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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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I am a diamond member and I am staying at the Longmont Col. Days Inn. I used points for the first 2 days and have received no perks as for the program whatsoever. I tried to book online two different times to pay points and cash for the next 2 days and the reservation didn’t work so I had to pay full price. I asked for a later checkout today because I am packing to move and they said 12:30 is the latest I can stay. I have read all the perks that you are to get,but have received none of them. When I first arrived they couldn’t find my reservation and it took 20 minutes and several phone calls from the front desk person. They had to physically fax it to the motel. The guy at the front desk even said ” wow. Usually you guys get top priority when using points ” . My work requires me to travel alot and I would like to know if it’s in by best interest to keep staying at Days Inn . Thank you, Terry Zrust
Terry, it sounds like the program isn’t working for you — but if the prices you’re paying for the rooms beat what you’d otherwise be able to get then you’re in a tough spot. You obviously have to review the value of the loyalty program versus what you’re paying for a room on each stay and then of course what you get out of a redemption.
You might look at AwardMapper.com to help you map out other hotels/brands in the area where you travel and you can then compare prices to see if it makes sense to switch.