Points Guru Chronicles: How the Wyndham Rewards Program Works

If you stay at a hotel, you should earn points for a free stay, right? The Wyndham Rewards program lets you do that. However, it’s harder to earn points without a Canadian credit card partner.

About Wyndham

Wyndham Hotel Group has nearly 8,000 hotels in 75 countries. The company’s 16 brands include: Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Grand, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Garden Hotels, TRYP by Wyndham, Wingate by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Ramada, Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, and Knights Inn. 

How to earn Wyndham Rewards points

First, you need to sign up for the free Wyndham Rewards program. You can also sign up at the front desk of any hotel or by calling 1.866.996.7937. The program is quite easy to understand. You’ll earn 10 points per $1 spent for every qualified stay or 1,000 points, whichever is greater.

You can also earn 100 Wyndham Rewards points every day—plus up to 30% off all qualifying rentals—when you rent a car with Avis or Budget. If you don’t want to earn Wyndham points, you can choose to earn airline points, including Aeroplan miles.

How to redeem Wyndham Rewards points

To redeem your points, you need to do is visit the Wyndham Rewards website. One night at any Wyndham property costs 15,000 points whether it’s a Super 8 or a Wyndham Grand hotel.

There’s also the option to book a night at some hotels with 3,000 points plus a certain amount of cash (where available). And you can redeem your points for gift cards at a number of retailers such as Roots, Indigo, Gap, Sport Chek, Canadian Tire, Best Buy, or Sears.

The value of a Wyndham Rewards point

You’ll get the best value when you use your points for hotel stays. The value of a Wyndham Rewards point varies based on the brand of hotel you choose. Let’s assume you and a friend plan a trip to New York City and need a room with two beds. Here are some examples for two nights (April 7 and 8, 2017) at three different hotels in and around the Big Apple:

Option #1: The New Yorker hotel

Price of a standard room: $1,115.43 (including taxes and fees)
Points required: 30,000
Value of a Wyndham Rewards point: $1,115.43/30,000 = $0.0372

This historic hotel is situated just south of Times Square and north of Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. Here, your points are worth $0.0372 each.

Option #2: Ramada Long Island City

Price of a standard room: $549.91 (including taxes and fees)
Points required: 30,000
Value of a Wyndham Rewards point: $549.91/30,000 = $0.0183

This mid-priced hotel is located across the East River in Queens but close to the subway. Your points are worth just $0.0183 here.

Option #3: Super 8 North Bergen, N.J.

Price of a standard room: $336.84 (including taxes and fees)
Points required: 30,000
Value of a Wyndham Rewards point: $336.84/30,000 = $0.0112

This bargain-priced hotel is west of Manhattan and on the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel. It does have shuttle service to New York City for a small fee. Here, your points are worth just $0.0112 each.

As you can see, staying at an expensive hotel will give you the best value for your points. You’re better off using your points for the priciest hotel you can find.

You can also use your points for gift cards, but the value of the points is less than half a cent: