Last week I’ve mentioned that the sign-up bonus on Wyndham Visa card has been recently increased to 45,000 points. The annual fee of $75 is not waived. It’s not the best offer in current Barclaycard line-up, at least not in my opinion. That would be Jet Blue product that currently has a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points. Note that neither card pays me commission, so there is zero incentive to recommend one over the other.
However, not everyone lives near an airport served by Jet Blue. In addition, some families prefer to drive. Perhaps their idea of a perfect vacation involves spending spring break in a Florida resort. Maybe a place near Disney or by the beach. In that case, you should definitely consider Wyndham co-branded credit card.
Ability to redeem points on vacation rentals
This is a wonderful feature for families who prefer more space. The best part? It costs a flat 15,000 points to get a 1-bedroom unit, the exact same price as a hotel room. When Wyndham rolled out this feature, you could only get your vacation rental redemption by calling in. I’ve tried, and found that the agents were mostly clueless.
Well, it turns out that now you can reserve the rentals online. You can see all available options by searching this website Note that availability is limited and during high season you may have a hard time finding a unit. But it’s definitely possible as long as you are flexible on dates.
Another thing to keep in mind is that usually you have to book at least two consecutive nights. Also, in general, cancellation policy is more strict compared to hotels. It will depend on the resort, so make sure to read the fine print. Here is an example for one property:
Honestly, 72 hours isn’t bad at all. A nice perk to reserving a Wyndham vacation rental rather than hotel room is that you can usually avoid paying resort fees. Those can definitely add up.
Orlando area
Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort is a very popular place, located close to Disney. There are many amenities, so even if you decide to skip the parks, your kids won’t get bored. For 15,000 points per night you can get a 1-bedroom unit:
If you don’t mind dealing with individual owners, you can reserve a condo here on VRBO for about $170 per night during high season. During off-season, you may be able to score a great deal by checking SkyAuction website. To me, burning points during peak season is definitely the way to go. In fact, I plan to use my Wyndham stash to get a condo here sometime in March of 2019. I promised my daughter to take her to Disney in a near future.
You can also pay 30,000 points per night for a 2-bedroom condo, but the deal isn’t quite as hot. VRBO lists those units for around $200 per night. Still, it’s an option nonetheless.
Clearwater beach area
Wyndham Clearwater Beach resort is an excellent deal via points, especially during spring months. Hotels in the area go for $250-$300 per night, so the ability to get a beachfront condo for only 15,000 Wyndham points is a steal:
I wil be the first one to admit that Clearwater Beach is not my favorite area in Florida. That said, there is lots to do here, so if you want an active beach vacation, this is the place to be. See my posts on vacationing in Clearwater here and here
Bottom line
There are many other options, so I suggest you check out Wyndham Vacation Resorts page in order to see specific listings. You can take your family to the mountains, beach or big city, you name it. While most programs charge a premium for suites, with Wyndham you can get an actual 1-bedroom unit for the same price as a regular room. That’s hard to beat if you are a family of four.
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
We’re checking out Bonnet Creek on points in August. We will be staying there after 6 nights at the Grand Floridian so hope we aren’t disappointed. Thanks for this post!
Natasha, it seems like a really nice resort! I really hope to take my kids there in 2019. I think comparing it to Grand Floridian is probably similar to comparing apples to oranges. I’m certain your kids will enjoy both. And when the kids are happy, so are parents!