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Wyndham Rewards has some big changes coming this week with the introduction of elite levels and the unveiling of some new member perks. Landing Wednesday, May 18, Wyndham Rewards is adding four new tiers to its loyalty program.
A year ago, Wyndham threw a curveball into the world of loyalty programs by announcing that all points redemptions for its new loyalty program would cost the same amount. Whether you are redeeming at the Days Inn Airport Hotel in Phoenix or the Ramada Couran Cove Island Resort in Australia, it will only cost you a flat redemption rate of 15,000 points.
At the time, it was hard to decipher whether this was a smart move or not from Wyndham as the change brought with it a fair amount of mixed press. While the properties at the top dropped dramatically in redemption value, the hotels at the bottom jumped a lot as well making points stays much less worthwhile
In hindsight, I think it was a small stroke of genius from Wyndham. Every Wyndham Rewards member now knows that there is a guaranteed good redemption for their points and whether or not that is how they redeem them, they are happier with the program as a whole because there is apparent value to the points they are collecting.
As well as the new elite status levels, Wyndham is introducing local experiences called ‘Plus Awards' which will be redeemable in participating cities. The vouchers might be for a cooking class, dinner, or theme park and the experience will be different in every participating city.
New Elite Member Levels And Experiences
Blue
- All members start on blue when signing up
- ‘Plus Award' discount tickets to a local experience worth $5 ‘go free' and ‘go fast'
- Free WiFi
Gold
- Requires 5 nights
- ‘Plus Award' discount tickets to a local experience worth $10 ‘go free' and $5 ‘go fast'
- Same as Blue + dedicated member services, preferred room, and late checkout
Platinum
- Requires 15 nights
- ‘Plus Award' discount tickets to a local experience worth $10 ‘go free' and $5 ‘go fast'
- Same as Gold + early check-in, 3000 annual bonus points, Avis and Budget car rental upgrades
Diamond
- Requires 40 nights
- ‘Plus Award' free tickets to a local experience worth $150 for ‘go free' and a $5 discount voucher for ‘go fast'
- Same as Platinum but with 6000 annual bonus points + suite upgrades on availability (including award nights), welcome amenity (such as a cheese plate), and you can gift a family member or friend Gold status for a year.
Rollover Nights That Don't Expire!
In an impressive move for the casual points collector, Wyndham is introducing rollover nights to help towards elite status. If you only stay two nights a year at Wyndham, on the third year you will earn Gold status for the following year with a night in the bank to put towards either the next tier or the next year.
A Move In The Right Direction For Wyndham Rewards
Whether you only stay at Wyndham properties 2/3 times a year, or you are a dedicated Wyndham road-warrior, the new tiers and points rollovers are welcome news. Wyndham is really starting to set themselves apart from other loyalty programs when it comes to Wyndham Rewards, putting together a unique offering.
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