Wyndham Hotels Changes Its Award Chart

Award chart changes often mean some hotels will require more points, and Wyndham’s update is no exception. While some properties will become cheaper under the new 5,000-point tier, others will move to higher redemption levels. Here’s what travelers should know about the upcoming changes.

Wyndham’s award chart will expand from three fixed award tiers to four. The company says the change reflects the growth of its hotel portfolio, which now includes hundreds of luxury, lifestyle, and all-inclusive properties.

Here’s how Wyndham’s award chart is changing:

The biggest change is at both ends of the award chart. Wyndham is reducing the entry-level redemption rate from 7,500 points to 5,000 points while introducing a new top-tier redemption level of 45,000 points for what it describes as “a small number” of its highest-end hotels.

The company will also redistribute hotels across all four award tiers. While many properties will remain in the same category, others are expected to move either up or down, with most changes occurring among the three lowest tiers. Wyndham has not yet released a list of which hotels will change award categories.

On a positive note, Wyndham says it will continue to use fixed award pricing. Unlike hotel loyalty programs that have shifted to dynamic pricing, award nights will still cost a fixed number of points regardless of seasonality or demand.

For some travelers, the answer is yes. Others may actually benefit.

The introduction of a new 45,000-point award tier means some hotels will cost 50% more points than they do today. However, Wyndham says only a small number of properties will move into the new top tier. At the same time, the company is lowering its cheapest redemption level from 7,500 points to 5,000 points and says some hotels will move to lower award tiers.

Without a list of which hotels are changing categories, it’s difficult to determine how many members will ultimately come out ahead or behind. Travelers redeeming points at Wyndham’s most expensive hotels will likely see this change as a devaluation, while those whose preferred properties move to a lower tier may pay fewer points than they do today.

Wyndham is advising travelers to book their stays before the changes go into effect, since those reservations will be honored at the original award price. Also, if a hotel’s redemption rate decreases after the new award chart takes effect, members who booked those properties will automatically receive a refund of any points overpaid.

Since we don’t yet know which properties will change tiers, travelers who have been eyeing Wyndham’s 30,000-point hotels should consider booking their stays before the changes go into effect just in case those properties end up in the new 45,000-point tier.

Here are a few sweet spots that currently cost 30,000 points per night and may be worth booking before the changes take effect.

One standout redemption is Club Wyndham Ka ’Eo Kai on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Accommodations in Hawaii can be expensive, making this hotel a particularly strong value when booked with Wyndham Rewards points.

If this property moves into Wyndham’s new 45,000-point-per-night award tier, the same three-night stay would cost 135,000 points instead of 90,000. Booking before Sept. 15 could save travelers 45,000 Wyndham Rewards points on this reservation.

Grand Palladium Select Costa Mujeres is another redemption worth considering before Wyndham’s award chart changes take effect. The all-inclusive beachfront resort near Cancun includes meals, drinks and resort amenities, helping travelers avoid many of the extra costs associated with a beach vacation.

In our sample search, a four-night stay cost either 120,000 Wyndham Rewards points or $2,667. Using points for this reservation would result in an outstanding redemption value of 2.2 cents per point, more than three times NerdWallet’s valuation of Wyndham points.

If this hotel ends up costing 45,000 points per night after the change, a four-night stay would cost 180,000 points, which is a significant increase from the current price.

Despite these changes, a Wyndham card can be a smart move for many travelers, particularly those who frequently stay at Wyndham hotels. Recently, the company enhanced its credit card portfolio by introducing a new premium travel credit card and refreshing the perks on its existing cards.

In light of the upcoming award chart changes, one perk offered on all the cards may be particularly valuable: a 10% to 25% discount on award redemptions, which will allow cardholders to book free nights for fewer points than non-cardholders.

The redemption discount varies by card:

To see how much of a difference these discounts can make, consider the examples above. The three-night stay at Club Wyndham Ka ’Eo Kai that normally costs 90,000 points would require just 81,000 with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card or 67,500 with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card.

Likewise, the four-night stay at Grand Palladium Select Costa Mujeres would drop from 120,000 points to 108,000 with the Earner Plus Card or 90,000 with the Earner Premier Card.

In both examples, cardholders save thousands of Wyndham Rewards points while increasing the value of each point redeemed. For example, the Ka ‘Eo Kai redemption increases from about 1.3 cents per point to as much as 1.7 cents per point, while the Grand Palladium redemption increases from 2.2 cents per point to nearly 3.0 cents per point. Both are well above NerdWallet’s current valuation of Wyndham Rewards points at 0.7 cent each.

Wyndham’s new award chart isn’t an across-the-board devaluation, but it will likely make some of the program’s best redemptions more expensive. Until the company releases the full list of hotels changing categories, travelers won’t know exactly how their favorite properties will be affected.

If you’ve been saving Wyndham Rewards points for a stay at one of the program’s current 30,000-point hotels, booking before Sept. 15 can help lock in today’s award rates while preserving the flexibility of refundable award reservations.

About the author

Elina Geller is a contributing NerdWallet travel writer specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs and travel insurance. In 2019, Elina founded TheMissMiles, a travel rewards coaching business. Her work has been featured by Forbes and AwardWallet. She is a certified public accountant with degrees from the London School of Economics and Fordham University.