Wyndham Rewards: The Ultimate Guide

Wyndham Hotels has a colorful and complicated history. The Wyndham Hotels we know today is the by-product of mergers, acquisitions, forays into a broad variety of business segments and scandals, all fueled by a desire for growth and stock price enhancement.

The hotel chain originated with the 1990 founding of Hospitality Franchise Systems (HFS), an entity founded with the purpose of acquiring hotel franchises. After its public offering in 1992, HFS rapidly moved towards its mission, acquiring the Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Ramada and Super 8 brands by 1995. HFS also acquired a number of real estate brokerages as well as Resorts International, a timeshare exchange company. In 1997, Hospitality Franchise Systems merged with CUC International, a diversified company whose businesses included membership-based shopping services and interactive entertainment/software products. The newly merged company was renamed Cendant.

In 2001, Cendant found itself embroiled in a major accounting controversy that resulted in prison time for two of its executives. Post scandal, Cendant focused on rebuilding its business and reputation, acquiring companies such as Avis, Budget, Orbitz and in 2005, Wyndham Hotels. Wyndham Hotels had been founded back in 1981 by Trammell Crow, a real estate developer in Dallas.

In 2006, Cendant was broken up into four separate entities and the hotel and timeshare businesses were spun off and named Wyndham Worldwide. After multiple hotel chain acquisitions, the hotel division was changed yet again into Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has become the world’s largest hotel franchisor, with approximately 9,100 properties in 95 countries.

Wyndham has 24 brands, spanning the range from inexpensive, economy properties to luxury resorts.

Distinctive:

• Registry Collection Hotels
• Wyndham Grand

Upscale:

• Dolce Hotels & Resorts by Wyndham
• Wyndham

Lifestyle:

• Dazzler by Wyndham
• Esplendor
• ™Trademark Collection by Wyndham
• Tryp
• Vienna House
• Wyndham Alltra All-Inclusive

Midscale:

• AmericInn by Wyndham
• Baymont by Wyndham
• La Quinta by Wyndham
• Ramada by Wyndham
• Wingate by Wyndham
• Wyndham Garden

Value:

• Days Inn by Wyndham
• Howard Johnson by Wyndham
• Microtel by Wyndham
• Super 8 by Wyndham
• Travelodge by Wyndham

Extended Stay:

• Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham

The first step to earning Wyndham Reward Points is to register for a free Wyndham Rewards membership. Upon enrollment, new members are assigned Blue level status.

There are many ways to earn Wyndham Rewards points. Let’s take a look at how.

Hotel Stays

Each time you stay at a Wyndham property, you can earn Wyndham Reward points. You’ll earn 10 points per $1 on the room rate only or 1,000 points (whichever is more) on qualified stays.

In order to earn points, reservations must be made through a Wyndham Hotels booking channel, such as through the Wyndham website or the Wyndham app. Reserving through the Wyndham call center or contacting the Wyndham property directly will qualify as well. What doesn’t qualify is stays booked through a third-party service, such Priceline or Expedia and as such, will not earn points.

If you’ve earned Wyndham elite status, you can earn even more points:

• Gold. Get 10% more Wyndham Rewards points on base earnings.
• Platinum. Get 15% more Wyndham Rewards points on base earnings.
• Diamond. Get 20% more Wyndham Rewards points on base earnings.

Elite Status

Wyndham has four levels of status that guests can achieve. The number of nights stayed determines the level of status earned, with each level offering additional perks and benefits.

Blue: Entry-level status granted upon enrollment

• Member savings on room bookings
• Qualifying nights rollover to next calendar year
• Free Wi-Fi

Gold: Five nights

• All Blue benefits
• Gold Member services line
• Preferred room choice
• 10% bonus points on base rate
• Late checkout (subject to availability)

Platinum: 15 nights

• All Gold benefits
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Status match to Caesars Rewards
• Upgrades with Avis and Budget car rentals

Diamond: 40 nights

• All Platinum benefits
• Suite upgrades at check-in for paid and award stays (subject to availability)
• Welcome amenity of snack or beverage at select hotels
• Gift Gold status to one family member or friend

Earn Points Through Credit Cards

The quickest way to build your Wyndham points balance is through its co-branded credit cards. Barclays Bank issues three credit cards that earn Wyndham Rewards points.

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card*

• Earn 5 points per dollar spent on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases, 2 points per dollar spent on restaurants and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status
• 10% point discount on free night awards
• No annual fee

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card*

• Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases, 4 points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1 points on other purchases
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Platinum status
• 10% point discount on free night awards
• Anniversary bonus of 7,500 points each year after card renewal
• No foreign transaction fees
• $75 annual fee

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card*

• Earn 8 points per $1 spent on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases, 5 points per $1 spent on marketing, advertising and utilities and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Diamond status
• 10% point discount on free night awards
• Anniversary bonus of 15,000 each year after card renewal
• No foreign transaction fees
• $95 annual fee

If you’re a regular guest at Wyndham properties, then the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card* is a good addition to your wallet given the benefits. The higher earn rate on gas, grocery and dining purchases will help you accumulate points faster. The anniversary bonus of 7,500 points is enough for one free night which offsets the annual fee of $75. As a complimentary Platinum member, you’ll also get early check-in and late checkout which is great for squeezing a little more time out of your stay.

