Collecting hotel points is extremely rewarding when you can travel for much less than retail. However, those points are subject to devaluation as hotels make adjustments to their award charts and rewards programs. Wyndham is the latest hotel brand to announce reward chart changes.
As of Feb. 11, 2020, Wyndham is changing the point requirements for more than 9,200 of its properties. Wyndham's chart changes will affect the points value of each property. If you have been planning a hotel stay with Wyndham, be sure to check if your property will be affected by the change and whether it's still worth booking given the new number of points required.
Wyndham Rewards Chart Changes
While big hospitality companies like Marriott and Hyatt have relatively robust award charts, Wyndham has historically been very simple. At one point, all of the Wyndham properties were 15,000 points per night. In 2019, Wyndham made a major revision to the program by spreading out the properties into three tiers.
Wyndham Rewards Points Chart
| Tier 1 properties | 7,500 points per night |
|---|---|
| Tier 2 properties | 15,000 points per night |
| Tier 3 properties | 30,000 points per night |
In 2020, the structure will not be changing — but they will be moving properties to readjust where they fall in the program. Out of their 9,200-plus properties, 500 hotels will move down, 220 will move up to Tier 2 and 80 will move up to Tier 3.
How Do the Wyndham Changes Affect Point Value?
In our assessment, this update does not affect the value of Wyndham points. Because only a small percentage of the properties are shifting, it isn’t likely to have a large impact on the program as a whole. In addition, more properties are moving down in tiers than moving up — meaning, they will require fewer points to book.
How do you know if an award booking is worth it?
Wyndham points are generally valued around 1 cent per point — if an award night with Wyndham is worth at least 1 cent per point, then it's worth booking. To calculate the value of Wyndham points, use this simple equation:
Cash price (minus any taxes and fees that you would have to pay with an award booking) / Number of points needed for stay = Point value for that specific redemption
Are Wyndham Rewards Still Worth It?
Absolutely. All hotel programs are susceptible to eventual reward program changes. In fact, it may be more worthwhile now to grab a Wyndham rewards credit card because the changes are more favorable than not.
Many travel rewards experts estimate Wyndham Hotel rewards to be worth 1 cent per point. But with the changes to the award chart announced, the value of the points may increase slightly.
However, Wyndham Rewards points are rather difficult to earn. So to earn Wyndham Reward points, you can sign up for The Wyndham Rewards® Visa Signature® Card or try shopping through one of Wyndham’s shopping portals. Alternatively, you can earn Capital One miles with a card like the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card that can be transferred to the Wyndham Rewards program.
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