Heads Up: Wyndham Category Changes Will Take Effect Tomorrow (February 22nd)

Wyndham  website has a note mentioning upcoming category adjustments that will take effect on February 22nd. Unfortunately, no list is provided, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what hotels will go up or down in cost. Currently, “Go Free” rate is broken down in three tiers: 7.5k, 15k and 30k points per night.

As you may have guessed, most decent properties where you would actually want to stay cost 30k points per night. There are exceptions, of course. This Wyndham Tamarindo resort (Costa Rica) looks quite nice, and runs at 15k points per night. Rates during high season run at $350 per night, including taxes. I like the fact that all rooms face the ocean, and free buffet breakfast is included in the rate.  

This is just one example, and there are obviously many others. So, if you have a healthy stash of Wyndham points, it could make sense to look at your upcoming travel plans and make some speculative bookings. Most of the time, you can cancel your reservation for free a few days to few weeks before the stay, so your risk is minimal. The upside is locking in the current rate that can potentially double tomorrow.

I’ve said many times that hotel point (in any program) is the most unstable currency in this hobby. Some, like Hyatt, usually give you advance notice, but not always. Wyndham is known for making major changes without any warning, so I guess we should be grateful that at least they gave their members a heads up this time around.

In general, Wyndham is not a program where I recommend keeping your points for too long. So make sure you have a plan (as well as plan B) if you purchase them or transfer points from Capital One. Right now the offers on Wyndham credit cards are down, so I recommend skipping that option.

What about Vacasa partnership?

I would like to know the answer to that question myself, but unfortunately the announcement doesn’t make it clear whether there will be any changes on that front. Here is the exact verbiage from the website:

“Award Night Redemption Tier Updates

What happens to go free or go fast award nights that I booked before February 22, 2023, but are scheduled to occur after that date?
If a hotel’s Redemption Tier decreases after you reserved an award night there, but before the night’s occurrence, you will receive a credit for the difference between the number of points redeemed and the number of points required under the new Redemption Tier. If a hotel’s Redemption Tier increases after you reserved an award night there, but before the night’s occurrence, you will only be held responsible for redeeming the number of points required prior to the increase.

Why have the Redemption Tiers for certain hotels changed?
Typically, all hotels’ go free and go fast Redemption Tiers are reviewed annually and adjustments may be made in accordance with this review.

I have an existing go free or go fast reservation at a hotel that has increased in tier. Will this affect my reservation?
No, your reservation will not be affected. The hotel will honor your reservation at the Redemption Tier it was originally reserved.”

As you can see, Vacasa isn’t mentioned, though it doesn’t really guarantee anything. If you’ve been thinking about redeeming your points on Vacasa rental, I would probably do so today, just in case. It is a bit harder to cancel, as you would actually have to call (1-800-441-1034). Still, better safe than sorry. And honestly, this partnership can devalue any day, as I’m fairly certain Wyndham Rewards is bleeding serious money maintaining it.

All of my Wyndham points have been going towards Vacasa rentals. In fact, I recently published a post on our recent stay in St. Augustine beach. It wasn’t a mind-blowing redemption, but getting a whole house in a beach community during New Year’s for 15k points per night is nothing to sneeze at.

Right now I’m sitting on 45k Wyndham points and would love to use them somewhere. Unfortunately, our travel schedule for the next year is completely full, and you can only reserve 12 months in advance. So, looks like I’ll be rolling the dice on that one.

For those traveling with kids, Vacasa/Wyndham partnership can be a goldmine. Despite draconian policy (cancel before 30 days or lose your points), you can score some unbelievable deals. But be aware, this isn’t a normal program where you do a search, and all your bookable options are presented to you in a neat order. No, this is only half the battle, as you have to call and make sure that you can actually use your Wyndham points at your desired property.

I’ve seen some cost limits mentioned on blogs before, and those can vary between $350 and $500 per night for 1-bedroom property. That should give you a rough idea, but you shouldn’t take it as gospel. Last year, my relative wanted to use her Wyndham points in Montana in order to book a 2-bedroom condo. Many were not available, despite being under the mentioned limit. She did finally book one, but it was a fairly frustrating process. Fortunately, in the end she made out like a bandit, as they were given a much nicer 3-bedroom condo since her original choice had some flooding issues. For 30k points per night they got an amazing unit that would probably cost them $700 per night or more.

Also, be careful when verifying availability. I recently found what I thought was an incredible deal on 1-bedroom beach house with an extra studio attached. I called to book it and the agent said it was available. She then proceeded to book it and goes: Oops, it’s not available after all! I gave her different dates, with the same outcome. Imagine if I got excited and transferred or bought points.

In many ways, scoring an outsized-value on 1-bedroom Vacasa unit (15k points per night) is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It can be done, but patience is required. Everyone would love to stay in Hawaii during Christmas break in a Vacasa unit booked via Wyndham points, but it’s likely not something you can pull off unless you get really lucky.

I recommend not holding out for that vacation that may or may not happen in a year or two, but look for ways to use your Wyndham points now. Even at 30k points per night, it could be worth considering. For example, let’s say you are planning to stay three nights in Key Largo during Christmas vacation. You need two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a unit with a view of the water. Here is one listing that looks quite appealing::

I don’t plan on going to Key Largo this year, but this rental will absolutely be on my radar in the future. I’ve actually stayed at Ocean Pointe Resort, and would do so again as long as I could pick my own unit. I will likely have to buy or transfer some points in order to book three nights here, but this is exactly what we need to fit five people. Is it a smokin’ hot deal? Not really, but factoring in the current sale rate of 0.97 cents per Wyndham point, it’s an equivalent of paying $900 for three nights instead of $1,522.

Again, this is just one example, and I’m not saying you should go for it. My point is, sometimes it’s better to settle for less CPP (cents per point) as long as  you get exactly what you want. I happen to love Key Largo, and I know we will go there again in the future. It helps that we can get there and back on one tank of gas. I could probably get a much better value elsewhere, but it would likely require paying for five airplane tickets, plus a car rental. Sometimes a “deal” can actually end up being quite expensive in the end.