Wyndham Rewards Guide: How to Earn Points, Elite Status, and Free Nights

Wyndham Rewards is the loyalty program for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Covering 24 brands and over 8,000 hotels across 95 countries, Wyndham Rewards is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs in the world. That's despite not getting the attention of peers like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors — or even World of Hyatt, which has a much smaller global footprint.

So, does Wyndham Rewards merit your attention? And why is it seemingly overlooked? Here's everything you should know about this loyalty program.

Wyndham Rewards Overview

The rapid growth of Wyndham Rewards can be attributed to its simple, predictable award structure:

• Wyndham doesn't use dynamic award pricing
• Award nights cost 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points — depending on the property
• Members can also use Points + Cash, applying as few as 750 points toward a paid stay at participating hotels

Earning points is equally straightforward. Members earn 10 points per dollar spent with a minimum of 1,000 points per qualifying stay at most properties. At WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham, members earn 5 points per dollar on qualified stays in furnished suites.

Wyndham Rewards offers three elite status tiers: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Entry-level Gold status provides limited value, but top-tier Diamond status includes perks like suite upgrades — and can be obtained automatically by holding the Wyndham Rewards^® Earner℠ Business Card.

Wyndham Hotel Brands

Wyndham Rewards members can redeem points at 24 hotel brands. While Wyndham is often associated with budget-friendly chains like Days Inn, La Quinta, and Travelodge, its portfolio also includes higher-end options such as Registry Collection Hotels and Wyndham Grand.

Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe. Credit: Wyndham

Here are all of the brands where you can use your Wyndham Rewards points:

• AmericInn
• Baymont
• Days Inn
• Dazzler
• Dolce Hotels and Resorts
• Esplendor
• Hawthorn Extended Stay
• Howard Johnson
• La Quinta
• Microtel by Wyndham
• Ramada
• Ramada Encore
• Registry Collection Hotels
• Super 8
• Trademark Collection by Wyndham
• Travelodge
• TRYP by Wyndham
• Vienna House
• Wingate by Wyndham
• Alltra All-Inclusive
• Wyndham
• Wyndham Garden
• Wyndham Grand
• WaterWalk Extended Stay

Members can also redeem points at vacation club resorts for 7,500 points per bedroom per night, including select Club Wyndham and Margaritaville Vacation Club properties.

Related: Book condos in the U.S. for 7,500 Wyndham points per night

Track all of your travel plans, including flights, hotels, rental cars, events, and more through AwardWallet. Sign up for free and get three free months of AwardWallet Plus!

Wyndham Rewards Elite Status

Wyndham Rewards has three elite tiers above the base level:

• Gold: Requires 5 nights
• Platinum: Requires 15 nights
• Diamond: Requires 40 nights

Here's a look at the perks that you get with each level of Wyndham Rewards elite status.

Credit: Wyndham

The perks at Blue and Gold are limited, although Gold-level members receive late checkout when available.

At the Platinum level, members receive early check-in, a Caesars Rewards status match, and car rental upgrades with Budget and Avis. Note that you only qualify for a Caesars status match if you have earned Wyndham status through stays. If you receive elite status as a benefit of a Wyndham credit card, you aren't eligible.

Diamond status members get similar rental upgrades to Platinum members, plus:

• A welcome amenity
• Suite upgrades (including on award nights)
• Ability to gift Gold status to a friend or family member each year

Additionally, the Wyndham Rewards co-branded cards from Barclays provide complimentary status to cardholders:

• Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card: Gold status
• Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Plus Card: Platinum status
• Wyndham Rewards^® Earner℠ Business Card: Diamond status

If you have elite status with another hotel loyalty program, Wyndham offers a status match up to Diamond. Matched status is valid for 90 days, and members can extend it through the end of the following calendar year by completing a required number of qualifying nights during that period:

• Retain Gold status: 1 night
• Retain Platinum status: 4 nights
• Retain Diamond status: 10 nights

For example, if you currently hold Marriott Gold Elite status, you can match to Wyndham Diamond status by completing the status match request form. Once approved, you'll enjoy 90 days of Diamond status. During those 90 days, you need to stay 10 qualifying nights at a Wyndham property to keep your status through the end of 2027.

Related: Current Status Match Opportunities With Hotel Programs

Wyndham Rewards Insider

For $95 per year, you can join Wyndham Rewards Insider, which gives you a variety of benefits, including:

• At least 10% off Hotels by Wyndham rates
• Accelerated earning (up to 50% more points on qualifying stays)
• Wyndham Rewards Gold status
• 2 points per $1 at Ticketmaster and Wyndham point redemptions for tickets
• Discounts on flights, cruises, car rentals, airport transfers, and tours

Soon, you'll also have virtual urgent care access when traveling. That's a pretty niche and unique perk for a hotel subscription program to have.

