritas and Mexican food ;)

The Best Western Premiere in Harrisburg, PA was just 10 minutes from Hershey Park and had a great Irish Pub on-site. It was an excellent alternative to actually staying at the Hershey Hotel, which was already booked (and kinda outside our preferred price range anyways).

The Best Western Plus Inn of Santa Fe was located about 10 minutes away from downtown Santa Fe, but it was actually just a few blocks away from the main attraction for us, which was the psychedelic Meow Wolf experience.

The list could go on and on...

Best Western Plus Williams, AZ:

Best Western Plus A Wayfarer's Inn, Kingman, AZ:

Best Western Plus Inn of Santa Fe, NM:

Best Western Sunset Suites San Antonio, TX:

Best Western Plus Sundial, Scottsdale, AZ:

Best Western Belle Meade, Nashville, TN:

Best Western Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA:

Best Western Plus Hacienda San Diego, CA:

Best Western Island Palms on Shelter Island San Diego, CA:

Best Western Las Brisas in Palm Springs, CA:

There are plenty of hotel chains that claim to be family-friendly. But after years of traveling with kids, Best Western Hotels & Resorts remains our go-to for family travel.

Affordable pricing. Family-oriented amenities. Great locations. Free breakfast at most properties. A rewards program that actually works. And hotels that feel unique instead of generic.

When you’re traveling with kids, consistency matters, but so does comfort and value. Best Western delivers all three.