Wyndham "Sweet Spot" Properties That Now Cost Fewer Points
As of Wednesday, Wyndham has revamped its award chart from a fixed 15,000 points per night across the board to a three-tier chart ranging from 7,500 points to 30,000 points per night.
Every hotel and resort in the Wyndham family will now fall into one of these tiers:
- 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)
Unfortunately, Wyndham did not provide the list of which properties would fall into the respective tiers ahead of time, so I previously suggested booking those family-friendly, higher-end properties in advance to avoid a potential move up to the 30k-point level.
We speculated as to which properties would increase to 30k points per night and, unfortunately, were correct on almost all of them -- but some did stay at the 15k level. Not only that, but about 3,000 properties moved down so you can now redeem just 7,500 points for a free-night stay. While most of these properties are Wyndham's lower-tier hotels, you might find some good redemption options for your family. You can check the entire list of 5,000+ properties here.
Wyndham Vacation Club Properties are Largely Still 15K
Wyndham has about 150 Vacation Club properties under its umbrella and almost all of them, with three exceptions, stayed at the 15k point level. The only properties that moved up are Margaritaville Vacation Club–Wyndham Rio Mar, Wyndham Clearwater Beach Resort and Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek.
This means you can still stay in some one-bedroom suites for just 15k points a night. For instance, Hawaii has five different properties to select from, including: Wyndham Bali Hai Villas (Kauai), Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy (Kauai), Kona Coast Resort (Big Island), Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village (Big Island) and Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai (Oahu).
I am personally thrilled to see that the Wyndham Park City stayed at the 15k points level. This property is at the base of the Canyons mountain and features everything you'd want for a day of skiing — a heated outdoor pool, two hot tubs and a ski valet.
While some Wyndham Vacation Clubs are harder to book on points than others, if you are persistent and look far enough in advance, you might be able to book a great one-bedroom suite at just the 15k-point level.
Condo and Vacation Homes
Within the past three years, Wyndham has added about 20,000 condos and vacation homes to its rewards program. With the new award chart structure, all of these non-hotel portfolio properties have, in fact, stayed at the same redemption structure. This means you'll still spend the same 15k points per night per bedroom — a one-bedroom condo/home will cost 15,000 points, while a two-bedroom condo/home will cost 30,000 points, and so on.
Stay in Jerusalem for Less
The TRYP by Wyndham Jerusalem Bat Sheva is now a Tier 1 property where you can redeem a free night for just 7,500 points a night. Jerusalem can be an expensive destination, so finding an affordable place within the city walls to use your points is ideal. The one disadvantage of this property (similar to many properties in Israel) is that all rooms just have one king bed. However, you can now book two rooms for the same 15,000 points that you used to use for just one room.
Disney World for Less
You can now use half the amount of Wyndham Rewards points to stay near Disney World. Although these are your lower-level properties and do not provide the same benefits as staying at a Disney partner property, if your goal is simply to spend the day at Disney and you are just looking for a bed close to the park, these properties will do just that — all for just 7,500 points a night. These properties include: Days Inn by Wyndham Kissimmee FL, Ramada by Wyndham Kissimmee Gateway, Travelodge by Wyndham Kissimmee East, Travelodge Suites by Wyndham Kissimmee Orange and Baymont by Wyndham Celebration. I do suggest, however, checking reviews ahead of time to make sure the property is right for you.
You can also still stay at the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs for 15k points per night and get access to Extra Magic Hours and 60-day FastPass+ reservations.
Stay Beachside in New England
To my surprise, the Wyndham Newport Hotel stayed at the Tier 2 level, which means you still only need 15k points for a free night's stay. I thought this beach property in the vacation destination of Newport, Rhode Island, would double in the number of points required, but I am glad I was wrong! At this full-service property, you're within walking distance of the beach and have access to an indoor saltwater pool. Best of all, availability is still pretty good for peak summer months.
If you'd prefer an in-town option, there are many Wyndham Vacation Club properties that all stayed at the same 15k point level. At both the Wyndham Inn on the Harbor and Wyndham Inn on Long Wharf you can actually book a one-bedroom suite at 15k points a night.
The Beaches of Thailand
If Thailand is on your family's list of destinations, the Days Inn by Wyndham Aonang Krabi is now only 7,500 points a night. This property is located right in the heart of Ao Nang Beach where you can walk to restaurants, shop, get a cheap massage and easily catch a boat to Railay Beach. Although this isn't a resort area, I found it to be a very convenient location for day tours around the area, especially to Phi Phi Island.
Unfortunately, like many properties in Europe and Asia, rooms at this hotel, when booked with points, only include two twin beds. However, cribs are available, so if you are traveling with a baby who doesn't need its own bed, you'll be perfectly situated. For everyone else, you might have to book two rooms, but that will still only cost you 15k a night total.
Explore Belgium
If Antwerp, Belgium, is on your list, you can now book a stay at the TRYP by Wyndham Antwerp for just 7,500 points per night. If you make the trip, here are some cool things to do in Antwerp with kids, such as an indoor Smurf-themed amusement park!
Bottom Line
While I am sad to see many of Wyndham's higher-end properties double in award price, there are still some great properties that remained at the 15,000-point level and many at 7,500 points. If staying near a relative's house, or a hotel along the highway during a family road trip, you might also find the new program to be a better match for your upcoming travels.
Image courtesy of Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
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