Best Points Options for BNB's
Updated: Sep 5
A commonly neglected element of points options is those of BNB's & multi-bedroom suites. In this article I wanted to focus primarily on BNB's.
Options Via Wyndham Rewards for 15k/night/bedroom (13.5k/night if you have the Wyndham business Earner)
My Map
Here is a map of some options when you narrow down by Vacasa cities/counties, Cottages.com cities/counties, & Lindhal cities/counties w/ 1 bedroom options for BNBs. Keep in mind that there are a number of additional cities/counties w/ more than 1 bedroom & that most cities/counties w 1 bedroom options have 2+ bedroom options.
If using the map on Vacasa, keep in mind that it often won't show availability until you Zoom in quite a bit, but that availability can change at any time & that my map isn't updated on a daily basis.
Basics
If you like BNB's, by far the best option with points for BNBs in my opinion is with Vacasa using Wyndham Rewards as long as you book places that can accomodate your familiy size while still being a 1 bedroom property.
Many properties won't let you book if the base cost (not including taxes & fees) is over $350/night/bedroom. That said, there are plenty of exceptions.
When possible, be sure to establish a max bedroom number in your search, i.e. 1 bedroom properties, as well as the minimum number of guests you'd like to bring with you. Here's an example, w/ image courtesy Vacasa, searching 1 bedroom properties w/ 10 person occupancy:
In some cases like some of the above, you might only get 1 chance to book if there are actually more than 1 bedroom in the place and the owner adjusts their settings after you book.
You'll need to call in to Wyndham to book. The number can change over time. It's currently 800-441-1034.
How to get Wyndham Rewards
The Wyndham Rewards Business Earner credit card is perhaps the best way to get Wyndham Rewards. Perhaps the 2nd best way to acquire Wyndham Rewards is during their best promotions for buying points, where points can be purchased for less than 1 cent each on a recurring basis. Between those 2 options, your points options may be limited, so you may also want to get points via credit card spending on other cards. For more details on earning Wyndham Rewards, go to my article on the subject here.
Vacasa - the Highest Volume Viable Option in the US w/ Some Elsewhere for Traditional Style BnBs
Vacasa is the best BNB option in the US on points in terms of providing traditional style BNBs in the most locations for the best value per point possible.
Here's a 1 bedroom example with 6 person max occupancy and 5 beds that would be 15k Wyndham Rewards points/night if you don't have a Wyndham Rewards Business Earner credit card and 13.5k/night if you do have a Business Earner. That's 2.7 cents per point or 3 cents per point on some dates I checked. Just keep in mind that Vacasa doesn't have as many options as AirBNB, but still plenty of options.
Here's another 1 bedroom example where I actually booked it:
My First Vacasa Booking Using Wyndham Rewards
Here's a 4 bedroom example:
That's a value of $367.16/night/bedroom, so 2.7 cents per point if you have the Wyndham Business Earner. I actually made this booking.
Cottages.com - Solid Options in United Kingdom
Cottages.com has a large portfolio of >25000 options in certain parts of Europe, particularly around the United Kingdom. It doesn't provide an option for max bedrooms. It does provide an option for sorting by prices high to low. It also provides an option for "luxury" properties under "all features". You can get solid value from relatively high bedroom # or low bedroom # properties. Here are the main regions & # of properties per region:
Keep in mind that you may be limited in most cases to a $350 USD/night/bedroom threshold in at least some cases, but if you assume that wouldn't apply, &/or that other dates might be cheaper, here are some examples, and keep in mind that 1 British Pound is equivalent to $1.26 USD at the moment. If nothing else, the below demonstrate that it's not difficult to hit the $350 USD/night/bedroom threshold if you're looking in the right places the right way.
For instance, this property is a 7 bedroom property, but the $ value is still 424.52 British Pounds per night per bedroom for a 3 day stay around new years I checked:
Here's an example of 545.87 British Pounds Per Bedroom Per night in a 5 bedroom property:
Here's an example of 452.78 British Pounds Per Bedroom Per night in a 3 bedroom property:
Here's an example of 432.67 British Pounds Per Bedroom Per night in a 2 bedroom property:
While not as high value per point, a 2 bedroom option staying in a castle tower on the cheap doesn't sound so bad at a value of 315.83 British Pounds per bedroom per night:
Keep in mind that with this program there are whole castles you can get, like this 4 bedroom castle-esque option at a value of 329.91 British Pounds per bedroom per night:
Here's a 1 bedroom example of 618.33 British Pounds Per night in value:
Images courtesy Cottages.com
Landal Greenparks- More Options in UK & Mainland Europe
Landal has the disadvantage of being unable to establish a max bedrooms # in your search. That said, it's still a viable option in European locations without other solid points options typically for BNBs,
Here are the locations:
such as the property available below that's a 1 bedroom with a $358 USD/night value.
Image courtesy Google
Alternatives:
Limited Time Promos with Chase Ultimate Rewards
There have been at least a few occasions in the past where pay yourself back for the typical rate on travel was made available with the Chase Sapphire Reserve & other annual fee-incurring Chase UR cards for AirBNB rentals. I've taken advantage of this option to book an AirBNB before when the options with Vacasa in the same location where my dad needed it who was requesting the booking.
That said, keep in mind that pay with points with Chase Ultimate Rewards using the Chase Sapphire Reserve, getting 1.5 cents per point (vs other Chase UR annual fee incurring cards getting 1.25 cents per point), is significantly lower value than you can get with Chase partners like Hyatt, especially if you acquire globalist status like I have at the time of this writing & use it at a hotel where that would grant you club lounge access and a standard suite if space is available at check-in or with a suite upgrade certificate with advanced confirmation.
Multi-bedroom Suites Including Villas, Casitas, Cabins, Etc.
Sometimes it's possible to find properties that are incredibly priced multi-bedroom suites, in the form of a suite within a hotel, an individual cabin, casitas, or villas right within a typically hotel-room based points option. These properties can be priced in points for less than double the price of a 1 bedroom hotel room.
These properties can even be for the same price as a 1 bedroom whether you're looking at a 1 bedroom suite or 4 bedroom suite at the same property. Enter Choice Hotels, the standout by far in this realm. In my opinion, Choice Hotels are the most undervalued points program out there, and the multi-bedroom suites loophole is one of the biggest reasons why.
Here's an example: The Best Choice Hotels Option in Value Per Point?
That said, there are some viable options with other programs, i.e. some with Marriott such as the Marriott Manor Club at Fords Colony in Williamsburg, VA where I've stayed where pricing for a 2 bedroom villa isn't much more than a 1 bedroom villa.
Here's a map of a small sampling of multi-bedroom suites or 6+ person occupancy locations, with Vacasa cities included but not including Cottages.com locations.
Related:
My First Vacasa Booking Using Wyndham Rewards
Daily Getaways Deals Preview Live!
The Best Choice Hotels Option in Value Per Point? (up to 4 bedroom suite)