If you’re a business owner and spend time on the road, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card* is a great fit. You earn a whopping 8 points per $1 on gas purchases and on Wyndham Hotel stays. Wyndham Hotel properties are often strategically located on major interstates and highways. Automatic Diamond status perks of a welcome amenity and room upgrade can make your stay that much more comfortable. The anniversary bonus of 15,000 points, enough for two award nights, makes this card even more appealing.

Transfer Partners

Transferable credit card points are useful for quickly replenishing your Wyndham Rewards points balance whenever you need a redemption. Wyndham Rewards is a transfer partner of Citi and Capital One. Citi ThankYou Points and Capital One Rewards both transfer to Wyndham Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

Given the other options for these transferable points programs, it’s important to evaluate whether a transfer to Wyndham makes sense for you. It’s unlikely that a redemption for a standard hotel room at one of Wyndham’s economy properties would be worth transferring points for. But, if you’re planning a stay for your family and you’re interested in vacation club- or condo-style accommodations with a full kitchen and living area, a transfer to Wyndham could represent solid value.

Wyndham Rewards and Caesars Rewards Partnership

Wyndham Rewards and Caesars Rewards have forged a reciprocal partnership that offers benefits to both Wyndham Rewards and Caesars Rewards members.

By linking their Wyndham and Caesars accounts, members can earn 10 points per $1 (or a minimum 1,000 points) and Caesars Rewards credits on stays at Caesars Hotels. Wyndham Rewards points can be redeemed for free nights at Caesars Hotels. Resort fees apply.

Linking your Wyndham account also automatically triggers a status match to Caesars Rewards. Platinum Wyndham Rewards members will be matched to the same level in Caesars Rewards. Diamond Wyndham Rewards members are matched to Diamond in Caesars Rewards.

Note that if you’ve received Wyndham Rewards Diamond status from holding the Wyndham Business Earner credit card, you’ll get Caesars Rewards Diamond status from the status match. This is a great benefit of the credit card if you have plans to visit Caesars properties.

Wyndham Rewards points are transferable to Caesar Reward credits and vice versa at a 1:1 ratio. There is a transfer limit of 60,000 points per year.

To benefit from this relationship, hop over to Caesars Rewards to join. You’ll need to link your Wyndham Rewards and Caesars Rewards accounts. Now you’re set to earn in both programs and get your status match.

Shopping Portals

Wyndham Rewards, like numerous other airline and hotel programs, features a shopping portal that allows you to earn more points by shopping through it. Utilizing shopping portals provides a convenient method to accumulate points while making regular online purchases from the comfort of your home.

Other Ways To Earn Wyndham Rewards Points

• Wyndham Vacation Clubs: Earn 10 points per $1 on the room rate
• Avis: Earn 100 points per day up a maximum of 500 points per rental
• Budget: Earn 100 points per day up to a maximum of 500 points per rental
• Book tours and activities through Wyndham: Earn 10 points per $1
• Book a meeting or event: Earn 1 point per $1 on event spaces, room blocks and food and beverage charges

Buying, Gifting and Sharing Wyndham Rewards Points

You can buy or gift up to 100,000 Wyndham Rewards points each year. A member may only receive a maximum of 100,000 Wyndham Rewards points as a gift annually. Transactions are processed through a third-party vendor, points.com, so the purchase does not earn bonus points on the Wyndham co-branded credit cards.

Generally speaking, we do not recommend purchasing points as typically the cost outweighs the benefit. However, sometimes a points purchase can make sense, for example, if you need only a small number of points to facilitate an award redemption.

You’ve worked on earning and saving your points—now it’s time to enjoy a reward redemption.

Room Redemptions

Wyndham Rewards offers two types of room redemptions. Go Free awards are points only redemptions while Go Far awards are points plus cash.

Go Free Awards

The Wyndham reward chart is very simple with only three fixed tiers at 7,500, 15,000 and 30,000 points. Points can be redeemed for award nights at all Wyndham brands and Caesars Hotels. Resort fees apply at Caesars Hotels.

Wyndham Rewards points can also be used for redemption at Wyndham Vacation Clubs which are timeshare resort rentals that consist of units with full kitchens, living area and resort-style amenities. Redemption rates for Wyndham Vacation Club are determined by the number of bedrooms and range between 7,500 points and 30,000 points per bedroom per night.

