Stretching Wyndham Rewards with $+ Points Bookings at US Wyndham Vacation Properties for 50% Off
Updated: Jan 1
One of the most underutilized hotel points strategies that can sometimes stretch points further than they could go otherwise is found in $+ points bookings. I find that Wyndham Rewards $+points are one of the best options for stretching the value of hotel points (& ideal for gifting) across a large number of hotels while not limiting you to using them on family. By comparison, only a small number of Hyatt properties have any greater value with $+points bookings vs strictly points bookings, & Choice Hotels points can't be gifted to non-family.
Used most effectively for hotels, you could save greater than $350/night with cash+points Wyndham Rewards, using 3k points per night, at a value per point of over 12 cents.
Generally speaking, you'll often find the highest value options at any high-end Wyndham Vacations Properties that charge 3k/night + around 50% of the nightly stay for $+ points bookings, & especially at a peak season or holiday where the cash rates tend to be highest. They'll typically only be available on 2+ nights & properties that aren't Wyndham Vacation Resorts (in filters on a search) will typically not offer 50% off for $+points bookings. The majority of US-based Wyndham Vacation Resorts properties appear to offer 50% off on cash + points rates, while it appears to be the minority in the other countries I checked (though not as rare as viable $+points on standard rates options as Hyatt).
Here's what you'd pay if paying in $ as a member of Wyndham at the following property:
Image courtesy https://www.wyndhamhotels.com
Image courtesy https://www.wyndhamhotels.com
Here's the same room on the same dates, with the backing of 15k points:
All images on this article courtesy https://www.wyndhamhotels.com
The below examples do not by any means represent all the best options, but just a small sampling. Points values vary by date. All of the below options are close to 50% off using $ + points like many Wyndham Vacation properties that have $ + points within the US. Generally, if I give a range of value, I'll show the higher cost option of the 2, not both aspects of the range, where you can get better value per point but will also need to pay more in $:
Mid-High $ Cost & Savings Depending on Season: National Harbor, Maryland ($.12/pt; saving $360.55/night for 3k points/night)
You'd pay $2163.30 for the flexible member rate if paying in cash for a 3 night stay from 5/4-5/7/23:
If using 9k points on the same dates, you'd pay only $1081.65, exactly half:
Mid-High $ Cost & Savings Depending on Season: Park City, Utah ($.086/pt; saving $258/night for 3k points/night in early April & saving more if you can find availability in peak ski season)
Rates here, not including taxes and fees, can go from under $200/night to over $500/night in peak ski season. Even in April, they can still be over $500/night:
With fees included, here's how that looks:
High $ Cost & High $ Savings Example: Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands ($.08/pt; saving $239/night for 3k points/night)
Here's the $ cost for a standard member of a 5 night stay in peak season booked appx 1 week from that time:
Here's the cost on $+points which is 50% off:
Low-High $ Cost & $ Savings Depending on Season: Oceanside, CA 2 bedroom suite ($.052/pt; saving $312/night for 6k points/night)
Here's the $ cost:
Here's the cost with $+points in the equation:
Medium $ Cost, Medium Savings Examples: Williamsburg - Club Wyndham Governor's Green Peak Timing ($.058/pt; saving $173/night for 3k points/night)
Here's the member rate if you were to pay in $ & didn't have a Wyndham Business Earner Credit card:
Here it is on points+$, saving about 50%:
If you do have the Wyndham Business Earner, here's what you'd be paying:
Low-Medium $ Cost & Savings Depending on Season: Newport, RI ($.041/pt; saving $122/night for 3k points/night)
Cash cost without points:
Cost with cash + points:
Low-High $ Cost & Savings Depending on Season: Avon, CO 2 bedroom suite ($.055/pt; saving $328.95/night for 6k points/night)
$ Cost not even in ski season:
Low-Medium $ Cost & Savings Depending on Season: Lake Havasu, Arizona ($.034-$.055/pt; saving $101.44-$163.59/night for 3k points/night in small sampling)
Here's a low $ cost/savings example:
Low $ Cost, Low Savings Examples: Williamsburg - Club Wyndham Governor's Green Off Peak Timing ($.0185/pt; saving $55.55/night for 3k points/night)
Here's an example in Williamsburg, VA with a low $ cost without points, so low savings, booking an off-peak time, with a "Seasonal Offer" to slightly reduce the rate:
Vs the promotional offer you won't save 50%, but it will be close at around 46% off:
Low $ Cost, Low Savings Examples: Williamsburg - Club Wyndham Patriots' Place Off Peak Timing ($.016/pt; saving $48.83/night for 3k points/night
Here's an example in Williamsburg, VA with a low $ cost without points, so low savings, booking an off peak time:
That's less than half of the "Best Available Rate"
In this case, there's a "Seasonal Offer" for less that still includes a relatively decent cancellation policy:
How to Locate Wyndham Vacation Properties with 50% off the Rate
To locate these properties, go here:
https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham/locations
Then filter by "Brands", then apply the filter:
I also recommend filtering by the US, as I didn't seem to find 50% off outside the US:
How to Find Availability
It's important to be looking for a 1 bedroom. Pricing with points is per bedroom and 1 bedrooms are typically a much better deal than 2 & 3 bedrooms.
In some cases, no matter how hard you look online, you won't find any availability, but there are some tips that can help you troubleshoot.
If you're having any trouble finding availability, the first 2 things to do are to make sure that you're looking for 2+ nights and that you look at the flexible dates option.
The flexible dates option is only available when looking at the cash view, not the points view. Some hotels won't ever have any availability for $+points rates even though they have go free dates. Also, if you see "Wyndham Vacation Clubs" at the top left instead of "Wyndham Hotels & Resorts", you won't see an option for flexible dates:
In some cases there are longer minimums, but it's not always clear on the hotel website, so you may want to check 3+ night options, 7 nights options, etc. In some cases, there will be options with points when no cash options are available.
In some cases an option won't appear to be available with points until you look at the option with cash and click on the cash option, then shift back to Wyndham Rewards:
Often you won't be able to book in excess of 4, 6, or 8 months for most Club Wyndham hotels, with the length depending on the hotel.
In some cases, you won't see any availability at all for the remainder of the year. First, go to the individual hotel's website (or Extra Holidays website) rather than looking at the main Wyndham website. If there are still no viable options on the individual hotel's website or Extra Holidays, or if you see options there and want to make sure that there are cash plus points options, call 866 434 9048 for Club Wyndham. In some cases, nothing will be available online, but an option will be available over the phone.
Here's a map of around 50% off options that is best viewed on desktop/laptop. While a small worldwide sample, it includes all US states not West of Texas. Typically the 2 optimized filters on the left will be "$+Points 50% Options Visible" & "1 or 2 bedroom available...":
Reviews:
It's generally best to check multiple review sources prior to booking.
Hotels:
It's good to check reviews on TripAdvisor (viewable on the Wyndham website typically) & Google Maps as well.