Use Wyndham Rewards Points to Book Timeshares
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Wyndham hotels have historically had a slightly different way to redeem points for hotels. While most hotel chains have an award chart that divides out hotels into categories with different amounts required to redeem a free night, Wyndham announced in 2015 that it was moving to a "flat" award chart, where all hotels cost the same amount: 15,000 points/night.
It might seem strange that a free night at a hotel in the Caribbean would cost the same amount as one at a Super 8 in the middle of nowhere, and apparently Wyndham execs thought the same. Wyndham announced earlier this year that it was going back to a tiered award chart with the following values:
- Tier 1: 7,500 points (or 7,500 points + cash)
- Tier 2: 15,000 points (or 3,000 points + cash)
- Tier 3: 30,000 points (or 6,000 points + cash)
Booking Wyndham Timeshares for as Low as 15,000 Points
While most people know Wyndham from its various hotel brands, the company is also one of the biggest owners/operators of timeshares. The typical timeshare comes with a full kitchen and one or more private bedrooms, which can often make them attractive for family travel. Wyndham's timeshares are bookable with Wyndham Rewards points.
Fortunately though, when Wyndham revamped its award chart, most timeshare properties were not affected. All timeshare properties, except three, stayed at the same Tier 2 level, costing just 15,000 points a night. Although, be aware that Wyndham prices its timeshares per bedroom per night. So, a 15,000-point property means you'll pay 15,000 points/night for a one-bedroom unit or 30,000 points/nights for a two-bedroom unit. The three properties that are now in the higher tier level include: Margaritaville Vacation Club–Wyndham Rio Mar, Wyndham Clearwater Beach Resort and Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort.
Unfortunately though, Wyndham timeshare properties are hard to book with points as timeshare owners have first booking rights and the properties are also subject to blackout dates. You also might find, for instance, availability for a three-night reservation, but not a two-night reservation. Tip: Play around with your dates if you are not finding availability.
How to Earn Wyndham Points
Wyndham doesn't offer a ton of ways to earn points, but there are a few. First of all, you can earn Wyndham Rewards points by actually (gasp!) paying for a hotel stay at any of its brands. Wyndham, Tryp, LaQuinta, Wingate, AmericInn, Ramada, Baymont, Microtel, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge and Hawthorn are some of its most recognizable brands. Caesars Entertainment is also part of Wyndham so that includes places like Caesars, Harrah's, Bally's, the Flamingo, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Rio, The LINQ and NOBU Hotel. You will earn 10 points per dollar spent at most Wyndham properties, and elite members earn even more.
Related: Earn Wyndham Elite Status with a Hotel Status Match
The easiest way to get Wyndham points is through its cobranded credit card with Barclays. There are two different Wyndham Rewards Visa Credit Card options: The no annual fee version will allow you to earn 15,000 bonus points and the annual fee version ($75 per year) will allow you to earn up to 30,000 bonus points. For most timeshare properties, paying just a $75 annual fee will net you two nights at one of Wyndham's Vacation Clubs.
Lastly, you can also earn Wyndham Rewards points by crediting your car rental to your Wyndham account at participating Avis and Budget locations and taking surveys through the Opinions Rewards Panel.
How to Book Wyndham Timeshares With Points
The good news is that if you do have a stash of Wyndham points, it is now much easier to book timeshares with those points. Previously, you had to call Wyndham to book and hope that you got a reservation agent who knew what you were talking about.
Now, you're able to find these timeshares at WyndhamHotels.com by using the Wyndham Resorts brand filter on the left of the screen.
Examples of Wyndham Timeshare Bookings
Let's run through a few real life examples of Wyndham timeshare bookings. First: the Wyndham Desert Blue Resort in Las Vegas. Compare 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points to a cash price of $207.29/night (plus tax).
Or, take the 1,330-square-foot Presidential Suite for 30,000 points/night.
Also consider Go Fast bookings, which is Wyndham's version of Cash + Points. You can typically use 3,000 Wyndham points to offset 50% of the nightly cost. (The Tier 3 properties cost 6,000 Wyndham points). One example is the Wyndham Sedona in Arizona, where I was offered these options when searching a random set of dates:
- $173.29/night
- Go Free: 15,000 Wyndham points/night
- Go Fast: 3,000 Wyndham points + $86.64/night
Paying the full Go Free amount gives you about 1.2 cents per point, which is in line with TPG's points valuation for Wyndham points. But, if you use the Go Fast option and spend 3,000 points to offset half the nightly cost, that gives you a value of 2.8 cents per point.
Alternatives to Wyndham Timeshares for Larger Families
Of course, I'm the large family expert, right? With a family of eight, we're always on the lookout for deals on lodging for large families.
Related: Tips for Booking Hotel Rooms for Large Families
There are a couple of hotel chains where you can book two-bedroom suites using hotel points. Another option is Airbnb and other similar peer-to-peer home rental chains. When our family of eight recently went to Lisbon and Barcelona, we found that the hotel prices were so expensive and the occupancy limits were so strict that even though we have a stash of more than a million hotel points, they were essentially worthless. We ended up booking three separate Airbnb rentals in a fairly expensive part of Europe for a total of two weeks for about $1,000.
If you've got your heart set on a timeshare though, you might also want to check out this guide on how to rent timeshares for cheap.
Bottom Line
Having the ability to use just 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points per room is a great deal and works well not only for large families, but for families who like to spread out a bit. There are definitely some hidden gems available and if you have the flexibility, you might be able to find a great property for very little points.
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