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Compared to other hotel loyalty programs, Wyndham Rewards is one of the simplest. Points are earned at a flat rate and there are only three levels of redemption for a free night. You won’t find complicated reward tables here, which makes it ideal even for occasional travelers.

The simplicity and the large number of hotels (9,000 properties in 80 countries) make Wyndham Rewards a program worth considering. If you’re not yet a member, you might want to sign up: you can get a free night after just $ 750 in hotel expenses or 8 stays, whichever comes first.

Wyndham Brands

The Wyndham Rewards family extends far beyond its eponymous Wyndham hotels. With 19 different brands under the Wyndham umbrella, there are properties at all levels of service and at all prices.

• Distinctive marks: Wyndham Grand
• Top of the line: Dolce Hotels & Resorts, Wyndham Hotels
• Way of life: Dazzler, Esplendor, Collection of brands by Wyndham, Tryp
• Midrange: AmericInn, Baymont, LaQuinta, Ramada, Wingate by Wyndham, Wyndham Garden
• Value: Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Microtel by Wyndham, Super 8, Travelodge
• Extended stay: Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham

The main thing you need to know about Wyndham’s portfolio is that it leans heavily on budget and mid-range properties. If you are thinking of parking yourself, Wyndham probably isn’t for you.

How to earn Wyndham rewards

Hotel stays

Staying at one of Wyndham’s many hotels is the most traditional way to earn Wyndham Rewards points, and also one of the easiest.

Each stay at a Wyndham property earns 10 points per dollar spent on your reservation, with a minimum of 1,000 points per stay. Travelers who often stay at value properties will love this accelerated income. Book a night for $ 80? Instead of earning 800 points, they’ll round you up to 1000. For an example of a two night stay at $ 150 / night, you would earn 3000 points based on 10 points per dollar.

Wyndham frequently runs promotions that increase earning rates, such as double points on all stays or 5,000 extra points after your second stay during the promotional period.

Like all loyalty programs, in order to earn reward points, you will need to book directly with Wyndham. Qualifying stays include bookings made through official Wyndham websites, the Wyndham Rewards app, Wyndham call centers or directly with the hotel in person or by phone. Essentially, you’ll want to avoid booking through online travel agencies like Priceline or Expedia. If in doubt, go directly to wyndhamhotels.com.

Other Methods to Earn Wyndham Rewards

While hotel stays are the most obvious way to earn points, there are a few other channels as well. Members can earn points with qualifying Avis or Budget car rentals, book tours through the Wyndham experience platform, complete online surveys, purchase gas at Marathon stations, or make purchases through their portal online. Members can also purchase points to supplement their account if needed.

Wyndham Rewards Credit Cards

Similar to other hotel programs, Wyndham offers branded credit cards to earn points with every purchase. Currently, you have the choice between two personal cards and a business credit card. Each card offers a welcome bonus to new cardholders as well as current rewards categories. Cardholders also receive automatic status upgrades (and corresponding property benefits) and a 10% discount on free nights.

Of the two personal cards, most members will find the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus card to be better value than the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ card with no annual fee. Although there is an annual fee of $ 75, cardholders receive an additional 15,000 points as part of the welcome bonus (potentially worth two free nights at Tier 1 hotels) and 7,500 points each year during the welcome bonus. the anniversary of their card. Ongoing income is also higher and members will upgrade to Platinum status instead of Gold.

Business travelers who prefer road trips can earn quick income with the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ business card. Not only are Wyndham properties often placed with quick freeway access, but the card earns 8 points per dollar at Wyndham properties and 8 points per dollar at gas stations. Leading diamond status comes standard with the card.

* Information on the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ card, Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus card, and Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ card from Wyndham Rewards was collected independently by Forbes. Card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Points expiration

Wyndham continues to earn points without the hassle (and as we’ll soon find out, trading is just as straightforward). That’s why it’s strange that their expiration policy mixes up two separate policies:

1. Points expire if there is no activity on a member account for 18 months. Any type of gain or trade will reset the clock.
2. Points earned on hotel stays automatically expire 4 years after the departure date, regardless of any other activity on the account.

This is a hostile policy which unnecessarily complicates matters, but members can log into their account online and see their next expiration date listed under “Notifications”.

How to use Wyndham Rewards points

Hotel stays

As you might expect, free nights are the main attraction of Wyndham Rewards redemptions. The program keeps things extraordinarily simple, with just three levels of redemption rates that clients can follow. Within each level, customers can choose between a “Go Free” reward (using points to cover the full cost of the room) or a “Go Fast” redemption (using fewer points with a co-payment in species).

Go Free rewards require 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per night depending on hotel category. Almost all of Wyndham’s properties are in the first or second level – only 296 out of 9,000 properties are currently priced at 30,000 points per night. This sets Wyndham apart from other programs which are often very heavy.

The “Go Fast” rewards only charge 20% of the required points, plus a cash copayment. For this reason, members can use 1,500, 3,000, or 6,000 points per night to reduce their total cost. However, the cash quota varies depending on the daily room rate and may not represent a significant discount on peak travel dates.

Reward night reservations of any type are easily made online or through the Wyndham Rewards app.

Other redemption options

If Free Nights don’t match your plans, Wyndham Rewards offers several other redemption options. Before redeeming your points, do some quick math: you’ll rarely get as much value as booking a free night, so it only makes sense if your points expire.

Some redemption options include booking tours and activities through Wyndham’s partnership with Viator, redeeming points for gift cards at retail stores and restaurants, or purchasing merchandise. Anytime you trade in for a cash equivalent, you can expect exchange rates of around 0.3 cents per point, which is significantly lower than what you would get with most hotel nights.

Members can also convert their Wyndham Rewards points into airline loyalty miles. They are currently partners in 11 programs, including American Airlines AAdvantage and United MileagePlus. Redemptions start at 6,000 Wyndham Points and are transferred at a 5: 1 ratio (6,000 Wyndham Points equals 1,200 air miles).

Elite Status with Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards offers bonus points and other benefits to Elite members through its loyalty program. There are four different membership levels, each providing additional benefits when you stay at any of the Wyndham hotels.

Wyndham Blue

All members are automatically enrolled at the blue level. By being a blue member, you have the possibility to earn and redeem points. On site, the only advantage is free WiFi throughout your stay.

Wyndham Gold

Earning Wyndham Gold status is remarkably easy – it only takes three nights a year. While holding Gold status sounds fancy, the benefits are intangible at best. “If available” members can request a late check-out or their preferred room type.

The only real benefit of Wyndham Gold is a 10% bonus on all points earned on qualifying stays.

Wyndham Platinum

After nine nights, members upgrade to Platinum status. Benefits include early check-in when available, upgrades on Avis and Budget car rentals, and the ability to match status at Caesars Rewards.

Platinum members also receive a 15% bonus on hotel stays to increase their points balance faster.

Wyndham Diamond

Top tier status with Wyndham requires 24 nights per year. The main benefit here is the upgrade to the suite with each stay, assuming a basic suite is available. It’s not just a case of exhaustion: some Wyndham brands only offer standard rooms.

Diamond members also receive a free snack or drink upon check-in and a 20% point bonus on each paid stay. Once a year, Diamonds can also offer Gold status to another member.

Final result

Wyndham knows its audience and handles its rewards program accordingly without frills. It’s all about the basics here: earn points for staying in hotels, then redeem them for a free night. This is a program where learning the ins and outs is quick and easy, meaning you’ll be ready for your first reward in no time.