All in all, you'll have to decide if the $95 annual fee is worth it. If you frequently stay at Wyndham properties, and you can recoup some of the cost through the discounts with travel providers, it could make some sense. However, it’s difficult to justify the cost solely for Gold status, which offers limited value on its own.

Ramada by Wyndham Athens Attica Riviera. Credit: Wyndham

Earning Wyndham Rewards Points

Wyndham Rewards offers a strong return on spending, with members earning 10 points per dollar or a minimum of 1,000 points per qualifying stay, whichever is higher.

Considering AwardWallet users redeem Wyndham Rewards points for an average of 1.3¢ per point, that's around a 13% return on your stay — before factoring in elite bonuses or credit card earnings.

Wyndham Rewards credit cards

Wyndham offers several co-branded credit cards through Barclays:

Wyndham Earner Card

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
• Earn 5x points on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases
• Earn 2x points on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target^® and Walmart^®)
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases
• Automatically receive Wyndham Rewards Gold status
• Earn 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year if you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases
• Get a 10% discount on award nights
• Save 15% when you buy points
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 annual fee

Wyndham Earner Plus Card

• Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
• Earn 6x points on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases
• Earn 4x points on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target^® and Walmart^®)
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases
• Automatically receive Wyndham Rewards Platinum status
• Receive 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year after payment of the annual fee
• Get a 10% discount on award nights
• No foreign transaction fees
• $75 annual fee

Wyndham Earner Business Card

• Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
• Earn 8x points on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases
• Earn 5x points on eligible marketing, advertising, and utilities purchases
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases
• Automatically receive top-tier Wyndham Rewards Diamond status
• Receive 15,000 bonus points each anniversary year after payment of the annual fee
• Get a 10% discount on award nights
• No foreign transaction fees
• $95 annual fee

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Golf & Beach Resort in Puerto Rico. Credit: Wyndham

Wyndham Rewards for meeting planners

Wyndham Rewards also offers generous rewards for meeting planners through the Groups, Meetings, and Events program. There's no minimum spending requirement and no cap on earnings. Planners earn 1 point per dollar on all qualifying revenue, including:

• Guest rooms (10 or more rooms on at least one night)
• Meeting room rental fees
• Food and beverage charges

These points are earned in addition to the 10 points per dollar earned by individual guests (with a 1,000-point minimum per stay).

Buying and gifting Wyndham Rewards points

Members can buy or gift up to 100,000 points per calendar year at $13 per 1,000 points (1.3 cents each). Purchases are processed through Points.com and don’t qualify for credit card bonus categories, so be sure to use a good daily spending credit card.

Paying the full price for purchasing Wyndham points is not generally a great use of cash, since AwardWallet members typically redeem Wyndham points at 1.3¢ each.

However, Wyndham runs promotions to buy points with a discount or bonus. This can make it more reasonable to buy Wyndham points, especially if you have a specific redemption in mind. However, we don't recommend buying points speculatively.

Credit: Points.com

Other ways to earn Wyndham Rewards points

In addition to hotel stays and credit cards, members can earn Wyndham Rewards points through Avis and Budget car rentals, select tours and activities, online shopping, and surveys. Earning rates and eligible partners vary and are listed on Wyndham’s website.

Redeeming Wyndham Rewards Points for Free Nights

Wyndham offers two redemption options: free nights or Points + Cash.

Free nights cost 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points, depending on the property. Wyndham credit cardholders receive a 10% discount on award stays.

Points + Cash redemptions start at 750 points, with the cash portion varying by hotel. The biggest advantage of Wyndham’s system is predictability — you always know how many points you’ll need for a free night.

Lack of Points Sharing

Wyndham doesn't allow point transfers or pooling between accounts, even within the same household. That's frustrating when this feature has become commonplace with other hotel loyalty programs.

Related: Which Rewards Programs Let You Pool Points and Miles With Others for Free?

Final Thoughts

For travelers who favor lower-cost hotels, Wyndham Rewards offers strong value — especially with its 1,000-point minimum earning rate and simple redemption structure. While the program lacks the prestige of some competitors, it does present a fantastic value proposition, especially in international markets.

If you regularly stay at Wyndham properties or want a straightforward loyalty program without dynamic pricing, Wyndham Rewards is worth a closer look.