To search for an award go to the Wyndham booking page and check “Book with points” followed by “Search.”

Go Fast Awards

Go Fast awards let you combine points and cash to pay for a hotel room. Like the Go Free awards, there are only three tiers of Go Fast awards:

• 1,500 points plus cash
• 3,000 points plus cash
• 6,000 points plus cash

The amount of cash varies by property and is determined by the market price. Essentially, the points part of the Go Fast award is a discount on the cash price of the room. Go Fast awards may also be used at Wyndham Vacation Club properties.

The Go Fast award option may not be available at certain properties.

To book a Go Fast award, check the “Book with points” box on your hotel search. If a Go Fast award is available, it will be displayed above the “Go Free” award price.

Sweet Spots

Since Wyndham has a fixed award chart, the award price for hotel room redemptions doesn’t vary with demand. That means it’s possible to get a great deal during a high-demand period such as peak season or during a big event.

Here’s an example of an exceptional value redemption during the popular Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. Searching for the first weekend of the festival results in a 15,000-point redemption at the La Quinta Inn & Suites.

And here’s the cash price.

With taxes, the total cost comes to $354.20. Dividing by 15,000 points, this works out to an excellent 2.4 cents per point redemption. If you hold any of the Wyndham co-branded credit cards, you’ll get a 10% discount, making this redemption 13,500 points instead of 15,000. That brings the redemption rate to an even better 2.62 cents per point.

Vacasa

Vacasa is a full-service vacation property management company, representing over 44,000 rental homes in 35 U.S. states plus Canada, Belize, Mexico and Costa Rica. Choose from beachfront homes to ski-in/ski-out condos and everything in between.

Wyndham Rewards points can be redeemed for participating Vacasa properties. The redemption rate is either 15,000 or 30,000 points per bedroom per night. So a two-bedroom home would be 2 x 15,000, or 30,000 points per night. Property points values are determined based on the average cash cost of a bedroom’s nightly rate: If the average cost is $250 or less, the redemption will be 15,0000 points per bedroom per night. However, if the average cost is between $250.01 and $500, the redemption will require 30,000 points per bedroom per night. Vacasa properties with an average cost of more than $500 are not eligible for redemption.

To confirm award availability and book an award stay at a Vacasa property, you’ll have to call Wyndham Rewards member services. Blackout periods and additional fees may apply to award stays and not all Vacasa properties are eligible.

Cottages.com

If you’ve ever dreamt of staying in a thatched cottage or in an English manor, a Cottages.com redemption could make that a reality. With thousands of properties in the United Kingdom, a redemption with Wyndham Rewards is 15,000 points per bedroom per night.

Checking for award availability and booking a Cottages.com stay with Wyndham Rewards points requires a call to Wyndham Rewards Member Services. Cottages.com award stays are subject to blackout periods and additional fees.

Airline Rewards

Wyndham partners with nine airline programs:

• Aeromexico Rewards
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Avianca Lifemiles
• United MileagePlus
• Payback
• Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Air China Phoenix Miles
• Fortune Wings Club Kilometers

The transfer rate works out to 5 Wyndham Rewards points to 1 airline mile (5:1). Points can only be transferred in multiples of 6,000 points, 16,000 points or 30,000 points and can take six to eight weeks.

We don’t recommend transferring your Wyndham Rewards to airlines due to the poor transfer ratio and the long lead time. You’ll get better value using your points for free night awards.

Other Wyndham Rewards Points Redemptions

Other possible redemptions include gift cards, merchandise, AARP membership, charitable donations and tours and activities. The cents-per-point value for these redemptions range from a dismal 0.1 cents per point (merchandise) to 0.36 cents per point (gift cards). Clearly, these redemptions do not represent a good use of points compared to free night awards.

Wyndham Rewards Points Expiration Policy

Wyndham’s points expiration policy is a little more complicated than other programs. Wyndham Rewards points expire after 18 months of inactivity. Activity is defined as redeeming, earning or transferring points. However, points expire four years after they are earned, whether there is activity or not. Luckily, Wyndham tracks this for you. To check your points expiry date, head to the “My Account” section of the Wyndham website and click “Notifications” on the left side.

Wyndham Hotel’s emphasis on budget-friendly properties, often in highway adjacent locations, makes this a good program for people who are on the road frequently, want a quick, inexpensive stop along the way and appreciate an unfussy, easy-to-use program that quickly earns award nights. With the 1,000-point minimum per stay, you’ll earn a free night after only eight stays.

Wyndham’s partnerships with Vacasa, Cottages.com and Wyndham Vacation Club can make the Wyndham Rewards program especially valuable for families who need accommodations with more space at a reasonable price. If you’re planning a family vacation to ski or enjoy beach time, Wyndham Rewards’ broad selection of vacation club-style properties is worth investigating.